The Washington herald., 1919-01-07
By EARLE u. DORSEY.
Snrrtck-"The Long Dash .-

Only two days ago this column called
upon the theatergoers of Washington
to lend their support to a fourth legit-
innate playhouse in Washington the
Shubert-Garrick. which opened last
night with Robert Edeson in The
Long Dash" II is TO be hoped that
the Shubert-Garrick management. In,
the days that remain Of THE Long
Dash" run, will cooperate toward
this end more fully than marked the
opening last night.
1t is not advisable to enter into a
critical analysis Of the quality of the
dramatic offering offered at the Gar
rick last night by Mr.. Edeson and his
company. Mechanical conditions were
OF nature that made worthy per-
formance next TO impossible II is
believed that these difficulties will be
duly remedied in lime for tonight's
performance, so mention need not be
made of the admittedly poor inaugu-
raj last night.
THE Long DASH we are inclined 70
believe, is not a drama Of paralyzinr
effectiveness. II offers groundwor for
a full evenings entertainment and Il
is up TO the standard Of many produc-
tions which have registered success
this season. The entrance OF Robert
Edeson into the cast, however, indi-
Gates that Mr.. Edeson must still travel
farther in his search for a role that
will enable him to equal his perform
ance in ''StrOnEheart" His role in
THE Long Dash is hardly an i'm
provement over the opportunities he
found with Bertha KaIich in The
Riddle: Woman" a play in which Mr..
Edeson performed in Washington a
number of weeks ago and which he
has deserted for reasons not clear to
the deponent
The Long Dash" is a three-act
play by Robert Mears Mackay and
Victor Mapes. Its action centers
about the invention of a wireless
controlled cannon the secret of
which the enemy-manifestly Ger
many-is seeking to learn. There
is also an outer circle OF plot. con-
cerning the moral delinquencies Of
a man engaged in the marketing Of
the gun-delinQuencies which are
assumed by his brother TO no par
ticular purpose. As the delinquent
drops dead from apoplexy or some
thing while engaged in violating
the espionage act by shouting ITO
hell with the country"
John 'Hazelton. a fnanclcr. comes
/ home at night very muddy. complain
I ing Of falling of a street car. ue IL
/ followed into his house by an irate
! husband. who Easps out a story to
| the fnancier's brother about a laison
/ in a deserted country house between
| the financier and the Easpers wife.
! Tine resemblance Of one brother to the
| other causes the husband to believe
| the innocent brother guilty OF the
/ outrage. The /. b.. TO shield the other
brothers wife. who he loves. accepts
4 the blame. Then we hear OF wire
! less cannon. Of the fiuanCier and his
/ company in straits. the necessity of
| selling out 10 influences" suspicious
/ in character. The guilty brother. al
( ready sick, passes out in a fit Of anger
| at his associates for declining to sell
! their gun 10 the enemy.
To prevent a panic. the innocent
/ man assumes his brothers EuiSe.
| learns to operate the gun after the
| secret code is lost. stalls OF the en-
| envy until his supposed faithless
| secretary can get himself and his
| fellow -plOtters arrested, whereUpOn
| the faithless secretary reveals him
self as A Secret Service man and
proposes marriage to the innocent
| brothers niece. or course. in the
! end. the innocent brother probably
/ marries his guilty brothers widow.
! but that is left to sUrmise.
/ Mr.. EGeson plays the part OF the two
brothers without apparent effort. No
where does he seem afforded an op-
portUnity to extend himself and show
us something in the way OF acting. He
has commanding figure. a strong.
| hearty voice and his old ability to
! speak lines. which accomplishments
are about all that seem necessary to
! bring the role up to par Maybe he
/ could do better under different cir
| cumstances. but there wasn't any
fault with Nj Blossoms work. even
last night. He simply has little in
1.-THE way OF role.
| We shall not subject the work OF
others in The cast to the microscope.
; Several Of the performers funCtioned
below standard. but its not fair 10
! judge them under the circumstances.
! Among those whose work was ac-
| Centable. even under difficulties. was
| that OF Mona Bruins as the guilty
; brothers daughter. who loves the
: 5. man. Eleanor Woodruff as her
/ mother. Byron Beasley. as the spy
and J. G. Tromayne.