The Washington herald., 1919-09-22
SUNDAY THEATER OPENINGS
Belasco-@Too Many Husbands

Belasco-aToo Many Husbands.
A comesiy in three acts, BY W. Somerset
har<ham; staged by Clifford Brooke. The cast
Nictori2. Estess win~ood; Miss DENNIS Ia
msni0ras). Beatrice Miller; Taylor Ia maid.
CAROLYN Daring; Mrs. Shuttls~orth, Marguerite
s. John; Leicester Patton. Fritz WiufAHs; MAI
Frederick Lo~ndes, d. s. o., Lawrence Grus-
rnith; Mai. William Osrde~. D. s. O.. Kenneth
Doadas; Mamie "a nursel, Marion BucklG
Mr.. Rahkm, J. h Brewer; Mis- AontmorencJ.
F1or~nes Edne5; Boy. Richard Gray. Act l.
ne Bedroom lArernoonl. Act IL-Sarne a
act l. CSEenins1. Act III.-The drawing room.
The morning aftezl. The action oS the phay
takcs place At Yictoris's house in LopdOu in
the spriag Of the present. year.
By EARLE DORSEY.
The comedy which w. Somerset
Vaughan has given US in Too
Many Husbands" is of a puzzling
type. 1t is predicated upon a
theme of ingenious novelty. 1t is
developed with a subtlety and a
naivette that entrance, and it is
keyed in a humor of rarity and
height With but one exception its
cast displays intelligence and skill
in its Interpretation, and with but
that same exception its characters
are characters and not merely play
ers- For all these assets, TOO
Many Husbands" gives one pause as
to whether it offers a quality of
hunor which will make it accept
able to the masses.
As a bit of playwriting, however,
it is delightful, If not thorough.
Based upon the theme that matri-
mony is a habit with man, it offers
a problem in hymeneal adjustment
that arises when a British major,
given up as dead, Unexpectedly re-
turns to find his wife remarked TO
his best friend. The expected con-
fict of masculine forces is aVerted
in a startling manner. Neither nus
band. il appears. will permit the
sacrifice Of renunciation that each
offers In fact, by the end OF the
second act, one actually suspects
husband No. Of Interior motives IN
desiring to play EnOch Arden, nor
does his friend and successor seem
sincere in his desire to aodlcate IN
favor Of husband No. l.
The groundwork Of the first two
acts, which pertinently demonstrate
that matrimony is mostly habit
with the male of the species, Is
thoroughly sound and wOmanlike
in structure, and it's development
gives rise to some truly charming 3
high comedy touches. 1t is difficult
to get the proper slant within nine
ty minutes after the final CURTAIN
but the third act arOuses suspicion
that Playwright Vaughan, Tor all
his ability, sneaked out on the Joo
and closed his thesis with tlourlsh
that is more gaudy than conVlnc-
ing.
This third act forces the wife in
the case to choose between her two
husbands. She declines to selec-
either and announces her intention
70 marry an elderly third with
ROIIs-Royce. The action descends
periIousIy near to pish-posh IN thls
anal episOde and the final curtain
il abrupt and somewhat hasty. We
do not feel inclined to argue the
point. the impression nevertheless
Dersists that Nj Vaughan covered
his third-act tracks with the req
pepper Of snappy dialogue.
In its opening scene, Too Many
Husbands" almost browns one Win
waves of dialogue. These waves
have a certain. artificial ener-
yescence which might dash OVER
better did not Miss Estelle WIN
wood seem so thoroughly interested
in counting up the house from
Chaise-lounEe dOwnstaSe. Ihls ola
1opue contains such bits Of epigram-
r,ic roth as Il don't want to be
understood: want to be loved, ana
..rayv women have married two ID.
( o. in the same war; 1 fancy
T,va done nv bit" In act two, some
rarer bits Of comedy are developed
where one husband, forcing the
other to draw lots for their JOINT
wife. marks both slips Of paper
with a cross and pretends TO Ora"
the blank which entitled MIN 10
freedom. The astute perception OF
the other. however. reveals tht
double cross. Another bit or real
hUnor is developed through the IN
PRODUCTION Of a professional divorce
correspondent. who whiles away the
incriminatinE liaison with care
tricks, ever declining to permit mel
nsrtner in "immorality" TO even
take a nap. There are other oits
Of fun-making in Too Many Nus
bands" that are really funny
Miss EsteIle WinwoOd has beer
cast in the role of the flirtatlou'
yrifa Who fits from husband to
husband, and in strict justice, the
choice is not altogether happy. She
add A touch of insincerity to her
role which is accurate and con-
yincIn-. but she evinces a discon-
certinC tendency to talk CONSTANT!
at some people in the middle oil
the sixth row and she slipped out
~ character pcrsistently. Lawrence
C.rossuitn and Kenneth Douglas
as the two shclved husbands, give
rnaracteriZatrOns that are pointed
accurate and thoroughly Intelligent
Tr,. same can be said for Fritz
IETIiams. as the third-hus band-to-
h.. Marguerite St John, the only
other character with a role OF i'm
bortancs. seemed a trifie heavy
but it was not much of a role as
BhOsn things so.
As entertainment. Too Many
husbands" il better than the aver
age high comedy vehicle. The man.
ncr in which il will impress the
rIcat American masses, however
rs UrobiematiC al