The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-08-17
THE NEW PLAYS
.NN~NNNN
: ENTER Madame
Cleoer and Witty
NNNNNN
By CHARLES DARNTON

IN addition to revealing the flashing
art OF Gllda Varesi in q new light,
ENTER Madame" scored on It's
own account at the Garric6 Theatre
last night az a comedy dealing mer-
T1AY, YET tenderly, with that rare ana
delicate possesslon--or is It GDses-
S,onNthe artistic temperament.
Maybe Il took two authors to give
Swo views Of the matter. At any rate,
n Giulia Cont and Dolly Byrne. by
e bringing both humor and sympathy
Ncto their work. have vastly improved
y upon the familiar egoist given to
frcnzled outburSts and haAr-tearing
exercises. To be sure, the italian
prima donna Of this play " inclined
to take airy flights, but her prosaio
husband is usually on hand to pull
her down 70 earth again with the
summary injunction, Come Off,
.aLisa"
The best part Of the fun h that
John always gets the worst OF 1t.
o. phis u bit unfair, since no man Is
John has a son who takes him to task
With the high-handed superiority of
3 youth. But II Is the fine Italian hand
~aof Lisa that gets in its beautiful
work. Returning homo after roaming
from one European opera house to
another for years, Lisa does not re-
pine when she finds her husband
arranging to settle down comfortably
Wit vnFf1n 10 M q
OF chasing about the world and that
he wants to permanent home with
n his slippers toasting before the fire.
Lisa humors him until he tells her
that she has never really been o wife
TO him, just a magnificent mistress.
This blow staggers her a bit, but she
soon RECEIVERS herself and with skill
beyond the power of man asks John
to bring the widow to dinner.
-, For sheer domestic sport this din
ner Is a triumph. Lisa sets herself
auut to make the widow feel perfectly
at home by suggesting that they are
to be some sort of relatlves-for ex-
ample, wives-in- law. Then there are
operate lnterludes, with the doctor
pounding the piano, the chef playing
the flute, and the maid airing her
voice. until the widow feels so OPP
pressed by the Bohemian atmosphere
that she wants to go home In spite
Of divorce decree that has Just been
delivered, John remains TO talk with
Lisa about their son, only to begin by
talking about her and taking her In
his arms at the psychological mo-
ment Lisa goes to her bedroom. and
well, John doesn't go homo. He's
still on the premises in evening
elothes in the morning when the
widow comes around to make q row.
The maid who had carried an extra
.. wine glass Into the bedroom Is BEAM
Ing, the doctor Is delighted, and the
chef joyous, and they AL set about
packing so that Lisa and John may
Nlope" on the afternoon boat for South
America, In short. John finds himself
entering upon the old, tumultuous life,
much like the helpless wretch in "The
Incubus" of Brieux.
.5 All of bisa's variable moods were
q EVidly expressed by Miss Varesi
with the skill, charm and facility of
"a true artistic. She was fascinating
y amusing and tender in turn. Though
somewhat uncertain in his lines, Nor.
man Trevor gave a vigorously humor-
q GUS performance as the husband. His
I acting was so good, in fact that It
made one forget he was playing an
Irishman-if youll forgive the bull.
\ Capital bits Of character were con-
- trlbuted by Minnie Milne as the
: strait laced secretary, Mlchelette
Baroni as the maid, William HaNman
as the chef, arSl Francis NJ. Verdi as
= the doctor Jane Meredith was a
most complacent widow before the
domestic battle got on her. nerves,
and in leaving the dinner she shared
the spoils Of a delectable scene with
Miss Naresl. Gavin Muir though
= Enthusiastically English, played the up
standing son with real humor espe-
tecially when he reminded his father
that he hadn't asked to be born.
Brock PembeTton is to be congratu-
Hated upon selecting an excellent cast
for his first production, as well as his
choice OF n clever and witty comedy