The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-13
Broadway's
Own Joan-Of-Arc
Elsie Janis. having found temporary
career in the A. E. F.. finds herself back on
prewar basis without anywhere to go.
By EARLE DORSEY

ITO casual observer the enervescent Elsie
Janis-our one real homegrown Joan OF
Arc-seems not entirely happy. To the
observer. Elsie's thought, Electrically speaking.
seems aptiy expressed in the AreOt Of her gang
- rVls do We 60 from herer The more one
more Il appears that Elsie has grounds for Un-
Elsie JanIs career. as one commonly judges
Sheatr5oai eareeT cane to an aerGPi stop when
Of all flesh That has been-Tsi # must be close
%The Fair co-sd" was largely responsible for the
dTsmatizatO9 o. the Indiana hHP0riS s earlier
triumph in the latter story was apparently com
S5Ins:;; & i:hF$5 ,s
te.s Having created r that PTGfessona Ersnksn-
RsTPespS5sd The Janis tradition T2Sgh For
THE HGEGen and The 9onS tive Ads sEgs
more famous, actress has found herseif-without
~ Then came RH the war-the war that gave so many
others chance at tsmea1d With The OTt6Teak Of
In short oTdeE the cables began to EFO1R uRdsT the
conquest of Paris and all France, Of Elsie Janis
and her most 2 ama1ns , sang sang viii. lasted III.
Janis craft 70 revert 70 The smile astusIIy car
end But EVENTUALLY came The STmsG S TeS Eh
terest in the American soldier, and the correspond
ing decline Of American Interest in war in Feners
Elsie herself. LEFT alone La Belle France packed
d6Es Else o Ps5
neither thousands nor a play yet something had 10
be done, There was just one thing to do and she
nnaI shy at The 4 E. F, now me American LsEiOn
The neOtta5ls calm Of peace & setting
S SsS%suE g % the SS: not S :8 5 5
thing more tho" jury sal! Is needed.
sT one Of the H'Sr RsG1dUStFE sSTts conf Of
eeS e Of Tmpe nuTst0Ds play The
Wandering Jew" WHICH recently made % its bow at
play .srxss ineiGsn!silIy EsA p the
Most Of the critics have found the play OF pro
found Interest and tsSTshtfpness and Mr. Thur
nG0 t has .Ssent ieEeDd Of Gennss
sPat in the ssSofs face Sa the way h 70
s0a EAi has to GP h Of
!w the n Sny h aR es s
thing Of cop91eror among women indinersnt ,s e
aned eoSstsntiE with tTasiS;, wonder as to when,
Thurston has been accused. in some quarters
e t. By sS 4sSF sp
before e1 te rSGna Of the Spanish
aSisitSn. Although .IPTessinE doubt o. the
dramatc eorrespondent Of the Christian Science
Monitor IN one Of the best Esysws far Written
metaphysical depth that other critics have appar
Of the
scenes IN on ,hs dsy of The cTUciaxo6
SrSSsh ssHs6 6e5Gs
SsaIs Jew =. gTaduoily smeFgi1E from To- ss hs
enough Of the truth sSoat the SaIa1sne to enable
him to stand before The S9d became and md
the sincere desire that the Christ may come into
his understanding gives him insight beneath the
incrustatons which have buried Christianity in the
grave.clothes Of material letter and Journalism:
gives him also courage 70 denounce the high court
Of the inqusitiOn the arrogant expression of that
materialism
ssThe courts sentence Of burning at the stake.
then Is not the Jews punishment but his release;
II sgnaltzes the apotheosis Of his thought from the
mistaken notions which inspire prosecutions OF the
Nazarene into something of an understanding OF
the Christ Not all of the Crucinxion, the Wander
ing Jew comes TO know, was enacted on calvary.
In the sins of omission and commission Of which
Christianity expressed IN the materialEed church
is guilty, he recognises the tragedy OF Golgotha
going on today He actually sees, too. the vision
that Jew and GENTLE In Christ So he goes
the stake triumphant"
Now Mr.. Thurston himself may not have seen
all this in his play, but Il is there for who
wishes to recognize it The play, then, despite one
or scenes which rather distasteful Is lifted
above the level Of ordinary romantic meiodrams
Indeed. scenes achieve the quality OF t~7CedN;
the FIRST, when the Jew PUSHES out 20 b.
Nazarene. only TO return amazed by g
n,nsf go No. cornine s1ain: