The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-12-10
NATIONAL.

II Mr.. William Shakespeare, we'll
known English drsmatist. had httted
back to earth last night had sat in
the bald-headed row at the National
and had seen Otis Skinner rave about
the stage in the role Of Col. Philippe
Rridau in The Honor of the Family,
he would have nudged Mrs. Shakes
peare in the ribs and exclaimed eX-
citedly:
ANNE, why there's Petruchio.
They've COPIED him from The ram
ing of the ShrewT oh, Anne, isn't he
wonderful? Such a raving devil!
WHY, Anne, the Petruchio of my i'm
agination was q feeble conception pc
side this wilful, impetuous, wild
eyed fellow"
And when Evelyn Warden appeared
in the role of Flora, Mr.. Shakespeare
would have nudged Anne again and
have exclaimed:
MY word, Anne. such a seductive
wiIfuI little vixen! l say, she has
my shrew Katharine, beat q mile. l
wish / could have got Evelyn to play
Katharine for me at the Globe In
London. She would have made a hit
with good old Queen Bess."
Yes, Mr., Shakespeare very likely
would have said all of this, and Anne
would have nodded her approval. For
in a dawless. satisfying way Mr.
Skinner ably portrays the devilishly
blunt Philippe. His eyes fash sparks
He doesn't mince words. When he
speaks everyone, jumps-audience IN
cluded. He walks through closed
doors, opening them with q bump OF
the nose. He kicks furniture about
and whacks the table with his heavy
stan. He tweaks the nose OF the
servant girl, jabs his old uncle in the
stomach with the butt of his walking
stick, and tries q half-Nelson on
Flora to subdue her. His upturned
mustache makes him look feroclous.
He 10 master of all; he hypnotizes
even the audience. He is the original
hard guy"
The audience applauded so loudly last
night that Mr.. Skinner was compelled
to make a speech. It wasn't an u
thank you" speech, but q nice long
chat. He talked about War Savings
Stamps, to get that OF his chest; then
he gave a little home talk" He said
that the audience did AZ much as the
actors In making a play q success.
MY God" he said, wouldn't 1t be
awful II had to get up here and act,
and you in the audience were absent?
The play would be a failure. Your
faces help US to put the play across
All these words about the players,
and not a line yet about the play!
But it's only fair; for while the plot
is interesting and exciting, you really
go to see the acting-otis and
Evelyn, and also Robert Harrison,
who admirably portrays the difficult
role Of the aged, tottering, doting
uncle.
The scene 10 France In the post
period. The wealthy old
uncle has taken into his household
the wilful little vixen, Flora, who
pampers him, pretends to. love him.
leads him about by the nose. and tries
to get hold of his wealth. While
fawning hypocritIcally over the old
man, she secretly In entertaining her
real lover, Max, at the house. Phil
ippe, nephew of the old man, decides
to end the scandal that is going about
the neighborhood-to wean Flora
from the old man, to rescue the
uncle's fortune, to save the honor OF
the family. He fights q duel with
Max and kills him Then he starts
the shrew, Flora. The au-
dience Is beginning to think that he
will really marry her, for her wild
nature appeals to his fiery spirit But
the dramatist could never have let
that happen; for Philippe IL the hero
and Flora IL Q vixen, and for them to