The Washington herald., 1919-02-04
shsbert-Garrick - @Piesse Get
Married.


Married.
That intimate little drawing-room
playhouse which nestles oni the
neither side of the Great White Way
of the movies discovered the most
intimate phase of intimacy as it's
chic meter last eyening-the init
macy OF a bridal suite on a bridal
night. No. 1t was not pornographic:
not even risque as Paris interprets
the adjective; so far from being
suggestive, ii left nothing. to sug-
gestion or Imagination, but con-
veyed the conventional details OF
the first round of a honeymoon in
a manner which no Continental au-
dience would have found shocking
and certainly the audience which
viewed the exposition last evening
revealed profound confidence that
the two authors OF the piece, plus
Oliver Morosco. knew how far to
go and how far not 10 go. IT is
unnecessary to convey to Mai. Pull
man the information that this conn
dence was duly rewarded.
However. let us emphasize the
fact that Mr.. Morosco knew how far
TO gO-or rather, how far he could
go. II he had gone ten seconds or
two caresses further ne would have
ruined a perfectly good illegal mar
riage that his neophyte playwrights
had rugged up for him as the basis
OF a brandnew naughty naughty
farce which they call Please Get
Married" and which is a spawn Of
that notable lineage which includes
Twin Beds" 'Parlor, Bedroom ami
Bath" and "Over Night"
Incipient benedicts who desire TO be
initiated in the technique of a honey
moon clearly should not miss the sec
ond act Of Please Get Married
Here is set forth almost the whole
story. We have nothing OF the school
of Palais Royal farce which exceeds
this in the number OF hilarious
squirms per ten seconds or per cubic
foot-and Palais Royal farce OF The
Girl From MaXim's' type, which Is
not naughty but offensive, makes an
American audience squirm in keen dis
comfort. while Please Get Married
makes it squirm only TO the point Of
cUtaneous eNhilaration. Broadly speak
ing, Ferdinand Walton and MurieI
Ashley do nothing which a bridal
couple should not do. Surely, it were
unconscionable prudishness which
would deny the enterprising farceurs
of our stage the right TO impale the
intimacies Of a bridal night on the
prongs OF their fun-makinE In fact,
il never has been denied them. Evi-
IDENTIFY, the protagonis Of Please
Get Married" have a long line OF farce
pTecedentS TO lean upon. But the in
trepid IIattons. the fearless Margaret
Mayo. dappcr little Philip Bsrtholo-
mae, and shrewd Avery IIopwOOd have
been hOpeIessly oUtdistanced in sheer
bland. naive daring ~ the playwr!tIng
nOviCes who are responsible for
Please Get Married" whom the pro-
( gram denOminates as James Cullen
and Lewis Allen Browne
All there is 10 the new piece is this
( hilarioUsly thrilling Act II. The first
act is "A mere annex and the third act
a meanderinE eNcresCenCe. The first
act. indeed. is notable in a season Of
/ Washington theatergoinE for amiable
and unsurpassed CrudIty- Certain
weary stretches OF the dialogue were
the essence OF vacuity. 4 set Of cir
cumstances was postulated which.
even for farce. was impossible The
{ credulity OF any votarv Of the play
/ house necessarily must be elastic. hut
not TO the point OF swallowing that
awful first act OF please Get Mar
I ried." However. al! was forgiven when
the titillating naughtiness Of act Sc
cundO was disclosed. Ernest Truck
and Edith Taliaferro here assumed the
whole burden Of the piece on their
shoulders. They played deli iEhJfully
Mr. Truck has become calloused in a
. long line OF roles TO an forms or
! honeymoon drollery. but never has he
had quite the same opportunity that
/ please Get Married" gives him Miss
( TaliaferrO plays a very nervous hut
doCile Young bride with unerrInE skill
The pair pinC-ponCed the most deli
/ cate Of situations for length OF time
which left the audience almost gasp
ing in amazement
OF the acting OF certain portions
/ of please Get Married" We are go
ing to say nothing. since The play
wrights are chiefly responsible ro-
tho present Eau,herie. Oliver Mo-
rosCo should put an expert sta-s
manager at work on the nrw farca
for here he clearly has a valusblr
property Of the kind he dearly loves
to nave under his wing The i'm
pressario Of the lIaIJons has a new
orchid of nauChtinesS for his unriv-
allied collection.