The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-12-26
I dul GordOn
TrabeLs Far
In His Play

When q man has been around the
world once. he 10 considered "a trsv-
eled man" II he goss around the
world twice. he elinches thu title. Dvt
what about the man who goes a"run1
asa thnes, even II IL 10 only In = playf
When 1.-THE Man Who Came Back"
started In on its phenomenal run AZ
the New York playhouse on Bsptsm-
Der 2. 1915. some statistical person
each scene, the number OF miles be-
tween that scene and the one fol-
lowing It,
Thus. when the hero goes at the
end OF the nrst act from New York
to San Francisco 10 3.i70 miles. and
as the acts and the hero 60 on. that
the distance from San Francisco 10
Shanghai 10 $3.50. to Honolulu $3.50
miles, and from Honolulu back to
New York again $3.50 miles. This. "
you are good at figures. makes an
evenings run of 1890 miles for
whoever plays the part OF the Man.
Now. as the play began over fifty
seven weeks ago. II may be quickly
figured out by mental ARITHMETIC. that
In the ass performances which the
play lasted, the Man had Travelled
some 9.399, 80 miles.
Next year Paul Gordon. who plays
the character, hopes to have . nice
|ssdentary part where the action
takes place In only one room. Mr..
Gordon and the New York-Boston
company OF The Man Who Came Back"
will come to the Shubert- Belasco Theater
tonight for a weeks engagement
II think II is In the heart OF nearly
all women to love as much as that"
Ada Gleason 10 speaking. referring
to Marcelle. the character she por-
trays In "Thc Man Who Came Back"
Marcelle, az you may know. 10 .
young woman. who. meeting the man
she loves while a singer In Ban
/ Francisco cabaret. follows him to the
lowest depths OF degradation. and
reaching that point. turns and re-
| deems herself and him.
IRE 10 a growing belief that
women do not love as much as they
did before careers and sharing In civic
and national duties and telling hus-
band how to run his business became
| tho fashion" Miss Gleason continues.
I II grant that the greater intellect
ual training has made women moro
prudent Once they never stopped to
think. Now they nearly always do.
That 10 the reason women seem to love
less. They reason and weigh and
choose and decide. They love as
much as they ever did, but they
weigh and consider more. Not self
ishly. but for other reasons.
| in my own case, I think, I, Ada
Gleason, wouldn't make the sacriffce
for love that Marcelle, whom I play
In THE Man Who Came Back" does.
But IL In not because I cannot love
as much as she does. I would think
OF my mother and my sisters and my
friends
81 would decide that II following
the fortunes of some problematic
young man would make than nm
happy, ! wouldn't follow them. but
would love him enough: think Mr..
jules Eckert Goodman has written
In The Nan Who Came Back ono
Oh the great love stories OF the aga. ~
| md myself working out the
events that occur between the acts
OF the play. 1t 10 good exercise for
an actresses Imagination and 1t helps
her to understand what happens in
the acts themselves.
Every acYtess can learn a rre.t
deal from the part she plays. / am
learning from this play what regis
tiers with an audience. Audiences
like the sanne thing wherever YOU
play. They like the same thing in
Union Hill. Poughkeepsie. in Chicago,
In Philadelphia as they do in WASH
in9ton. Emotion Is universal.
For instance, when appear In
the opium scene there is a distinct
sigh. The women in front are sorry
for me. When I stagger out in the
feigned scene, they give q strange
little cluck. They are sorry.
When i come into my father-fn-
laws presence in the last act and
they know my faithfulness to my hus-
band Is rewarded. there is a delight
full purr Of satisfaction that my trou-
| bles are ended.
There's no question about it-emo-
| ton is universal"