The Washington herald., 1921-05-10
MANEW ATTRACTIONSAS
THE TIIEATERS
Nss.,n.,-4p.x :, ny Heart


Peg o. Ny Heart" whimsy lit
tie witch, made her scheduled leap
straight from the Irish fairy ring
of love and humor and youth, right
into the Adoration Of her audience
at the National last night. The su-
percritical are wont to speak OF
this play as belonging to the car
amel school," but the crowded the
ater last night testified to a pub
lie that prefers the wholesome car
amel that clings sweetiy to the pal
ate to hot tamale musical revues
and some of the hastily concocted
recent plays. Laurette Taylor acts
| as charmingly as always the role
OF the fiamy-locked leprechaunette
who brings rank CONSERVATION in
her blarneying wake into the con-
vention-ridden. upper-class English
home where she comes as part of
the sardonic will of an eyilly hu-
morous old uncle. -~
So familiar to the theatergoing
public is the story of sweet Peg,
her quick love and quicker hates,
that II seems futile to summarize
the tale. Sufficient to say that II
Is loves young dream, the story
! of Cinderella and the fine, hearty
Favored collection of Killarney wit
ticisms all rolled into one tooth
some and satisfactory theatrical
morsel. Moreover, IL is aN rolling
stone that has been polished by
long wear into a shining gem. For
one more crack at the provocative
metaphor let us say that IL is an
unfailing charm against low spir-
its that has grown more efficacious
after 1888 invocations eve have
the programs word for it) by that
sweet sorceress. Miss Laurette Tay-
lor.
The gay gossoonery and blithe-
Peg are not things that can be
written down on a cold -blooded
typewriter. You need parchment
and the bright inks of the old illu-
minators. And when Peg wakes to
love and tries to be good" you un-
derstand why the 90 My Heart" is
an indispensable part of the title.
A perfect cast makes the play a
thing OF balance and perspective
rare, indeed. in these parlous davs
Jerry Is played by A. Z. Matthews,
with easy restraint and humor. He
makes you feel why Peg said TO
him: "Oh. it's glad I am that The
laughter isn't frozen in you like IL
is in the rest OF this house.
That part of exacting deman
Ethel. is handled admirably by
Greta Kemble Cooper. who pictures
clearly the beautiful. taut-nerved,
illusionless creature. delicate as an
icicle, who breaks under the first
| great strain she is subjected to.
Also. we must mention Maud Mil
tons portrait Of Mrs. Chichester,
that perfectly poised, elegantly de-
meanored and insuTerably empty
gentlewoman. Other spledidly able
members of the company were Per-
cy Ames. George Riddell. Thomas
Braidon. George Sydenham and Mil
dred Post. And we must not leave
cut that Indefatigable canine,
Michael" who wags his tail as va
liantly and barks as loudly as in
the days. Eine years ago. when Peg
o Ny Heart" was the big hit of the
then unextinguished white Way.
One of the prettiest possible. cur
tain speeches was made by Miss
Taylor who naiveIy estimated that
'Michaefs" present age, according
to dogsish standards. was s. years
and feared that ere long he would
cease to waggle his tail with mis-
pristine vim. In ending, I,aurette
remarked: ''of course. playing :he
part is awful. I'm beginning TO feel
like a phonograph. But IL you like
it so much. l feel tha. I must 60 on
doing il until I'm on crutches."
NJ Ii