The Washington herald., 1918-05-06
Sunday Theater
Openings
New National-"Three wise Men,,


has succeeded in striking the golden
Men," revealed for the first time
on any stage at the National The
ater last evening, 1t Is altogether too
early to determine.
In these stern and somber war
times, so profoundly affecting every
phase of American life. 1t IL natural
to look for certain definite reactions
from the people of the theater. For
the most part, the bulk of current en-
tertainment is a logical resultant OF
the black forces that are depressing
the spirits of men. In Three Wise
Men," however, we have an amiable,
pleasant, agreeable comedy Of the
! Victorian type-one which recalls to
us the days when we ourselves were
rolling IN the buttercups." and rocked
not Of any world save that OF our
own blind youth.
Austin Strong has written q play
which Is not as deep as truth at the
bottom of a well, nor subtle as sun
light playing on the surf, nor charm
ing as fantasy reflected from the mind
of a Barrie. He has, however, given
US a comedy which 10 In the best
American tradition Of its type, which
contributes a group Of delightful char
acters to chum with during an in
teresting and diverting evening. which
Is far above the average Of its kind
in structural compactness and even
development.
You remember the famous Trim
ity" Of Henry ". Esmond's when
We Were Twenty-One," the three
| crusty old bachelors who had a
most charming feminine ward? OF
course you do. If you ever saw Nat
Goodwin and Maxine Elliott play in
this memorable comedy. Well, in
Three Wise Men," We have an
other trinity of faded, morose old
bachelors-only this time they are
the three musketeers," and live on
Washington instead of Leicester
square. And the plot itself is en-
tirely different from that of the
Esmond piece. despite the fact that
there is another feminine ward in
volved, and one who in her way is
quite as charming as the one who
illuminated the love passages of
the Esmond play. And both plays
have the charm which always at
taches to the story Of age conquered
by youth, of the dry. bleak forces
of disillusionment surrendering to
the enthusiasm of those whom life
| invites with all the Establishments
at its command.
There is no more need for the
realist to argue against this
sort of thing that there is use for
the romanicist to argue against
Zola or Henry James. Each pre-
sents a point of view which is en-
tirelY authentic and sufficient unto
itself
The cast which Messrs. Smith and
Golden have provided for the new
play is one OF the best that has been
seen in Washington this season. Les
ter Lonergan contributes some dis
tinguished acting in his part Of Judge
Trumbull, the leader of the mus
keteers." Claude Gillingwater is tech
I nicaIly fiawless in his enactment of
the banker Findley. although his role
| is not as carefully wrought by the
playwright as that of the other two
members of the bachelor guild. Albert
Bruning gives an excellent perform
ance as DIR. Richard Lafarge. the Por-
thos OF the boon companions.
Miss Helen Menkin is a young ac-
tress of whom great things are ex-
pcCltu anu hcI performance dS Syu-
ney Fairchild sustains- that expecta-
ton. She will gain in technical fin
ish and fluency as she works into the
role. The other parts were more than
adequately taken by Robert Ames,
E. J. Blunkall and Nina Gleason.
1t is not too much to predict a pros
porous career for Three Wise Men"
in its final form. The author was
called before the curtain at the close
of the second act last night and made
a brief speech in which he generously
gave credit to whatever success his
play would achieve to John L. Golden
Po1Ps-''The show of WOnders."
When one exchanges $3.50 and
the war-tax compliment for
place among those present at
regular winter garden show. one
| naturally expects. som ewh ere
through the ceremonies. cerebral.
emotional shock. a kick"
An audience at Polls last night
waited exactly two hours and
twenty-five minutes for the kick"
but when it came. in the last FIVE
minutes of play, The Show of
, Wonders put across some real
high-explosive numbers. 1t came
across with a smash and provided
Major Pullman's sense of decorum
remains unshocked in the next
seven-nights. it will probably put
the IS. r. o." sign across the box
office window before Wednesday
night.
That number-'Zoo." they call
Iit-contains all the ffty-seven va
rieties of spice so dear to the
tired business man of sainted mem
ory. only the tired business mans
seat is now occupied by the tired
battalion major who seeks sur
cease from the cares of war. 1t
is not up to the reviewer to re-
veal the secret of the spice of
that number. This is altogether
family newspaper and the Show
of Wonders"-well, you know the
winter garden.
Otherwise. the Shubert's offer to
war-tired Capital production
The Show of Wonders" not being
Is 20 per cent girl. 25 per cent
music and 5 per cent hodge>podge.
The music is not of the whistle
some variety. though It is momen-
tarily pleasing. The lines do credit
to the word carpenters who threw
it together and as shows go, 1t
has time-killing values of a high
order.
Plot, Of course, there is none, which
makes not the slightest difference,
The Show of. Wonders not being
that kind of show. 1t opens with a
travesty on the ''back-to-nature"
craze of our best families-a theme,
Of course, which furnishes ample ex-
cuse for the introduction of an alto
gether charming Eve with other
undraped effects.
The opening scene likewise serves to