Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-05
DREW DOMINATES IN
1.-THE GAY LORD QUEX"
Polished Actor, a Solitary
Figure of Brilliancy in
Pinero Revival
THRILLS IN THIRD ACT

THE GAY, LORD oI,EX--comody in four
=, Clifford brooke. Management, John II.
ST chichsstsr rraSne.. -. George Paupgsf9rt
''vaima." otherwise Frank Pelliii,1, 49,, n
q DHsSis 1nsss 81 Of 9 Bssag MSiSSa
sophy FGiieSrnicy manicgrist Mariss
:s :s Es4as Tatas GsF $EsnS 5s9rss E%fts
Morgan. servant at Lady owbridgc,s.
Act I-Establishmept Of s0phr SoPnE' Fulisar. IIT"
for the Toilet. 1s5 New Bond street, Lon
Gardens. Fsuncsy Court. Richmond. Eng.
Act Ill.-A boudolr and bedroom at Faun-
Act iV-In Bond street again. The follow.
The action of the play is comprised within
the space or twtnty-four hours
The polished authoritative art Of John
Drew and the magnificent stagccraft Of
Sir Arthur Wing pinero battled against n
whole phalanx of foes last evening at the
Adelph Theatre aud won at least par
tial victory. The Gay Lord QucN," even
with only a single character--thc titular
one-correctly keyed, has still the power
to thrill the senses and rivct the attcn-
tion.
That wonderful third act. with its
series of Cuuningly contriVed climaXes.
IN which the neCromancy of pure tech
nique Is legitimately blended with vera
cious depletion of human character re-
mainS a magistcrial achievement by Il
gifted dramatist With the name part
IN Mr.. Drew's experienced hands the APP
neal of this nineteen -year-old comedy Is
potent.
playgoers to whom the piece was new
were deeply absorbed last night in that
soundest of all dramatic elements con-
test of Wills in which the aspirants for
mastery were the reformed 'wickedest
man in London" inuoccntly caught in a
compromising situation and the vulgar
and unsCrupulously Nirtuous manicure.
Sophy Fullgarney. aroused to a passion
ate decd of sacrifice through the force Of
a false obsession. This younger genera
tion of theatre patrons and those without
q reading acquaintance with this brilliant
play were deeply to he envicd. The in
cubus of 'invidious comparison lay not
upon their lucky shoulders. Mr.. Drew $
performance was incontostably superb
The comedy seemed a well-llnit and care
fully composed affair, superior 10 tHe
average footlight offering.
die the damage last evening. IL was
memory of Irene Nanbrugh's Consum-
mately vivid Sophy. of expert auxiliary
characterizations and tho all-around eN-
cellencc of John Hares production OF
"Quex," nearly two decades ago, that
made this revival appear like glimpse
of the piece through the small end of a
telescope.
Mr., Drew's triumph was undehled' his
Individual performance the finest OF
many years. eQualing Hare's at many
! points and oven surpassing 1t In certain
delectable moments. Physically he is
4 better suited to the role than his ols-
tinguished predecessor All the dramatic
stops lay entirely within the compass of
the finished American actor, who so o.ably
sustains the rich histrionic traditions Of
this his native city He was alternately
sardonic, cynical. ready-witted. dignified
and sincere in emotional crises, inmi-
table in facial byplay. crisp and incisive
in diction.
Discussion of his associates il sad
dening task. The Sophy of Margaret
Ellington was temperamentally out of
focus. The part is an exhibition of
cockney character. its virtues and its
vices, its "commonness" and its IDEAL
ism. BY this is not meant that the fe-
male manicurist should talk like Albert
Chevaler, but surely her speech should
betray none of the elegance of Miss IL
lingtons enunciation. Vvacity is an
other ingredient of this role, and last
nights incumbent was sometimes heavy,
sometimes curiously pettish.
Miss Vanbrugh's performance was
unique. 1t would I've little short of MI
. raculous If another actress We're to at
tain the conviction of that portrayal.
But Miss Ellington was miles below
humber standard In the tense episodes
her natural endowment of emotional
power, that has often adorned roles
within her sphere served her with con-
siderable effectiveness. But she was
never the ingratiatng, lovable, crude
and impetuous Sophy, the fine plucked
'un' of Quex's admiring and graphic
phrase.
Mediocrity laid its leadep hand on all
the other personages. The sybartic
Duchess of Strood, as played by Irby
Marshall. had the irritating affectation
OF a skittish spnster. George Paunce-
fort was n palid figure as Chick"
.F'rayne, painted by the author with
swift strokes of drollery. The negative
personality of Otola Nesmith as Muriel
was certainly not worth any of the ag-
onies undergone by QueX and Sophy in
her behalf. Even the scenery was shabby
and inadequate.
Some condensation of the play was
evident. Pinero himself is saidNo have
made the revision and so-called mod
ernization." If so he was exceedingly
unkind to certain highly amusing pas
sages now deleted from the third act.
Yet, after all, the piece is still well
worth seeing. The combination of Drew
and Pinero form n bulwark of artistic
strength. And good play dies hard
ii. I. c.