Evening star., 1920-11-30
.AMUSEM ENTS
NATIONAI-"The Famous In.
Fair"

Those who have felt that out Of the
great war would como q great play are
| invited to give their close attention to
The Famous Mrs Fair" which 10 be.
ing presented at the National Theater
this week, with two distinguished
players Of the American stage in lead
ing roles and with a young girl player
| actually rivaling them in the dramatic
1t may not prove to be the kind OF
great play expected. but in its theme
| which directly concerns the homo, the
unit Of society. as affected by war, and
! in its masterful development, both by
the playwright James Forbes, and by
Henry Miller and Blanche Bates and
their efncient company. in which Miss
Margalo Gilmore stands out pre-emi.
nently, it Is the nearest approach to real
| substantial drama that has been Of
fered In Washington since the great con-
flict; that is to say, drama growing
1t is not what at the outset appeared
to be satire on the woman war
worker, a trifiing expenditure Of the
playwrisht's wit and humor at the ex-
pense Of earnest, patriotic women VINO
were not content to let the man alone
great conflict; not a mere enort to
amuse. Its purpose lies far more deep.
ly and is not clearly disclosed until
tho third act, when the wreck OF home
Of lovable people is presented with the
problem Of q reclamation that doubt.
less has confronted thousands OF rea!
homes throughout the length and
| breadth of the world as the result OF
tho most horrible of wars curse upon
civilization.
Nancy Fair, a lovable and level,
headed matron,. with a patriotic ana 9
hi Nh to nd m
a young daughter. feels 1t to be ner
duty to accompany patriotic or
ganization Of women to France. where
her service has been deemed such as
to deserve decoration. She returns
famous, the talk Of everybody and. as
is usually the case with celebrities Of
that type. the enterprising lecture
man is close upon her heels with a
tempting offer for a lecture tour.
Meanwhile her husband. who sincere.
son has become infatuated and en-
gagged to a young stenographer, who
frankly tells his father she belongs
to a class lower in the social scale
than his. and the young daughter. a
nocence and enthusiasm and adoring
her father upon whom she has had
to lean in her mothers absence, is
becoming the object of the unscrupu-
louS attentlonS OF tne uoVnoeF VINO
is promoting the lecture tour and the
cabaret type Of companions who are
his associates. Neither mother nor
father quite realize the true situation,
although neither Is not wholly ignor-
ant Of it. The indiscreet assertion of
command toward the wife by the hus-
band, who does not want her to con-
tinue in the public eye, but to return
to the old conditions at home, and the
fact that her SON, with his fathers
consent. has been permitted to en-
gage himself to the stenographer.
sideration Of the mother at all,
prompts Mrs. Fair, in q moment of
piQue and resentment to sign the con-
tract and start on her tour.
The conditions in her home develop
from bad to worse, and 1t is not until
she has discovered. by his own confes.
sion. her husbands weakness. and
that her lovely, innocent daughter has
developed into testy, selfish. slang
using habitue Of the dance halls. not,
actually eloped with the dishonest
promoter Of her lecture tour. does Mrs.
Fair realize what has happened as the
result Of her well meant and patriotic
efforts and the exercise Of her right to
enjoy the celebrity they have won her.
ing is the reclamation Of her sadly
wrecked home and her loved ones.
As Mr.. and Mrs. Fair, Henry Miller
and Blanche Bates are superbly nat
ural. and their character portrayals
splendid examples Of the players art.
They are not actor and actress, but
the wretched husband and the un-
happy wife as nature itself would
make them. The portrayal Of The
daughter by Miss Nargola Gilmore,
no less natural In its every phase, no
less realistic, II q genuine triumph for
the gifted young woman. who 10 fully
entitled TO evenly share the hon0rs Of
the play with her distinguished elders.
leen Comesys. ~ the stenographer,
and Virginia Hammond. as the siren
widow. are especially satisfying, and
their contribution lends materially to