New-York tribune., 1919-04-13

eoei WIFI pfoau strokes These never
thSless are sound with truthfulness
AS the Jewish mother in Rita Well
mans interesting play, "The Gentle
Wife, Miss Gordon played almost
throughout the evening In broad1v
comic spirit and yet was able to take
big emotional note at the end Of tho
play with an assurance and sinesritv
which fairly swept the audience from
one mood to another.
Helen Hayes. the youngest actress
on the list, has two excellent perform
anees to her credit in a single season
she was charming in "Penrod," and
something more than that in Bar
RES Dear Brutus." Called upon TO
play scene of great length and great
gush she constantly kept the sugar
from crystalizing by cleaving it with
thin edge of wistfulness. She made
the end of the scene one of the big
gest moments of the season.
Beryl Mercer has played only old wo-
men roles in New York. She is DELIGHT
full even when the characters in
trusted to her are excessively sweet.
"Humpty Dumpty" was no great play
to be sure, but she made it profoundly
moving. Miss Mercer has no trouble
IN mixing humor with sentiment.
Ida Rauh has not been seen on Broad
way. All her experience this season
has been at the little Provincetown
Theatre, in Macdougal Street. She be-
longs in the list because of superb
performance which she gave in Susan
Glaspell's inspiring "Bernice." Miss
Rauh can hold a role under the tightest
rein throughout an evening and vet
convince everybody in an audience that
something is smouldering underneath
the repression. She is, of course. not
as experienced or as finished as some
others in the list, but she has very
individual and distinct gift and we will
take the risk of predicting that she will
be among the discoveries IF season or
so hence.
Florence Reed has done better work
III New YORK thai her heff6fihaHes in
f0oHuS of teStlHN th1S sbaSbH, AHA
Fbt II you'd be alteeethsf liHBassibe
ia keeb hef eff the list She IMPRESSED
hefsef uBan Hs ehieHg IN tbs f6la ef
q ffeHeh elfl IN a gambling house in
The first episode Of The play This vas
an enormously norid and obviously the
atriea performance, but just as surely
effective. II was an easy part for Miss
Reed She could, we are sure. slide
down q brass pole and ihmn into such
a part at any time of the day or night
as a fireman jumps into his trousers.
but we can't see why The fact that Ger
talh roles are very easy for Miss Reed
should be held against her.
Gilda vafasi by some peculiar whit1
Of theatiea chance has basH sesn IN
New York chiefly IN secondary taies
Ana vel she Is ems af HE mast ~
hafkabla Actresses IN Amaries This
list might be ellt IN half snd then sut
again and Miss Varesi would belong
among The survivors, Ne antress in
America has he same electric inten-
sity. This player has three fine ner-
fnrmances in her seasons record In
"A Little Journey' she played The part
Of woehegone and tired mother. In
RED Heart" she was rampaginp
Boshevst and now In "The Jest" she
plays Blind peasant woman fred by
a passion for Vengeance The last Is
a iiiparativelv short role, but IN ltt
few moments on The stage on The first
night bf The Beheli play Miss vatesi
left ah uiifoteellahe impression
There Is marvellous retFotmsnce NJ
stbfe for New ibtkefs 90 s6uu De Il
manager realizes tHaI Niles Vates's
lalent dees nat lis enie ~ NhaI We
esl ehafseiaf aeline As lhe hepolns
at gned romantic nag We lhlnk cha
would fairly kneet lha egea nul of
uH all
nf rourae, ihe ahnvs lia is moi of
flcial Wa can he argued into chang
Ing our mind rcrhaps valid clams
can he made for Alice Hrady, Fay
Hanter, Johyna llowland, Msfjorie
RambeHu and several othera Any road.
ct has our permission to acratch out
almost any name in the Hat and cub
stitute ono of his own choosing. hut
he must on no account disturb the name
Of Miss Glda Vnrcsi.
When Tho next wave of theotre