Evening star., 1921-11-01
NATt0NAL--eThe Intimate
Strangers.

"old Washington" turned out en-
fnasse again last night to welcome
her native daughter, Miss Billie
Burke, in the premiere of her new
Booth Harrington play. "The Inti-
mate Strangers" It was not "old
Washington in the sense of age. but
the Washington 1t used to be q few
short years ago. before burlesque en-
tered into our social life and discord-
ant jazz had set the brains of our
young folks awhirl. 1t required such
an audience to fully appreciate the
charm of q little actress, who had
long ago won the affectionate regard
! their own and the delightful play
that Americas great dramatist had
provided for her.
The National Theater this week is
not the place for grouches or for
nigh brows." or, indeed, for those
who live in the mad whirl Of modern
ideas of enjoyment. But for those
Wno love the poesy of life it will be
the mecca of the week.
1t would be sheer impudence to at
tempt to describe Billie Burke or
how she wins the ripRling laughter
and the enthusiastic applause from
her audience. 1t cannot be done. She
| is creature unto herself, unique and
exquisite. Her new play fits her per-
fectly, even though it was originally
written for that other delightful ac-
tress. ,Maude Adams. 1t sparkles with
wit: it enchains with double ro.
nance which contrasts the girl of
today with the girl of yesterday. and
1t leaves only feeling of pleased
i.contentment even to the old idiot
who still loves to indulge In the
! dreams of the adolescent.
Beginning with the girl of yester-
| day and a lawyer Of uncertain age
who are virtually stranded in an old
railway station, half starved and alb
solutely uncertain as to the future,
because a hurricane has wrecked rail-
way hopes on both the main and a
| to the home of the girl. where, with
| the most delicious high comedy, the
blase lawyer is tortured into utter
submission. after he has dared to
doubt the age of the girl whose hand
he had reverently kissed the night
before In the station with a Good
night. dear" and aroused hopes such
ka proceeding might justly provoke.
Meanwhile, having expressed a rath-
er sharp opinion of "brazen young
| huzzies in breeches with pints of
! homemade gin in their hip pockets"
a young woman ''in breeches," but
minus the gin, who longs for a seri-
! Gus adventure with an elderly man
before she decides as to exactly what
She wants.
The lines of the play are delicious
and the situations amusingly delight
full. 1t is not one Of those plays
where physical action" breeds storm
centers. but where mental action
sparkles with the suddenness, fire.
quency and brilliancy OF lightning in
thunderstorm.
A bit nervous at the outset, Miss
Burke quickly regained the mastery
of herself and afterward was her own
| inimitable self throughout, with all
her cleverness of old and those inde-
scribable bits of personality which
have established her ineffaceably in
the, hearts of her admirers. Alfred
Lunt presents a difficult and a deli
cate characterization of a lover more
often found, it is believed. In the
novel than in real life, and this. in
spite of the fact that as Johnnie
White, who adored the modern young
girl, but was willing to take a chance
on an older one, whom he could Took
up to- Glen Hunters work as a
young lover almost ran away with
! the play. Frances Howard Is ideal as
| the giddy young thing in breeches,'
| erratic, but wholesome and lovable,
and Charles Able. as the station mas
! ter; Elizabeth Patterson, as Aunt
Ellen, and Clare Weldon, as the maid,
with Frank ]. Kirk, as the manser-
want, complete an adequate and ex-