The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-10-12
ely BATES POST IN MASOUERAOER
PROVES COURT SbEST ATTRACTION
WORK or Acton III MABQUnBADA1
IN AN ARIT1rL0 rRrURPM-
BYLHNDID BURP0NT
rhis rvsnlnS's HsrformAnos Ana MAJ
inss and might Somorrow tAs
Last oppogtuntty
Rates Post. the greatest dramatic

Guy Rates Post. the greatest dramatic
actor OF tho present day. starring in the
"Masqusrader." tho play by John Hun
ter Rooth founded upon tho popular
novel by Katherine Cecil Thurston. was
greeted by near capacity house las'
evening whom no appeared for his frat
OF four performances at tho Court
theatre. Encore after encore wax re'
appended to By ths popular actor and hs
was compelled to appear before tho cur
tain on several occasions during the
evening In order To acknowledge tho
applause given by tho audience.
Tho play In remarkable for tho skill
with which tho SottingB are handled
Ten scenes In three Rcts follow each
other with scarcely n drop OF tho cur.
tain. due to tho use OF a. slightly rairsd
and revolving stage. Post was given
splendid support with little color In any
or tho roles except that OF tho servant
Brock. Capably handled by Elwyn Brock
The MRsqvsrador" presents no mys-
terry Tho audience IL admitted com
plctely TO the secret Of the rpasQuprade
and every development 10 logical The
Intense interest which tha play com
mands Is therefore due entirely to ths
conflict between and within the charac
ters on the stage. and TO Posts thread
ing OF tho complexities or his multiple
role
plays two roles. lie In John Chilcota,
forces In tho British Parliament and
secret addict TO u drug habit which u
Destroying him utterly. Also. no y,
John LOdsr, tho cousin and physioa
HatscrRrt and In character. But whSH
these roles are applied To the plot oi
Tho Masquorndor." third 10 evolved
from them. Fost plays chilcote ~ Chli'
cots, Lodsr ma Lodur. and Loder NJ Ehii'
cote.
because OF this intricacy OF charac-
tsrtEatlon. Posts work In Tho Mas.
aucradoT produces an impression Oh
acting rather than thS utter marrying oil
tho actor and his role. He II faithful
TO Chllcotc. faithful TO Locsr and faith
ful TO Loder's impersonation OF Chill
cote. but tho knowledge that ono actor
10 thus multiplying himself makes his
skill tho contral thought OF the spsctar
tor. Powerful as the play in. Posts
acting Is moro absorbing.
Great Fog Scene
The play opens when Chilcote and
Loder meet In London roB. TneS
meet In a fog because II Is necessa ~
to use a nameless actor. resembling Post
when tho two men come face to race
and the light OF open day would dispei
the illusion. Chilcote IL drunk and
drugged. Loder. recognising him. Inn
plores him to rally to his duty. for ths
day Ia the one following that on which
the Germans invaded Belgium.
A shift. TO ChilcOts's home disclose'
that the parliamentary leader Is a com
plete drug hend.
I.oder's tenement reveals the quarters
OF a hack writer for the ~spapeTs
His ability u act In ChilCOte's place IA
carefully ana gradually established
Then comes The visit Of thiloOte a"t
tho prOmiss, obtalhed BY Brock. Tia
I.odsr will take MIA place.
As iudsT Tsils LA love ~lth thllc"ts
Aa ed wife ~tih"ut hH"@Ins al" shs 10
the sausss II ths pIsf bsIoiHEa 30" as
tsnaiasd ChiiGSts nuai dlS"DrsA'
,e..ush dssth and the saLsti'"tI"'' h'
,ssda ps,psa%''t n"Srs"Ss ~ "'-'"
t.insa 10 ~. l"si, dsse't~ ih'S """s'
,.i.ty sy Ll.sl.s thli""is .-rb ir'
p.,i 81 the PLAY,
me ,.ia- ~ chli-''t- ed L"1r' s"s
ss., III. fs,p.s- ~s-. ~ d"-il'E, -
1..L VI cod NJ uFde, rhi"h ale" .H"''
. ,.n.,ksbl. test ~ The o"to''" rhlll
a, inrsrso,sil nn There I" rnu"h N
.o,,,nnn hs,ve.r tsrhyl snd b"dHr
uvds ard fhllculs
ChIIcota and Lohrr 40 Nv" pHr""n1
physically Identical but mentally nn'
1. 10 lot nops suspect tha, they are NOT
The Aams person SO there In no onVri
NJ physical concsslment. Hut Loder
must assume enough OF Chtlcotss phys
teal reactions to tho drug habit TO make
tha masquerade depend upon something
moro than bodily and taciat reHcmo,
lance. The portrayal OF the drug memo
therefore depends upon gesture. man.
ner and oppression, tho acting as LodeI
dspenda on a different set OF manner
jams and Lodsr's impersonatton or the
drux mend depends upon blending oil
the marks which distinguish the two
personalities.