The Washington herald., 1920-10-04
Observation-Disclosures, !,

II refreshment such as is offered
! at the National Theater this week
is to be found in the springs of an
other generation, let the time-worn
bucket be dipped again and often.
Foot loose" we are told, is
| adapted by Zoe Atkins from a play
| called Forget -Me-Not." in which
Rose Coghlan won success in the
eighties. The revision is said to be
rather thorough, but it is clear
enough that the play derives some
| OF it's SAVIOR of novelty from the
very fact that it reaches back and
away from the current of up-to-
| date invention.
1t Is refreshing, too, to find in
the remarkable performance of
Miss Emily Stevens new assurance
that actresses are not dying race.
| Her appearance sends memory back
! to time, quite few years ago,
! when she first entered the company
| of her distinguished relative, Mrs.
Fiske, a modest but aspiring pro-
tege, assigned to rather colorless
roles. Now she blooms in full bril-
lance, in perfect fulflllment of the
promise of her long tutelage.
"Foot-loose," SO far as it is merly
play, Is a comedy of intrigue, re-
calling the old atmosphere of
Diplomacy" in the tenor of it's
lines and the methods by which in
terest is sustained. There are still
some traces of an old-fashioned
stiltedness in the lines, but for the
most part Miss Atkins has succeed
ed admirably in her task of max
ing the people of the play speak in
the way that modern audiences
10 70
The characters live, and what they
say is worth listening to.
But "Foot-loose' is not so much
sheer drama as it is a portrait, and
an instrument for the display of a
single actress talent. The Marquise
de Mohrivart is the plot, the drama
the climax and the final curtain. In
this part Miss Stevens has complete
control and responsibility for the
life of the piece, and success in the
task would mark any actress as be-
longing on the heights.
The scene is at Rome. The mar
quise is an adventures of unsavory
reputation and slightly jaded but
purplish personality, who fastens
herself on. the household of two
young Englishwomen of refinement
through a threat of revealing the
fact that the younger woman's dead
husband was her son, and that the
marriage was illegal under French
law for lack of her consent. The Sc
cret is known only to the older of
the two. sisters, and she consents to
entertain the disreputable marquise
for six weeks to protect the young
widow and her baby. Her favored
suitor, Sir Horace Welby. an old
acquaintance of the marquise, car
ries on her fight TO be rid Of the
unwelcome guest. How she succeeds
is the story. In the end he cOnfronts
her with facts that drive her into
mortal terror and swift escape.
Beginning with a character por-
trayal that is mainly comic in eff
feet, though it deepens in varying
phases of cruelty. cynical reckless
ness. coduettishness and even hon
est sentiment. Miss Stevens achieves
in the final scene of desperate fright
one of the most vivid renditions
of tense emotion that memory re-
calls. From first to last her every
intonation and gesture is revealing.
convincing and alive with actuality.
The cast is admirable without ex-
Ception. Lawrence Grossmith as
Sir Horace has the strength. ease
and assurance familiar in English
players of the highest type. Miss
Elizabeth Risdoon brings beauty.
charm and poise to the important
part Of Mrs. Verney. the elder sis
ter. Others in the company are Mil
dred Booth Annie Hughes, Paul
Ker. John Webster and Gordon John
stone.
Tyler has given the play an ex-
cellent production in all respects.
The single setting. representing a
living-room in a paIazzo overlook
ing the city. is a model of tasteful
r. c.