The Washington herald., 1919-12-02
Last Night at Theaters
National - Otis skinner. I'm "The
Rise of Peter Barbnn."
Nv EARLE DORSEY.


BY EARLE DORSEY.
Otis Skinner blossorned forth in n
new impersonation at the National
last night in a play by his wife and
Jules Eckert Goodman, called The
Rise of Peter Barban." From the
standpoint of dramatic achievement
the effort hardly attains distinction;
II lacks any special element of now
city in treatment and as for mes
sage. IL has none to convey. Yet
for all that, 1t is probably the stuff
that hits are made of.
The Rise of Peter Barban" gives
Skinner the nearest to Mister An
tonic of all his characterizations. 1t
moves along the methodical, S-hour-
a-week scheme of play building. its
comedy relief Is inserted at just the
proper, stereotyped moments. 1t had a
vaunting villain who's not too villain
Gus, a heroine who Is sweet and win
some and who doesn't dwarf the star.
and there is also the wise, gentle old
family friend who sees them al
through in the goods, old-fashioned
way. One need not be surprised to
find THE Rise OF Peter Barban' still
up and coming a year from now for
1t accomplishes its purpose-an eve
ming of theatrical entertainment-and
nothing more does 1t seem to aim at.
In glancing back over the action
in retrospect. one reaches the con-
clusion without effort that Mrs.
Skinner thought up the idea, Good
man was called in to draw the plans
and supervise the carpenters, and
at the right and proper moment Mr..
Skinner was invited in to take an
easy chair. which is apt enough as
figure for the role of Peter Bar
ban. a sort of a combination OF the
Skinner italian role in Mister An
tonic" and the pathetic characteri-
zation of -Dumpty." Then,
too, there's a trace Of up from No
where" though Mr. Skinner does
not fall into the pitfalls of the Tre-
vor role.
Thus. in this easy-going. olsen
gagged, wholly charming manner.
Mr.. Skinner whiles away the even
ing pleasantly enough and one
fares forth toward the Avenue
willing enough to forgive him for
the lack of novelty that didn't puZ-
zle US bit as to the OUTCOME after
act I. as well as for the square
and-compass situations, dialogue
and plot. Then. too, it makes a
beautiful stage picture against the
California backgrounds with which
Homer Emens has graced two of
the three acts and one is enter
tained and ready for bed when IL
o'clock comes. It's altogether prob
able Mr.. Skinner will find his play
a likely venture, for. alter all, his
is a personality that is none too
common in this day of trivial char
acterization. and for our part. we
thought il not half bad, even though
Skinner has no Col. Brideau role.
The affair opens prologue in
which Skinner appears as an Ital-
ian with a little daughter who has
been freed of a charge of killing
his wife, Notwithstanding the ef-
forts of a young district attorney to
make this, his first case. a convfc-
ton. Eighteen years later, we find
the Pietro Barbano. of the court
room prologue. a landed proprietor.
He's struck oil. Isn't that a pleas
ant prospect? The bambina is now
a woman. Angela, his daughter; and
his life is devoted to her happiness.
Her mother. supposedly a victim Oh
some natural disorder. has been
painted to the daughter as a saint.
Keith Oliphant, the son of the dis
trict attorney who tried to hang
Pietro. is now wooing Angela with
determination. Peyton. dear old
Peyton, of the Burbank tendencies.
from whom no flower is safe" Is
lowering near like an assistant
guardian angel and all is blissfully
happy.
Into this west coast Eden there
stalks Oliphant. eX-district attor-
ney. now a candidate for the Senate
or is he a senator? At the same
time. in walks Teresa. Angela's sup
posedIy sainted mother. who disap-
peared - the prologue has already
informed us-after Pietro made the
attack upon her for which he was
tried sShe was all right, it seems,
and is after money.
Oliphant seems intent on investi-
eating the family his son proposes to
marry into. In a stormy scene be-
tween Pietro and his wife Angela
discovers her mothers identity and
from that point on the play gathers
together its loose ends engagingly
enough. 1t proves that Mrs. Pietro
is now married. bigamously enough
one infers. to a gentleman in Jail
She blurts out that Oliphant, the
district attorney. scared her out of
town in order to prevent her testi.
mOny saving PietrO from the hang.
man at the time he was on trial. OF
course. this looks pretty black fol-
Oliphant, with his superior family
airs. but it puts the Oliphant family
on a par with the Barbano family
and the last, or nearly the last, OBJ.
stacle to the marriage of Oliphant
jr., and Angela is removed
Through this wholesome. sturdy
time-tried set of situations, moves
Skinner. He is gay. buoyant. de.
pressed by turns, with all the familiar
skinner turns and twists of manner
pleasing. ingratiating. skilful HI
does take a final curtain to his bosom
but he might as well give it up tC
the lovers who logically belong in
each others arms at the finish. It's
that kind of play.
o. r. Clarence possibly carries of
| the secondary acting honors of the
piece in his Characterization of the
plant wizard. Here is a gentle. kindly