Evening star., 1920-01-20
ADJUSTMENTS
BELASCO-"Trimmed in Scarlet"

A representative audience at the
Shubert- -Belasco last night was awed
into scant applause at times by Max
inc Elliott's delicate Interpretation of
/ woman's primal emotion, mother-love.
Inexplicable faith of lover and son in
one Trimmed in Scarlet" despite the
general rumor that such scarlet Is
organic, gives to William Hurlbuts s
play a power which is by no means
lessened by the ready wit, incisive
sarcasm and delightful nonchalance
of Mrs. Prudence. In some respects
more fascinating than ever. Miss Ell
lott outshone the gorgeousness of
her gowns and instilled into her audi
ence an understanding Of, If not sym
pathy for. the life of Mrs. Prudence,
who had lived a life that was shock
ingly natural
Sidney Blackmer, as Mrs. Pru-
dence'S son, whom she had deserted
twenty years before ito elope with
one Archer Kingston, scarce could
have been improved upon as the
manly young idealist willing to COM
init theft to protect his absent moth
er's name. His defense of woman in
general, made concrete in the person
of the mother whom he did not know,
was a splendid bit of acting that was
made possible by a clever manipula-
tion of situations. Lumsden Ware
was successful in making plausible
the possibility of mans faithfulness
to maligned woman through two
decades; Stanley Warrington man
aged a disagreeable part cleverly,
making the necessary offer of money
to Mrs. Prudence as unobjectionable
as possible: Montague Rutherford.
as the long-ago deserted husband,
added a strong bit, and the others
in the cast gave Miss Elliott quite
the support needed for her note
worthy presentation.
The play opens with Constance's
tMrs. Prudence) former social clique
discussing the manner in which she
should be received in New York when
she returns from England to a life in
which many men were rumored to
have figured prominently. The man
with whom she eloped twenty years
before. but who had lived it down"
and become most respected member
of society since his almost immediate
return from the short affair, is much
distressed at the news that Constance
is in the city. Constance's son Dick,
supposed to be ignorant of the ex-
istence of his mother. Mrs. Prudence,
appears burdened with the knowledge
that a theft from his employer is
about to be exposed. Into this highly
dence herself, specifically gay. beau
tifully costumed. and presenting to
the man with whom she eloped the
astonishing news, for his ears alone,
that she has had the name but not
the game in her other affairs as
we'll as in his. Protesting no credit
for virtue, admitting 1ukewarm
willingness for wickedneSs, Mrs. Pru-
dence does not know why she has re-
turned to the scenes of her old dis
grace" The subconscious reason for
her action is disclosed at the end of
the first act in what is perhaps the
most exquisite bit of acting of the
piece. Cynically smiling a gracious
agreement to mind the male child
of her old friend in whose home she is
taking tea. Mrs. Prudence stands over
the little one asleep in his carriage
and allows the scarlet of the woman
notorious to fade into the white of
motherhood craved.
Beautiful" is not an exaggerated
characterization of subsequent scenes
between her and her own son when
the latter tells of his crime perpe-
trated to shield her name Her will
lingness to accept money from man
that she may replace the amount
stolen by her boy, and thereby lose
the only man she has loved honestly,
seems a matter of course. nor does
the incongruous sight of this woman
of the world trying to darn Dicks
socks bring a smile. The final cur
tain finds Mrs. Prudence with her
hands touching the lover of old. who
has remained true, and the boy falth-
full to his dream mother. the scarlet
washed away by the realization OF
what life holds. And there is a touch
of wistfulness. a lot of humble happi-
ness in her smiling Il think I've done
~rotfv well