Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-03
ADJUSTMENTS

BELASCO-Truth. unadorned, like
beauty in the same plight. may some
times lead to trouble, to grief and to
Jail. This is the immoral moral point
ed by Nothing But Lies" in which
William Collier is appearing at the
Belasco Theater this week. The play
is described in the program as
"Collierism in three acts and a little
bit more" This seems aptly to de-
scribe one of the most amusing farces
seen in Washington in a long time.
Mr.. Collier plays the part of George
Washington Cross of the firm of Nigh
& Cross, advertising agents, man
who does not object to telling the
truth when 1t causes no one any
trouble. He is engaged to the daueh-
ter of his partner, Miss Anna Nigh.
who looks with scorn on the whitest
takes to reform her f1ance. In des-
peration. he finally blurts out the
whole truth. and Miss Nigh has
rude awakening. She is then con-
verted to the philosophy of her future
husband and takes the initial plunge
into the nltnerIo, ioT Hei' u!ieiiehi too
sea of untruths. by knocking one
year off her age.
The little bit more" than the three
acts is a prologue in which the SHADES
of George Washington and of AnaniaS
are seen, discussing the virtues Of
George Washington, who is admirably
portrayed by Grant Stewart. afflrms
his love of truth at all times. Old
doctrine' finally E tasks asks The father of
his country" if he believes he has left
behind him nation of truth tellers
and Washington Indignantly resents
the imputation that Americans do not
love the truth with the same fervor
as himself Whereupon- Ananias pro-
duces the latest invention of the shade
world, a glass which enables the shades
to see what mortals still on earth are
doing. Under the operation of Ananias
the office of Nigh & Cross, advertising
agents, is revealed in a New YORK
office building and for the next three
acts George Washington is enabled to
follow his namesake, George Wash
ington Cross, as he dallies with the
Nothing But Lies" is produced by
Weber. The author is Aaron Hoffman;
Mr. Collier has long been recognized
as one of our leading comedians. His
acting in the new play kept the audi
ence. in a state of hilarity and en-,
thusiasm At the close of the second
act the applause was continued for
many minutes.
The supporting cast is admirable.
Thomas v. Emory plays the part of
is truth lover. who undertakes to
reveal the whole truth about his
fathers advertising business and
finds himself in danger of being sent
to the penitentiary for criminal libel.
His accomplice in the compilation
Yl11hl inr jnf1
through which he attempts to show
up the advertising business, is a
stenogrspher, Lorna Temple, played
by Florence Enright. Lorna Temple
is constantly on the verge of tears.
but rarely bubbles over. Miss En-
rights acting is clever and finished.
Jefferson Nigh, partner of George
Washington Cross, is played by Rap
ley Holmes. and his daughter Anna
by Olive Wyndham, whose person
atty makes attractive the rather un
popular part of the truth lover. Grant
Stewart as Newton Chadwick Pet
tingill presents an amusing carica-
ture of the leading lawyer" of to-
day, and w. Riley Hatch is the Hon.
Terence Connor, state senator of New
York, who cannot stand the whole
truth and nothing but the truth
about himself. Others whose acting
adds to the success of the perform
Malcolm Bradley, George Winslow
and Gordon Burby. Each part, no
matter how small, is carefully pol
ished and cleverly played.
NATIONAL Artistically produced
and brilliantly acted, "A Marriage of
Convenience" presented last evening
at the National Theater by Henry
Miller, Ruth Chatterton and a strong
supporting cast, is a colorful and re-
freshing revival of a classic. Some
knowledge. at least, of the dialogue
Grundy has adapted for the English
stage, is essential to an appreciation
of the consummate skill with which
Mr.. Miller and Miss Chatterton read
it's antique peculiarities into a vivid
and realistic expression of an age
nearly two centuries passed. The
story has lost nothing in its dramati-
cation. Through the work of those
responsible for it's revival it has be-
come a classic Of the stage as well
as classic of fiction. 1t is not often
theatergoers are treated to play in
which those filling the secondary
roles decline by their superior acting
to be eclipsed by stars like Mr.. Miller
and Miss Chatterton. Lowell Sherman.
as the Chevalier de Valcles, and David
Glassford, as the general, At into the
scenery as naturally as though they
had grown up with the period. Miss
Chatterton is withal charming in the
picturesque gowns which became the
station of comteSse De Candale.
From the women hidden under these
all but bewildering vogues the play
draws upon an inexhaustible source of
tenderness and sincerity, which pro-
vides it's chief appeal. Mr.. Miller
visualizes the role of the Comte De
Candale with an ease that stimulates
the effort of the entire cast to pre-
duce a vital, realistic picture. Fred
erick Lloyd, Willard Barton, Charles
Hanna and Frances Goodrich Ames
are the other members of this well
balanced aggregation of players. A
program of interpretive music is rem
dered between the four acts.
presented in Sometime" at Polls
Theater this week. The idea Of telling
a story in scenes and reverting to the
story-teller in other scenes. first ap-
pealed to American audiences in THE
Tales of Hoffman" The drama, ION
Trial" showed this method of stage
craft applied to straight production.
It remained for Rida Johnson
Young and Rudolph Friml to work
the idea into a girl-and-song show.
with Jazz music and the frivolity that
goes with musical comedy nowadays.
The result is production pleasing
even in its weaknesses. An instance
Of the out-of-the-ordfnary character
Of the play is the concluding tableau,
without words or music.
The story, in two acts and nine
scenes alternates from the prima