The Washington times., 1919-12-23
At The TheQters

destroying the Illusion, or producing
too great strain upon the creduli.y
Of the audience.
The prologue finds two spirits Of
departed women standing before a
garden gate in q purple glow and
sharing their Joy over the beautiful
love Of their children. a boy and q
girl, in love on earth
The light fades out and the year
Is 1914. The boy and the girl are
In love and want to marry. but this
boys father fifty years before killed
the fiancee OF the girls uncle-to to-be,
and the uncle, nursing . hatred of
half a century, refuses to sanction
the romance. The uncle decides to
tell the girl the basis for his hatred,
and seated in the garden. with hLr
at his feet, he begins to unfold the
tale. He is saying that 1t was fifty
years ago, the evening of his wed
ding. with a merry throng In the
house, when suddenly there was a
violent ringing at the garden gate"
And then violent ringing actually
occurs--end the curtain comes down.
As the curtain rises for the second
act there Is the continuation OF the
ringing at the gate. and then Is enact
: ed the story that the uncle IL telling
to the girl-in true movie fashion.
When the story ends there IL q mo-
ment OF darkness and the illusion OF
garden of 1914, with the girl at ber
uncle's feet.
The whole play is the violent strug-
gle between the deep-rooted hatred
,ursed by tho uncle and the pas
onate love Of the girl for the boy
no is the object Of her uncle's hate.
he boy goes away to war, 10 gassed,
nd upon his return. because Of his
battered health, decides he will not
larry the girl. falsely telling her that
&c doesn't love her. The girl, in a
.renzy Of anger, denounces her uncle
md his hatred as the cause of her
ll-fated love. This TRADE softens the
cart OF the uncle: he uproots the
he youthful romance.
Here the story itself could end. for
he plot interest is satisfied. But a
,elightfully artistic touch has been
ldded that gives the play an enhanced
piritual atmosphere, stamping the
whole theme of the drama indelibly
Upon the mind. The uncle seats him.
elf at a table with his old boon COM
panions and prepares for a game of
lominoes. He falls asleep-his last
long sleep. The garden gate opens,
md a spirit, the spirit Of his slain
lancee. fits in. Then the uncle him
elf, upright. youthful. smiling. steps
into the garden. The fiancee, in her
Wedding gown, admires his youth and
beauty.
And when shall We met together
as one" he asks.
I'VE are one together-now," she
replies, pointing to the form huddled
over the table-dead.
The substituting Of the dummy at
the table for the uncle, who then ap.
pears as a spirit, is SO cleverly done
hat the audience is mystified COM
pletely. The emotional effect Of the
entire scene is Impressive, and tears
are forced to the eyes Of many.
Jane Cowl. as the girl, with a
slightly Irish brogue, is naive, -swcer,
vivacious. She is witty and clever
and full Of fun when it's time to je It
but she is equally able to those tense
moments of the drama when her
heart breaks and tears are her med
| ium of expression. Her personality
| is appealing, and that whole person.
| ality Is thrown into her part.
Henry Stephenson, as the uncle, Is
gentle and kind to the girl but bi ne,
and childishly obstinate in his hatred
OF half century. Vividly he portrays
through face and act the powerful
conflict between love and hate that
burns within. At times love begins tc
smile in his face, and a victory seems
near: but then a thought of the old
hatred. and the smile Is dismissed b,
the stern resolu lion that his dut,
| is to hate.
Ethelbert d. Hales is in the role c,
a doctor and boon compan on of tn,
| uncle whose friendship ia ap,rne<
when the uncle finds that he frown!
upon letting the hate Of half a cen
tury ago blight the romance of tn,
present. In his struggle to resum,
this friendship and foster the romano,
he plays an important part and play
it effectively.
Orme Caldara, in the double par
Of the boy and the boys father. 4
good. but his role is not extensive.
GARRICk.
HpTrTh