Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-03-03
CLEVER COMEDY
OF CHARACTER
Laurette Taylor Charms in One
Night in Rome" the Work OF
Her Playwright Husband.

Tho ;mpenopation Of the mystery
woman. sL'enigme, by Laurette Taylor
IN the nlav entitled Zone Night III Rome"
Mt The PLAYHOUSE last pight will be re-
men,hered as one of the outstanding
events Of this years season. When the
ss.son has been garpcred to the past.
Sha ia IN the stage practically all the
,;me and holds its center when there,
Yartfv by reason of her facile and fellcitous
handling of her role, and likewise because
az the prominence Of The part in the play
Il is the 'sstar" part, around which the
play is very cleverH constructed.
In fact, ''clever' is the fitting term for
both play and performance. The action
takes up the future, the present and the
past, in reversal OF the usual order.
The future is that evoked from the
reading OF the characters of her clients
bv seeress in fashionable vogue, in
which role Miss Taylor is admirable in
poise and adjustment, and in the assump-
fion of the tricks of the trade" Among
these NAV be included the setting of her
APARTMENT, Which is attributable to the
heroine in her role, but is of course part
of the draraatist's conception.
Clever, too. is the situation thus created,
in which tue personages present themselves
with theit personalities like open books
in their hands; these being summed up
in the Ines of the seeress in most clever
fashion The fond and fearsome mother,
whose olcitude has produced vacllatiop
in her otherwise manly son; the spoiled
child q girl TO whom he is atiianced; the
Philistine uncle who fancies his riches the
kew u unlock everything; his rattlepote
son. With his transparent sincerity.
''The present" has to do with a fete
for the benefit of postwar charity,
whre the seeress donates her services,
Though her interest IN the hero, who has
th drawings OF an affinity; and the
''yast' is the tearing away of the cloud
which has rested over the reputation of
HE heroine, when the vacillation of the
ION changes to determination TO wed her
IN face of the world. after his engagement
ring has been returned. Thus all ends
happily, and the audience is released TO
resume the munching OF its chocolates III
post-theatrc surroundings, and compare
potes-
The reaction of the audience 10 the
play as it unfoldcd was matter for curl
Gus comment last evening. The play Is
one involving five points Of satire, both
in Characterization and In lines. Where
these would ordinarily evoke smile, or a
reprcssed chuckle in plsygoing auditors,
the emotional springs seemed so near the
surface last night that nothing short of
OUTLAW or a snort s,Ifficed TO give vent.
This evidently rather puzzled the actors,
and the psychology of it still remains to
be solved.
The work of Harry Baxter rs DENLY
Wragge," the vapid but lovabIe youth, was
only second to that of Miss Taylor In
merit. 1t is understood that be will be
member of her supporting company in Its
London production, late next month.
Miss Helen Hair, So Zephyr" the
undisciplined grl, whose heart is in the
right place, after all: Philip Merinvale. as
the hero, Richard Oak; Louise Beaudet, as
. gushing aunt; Miss Greta Cooper and
Miss Valentine klemow as society par
ticlpants in Roman pageant, and Marie
Bianchi, tiny actress in tiny part con-
sisting of well simulated laughing and
CRYING, were all excellent, as were the
minor parts.
The presentation is a dramatic treat,
which may beseen only this afternoon and
evening, and should be so seen by all who
can attend.