The New York herald., 1922-10-04
Miss Victor in
Historic Role
at New Days
Has Role of English Actress in
1den Paync's Dolly
Jordan
BY LAWRENCE REAMEa.

Whatever It's effects on the future of
the dramas art may be. there was IN
deniably q Difference to history in the
circumstances attending the opening
last night of John Corts playhouse in
West Sixty-third street. Mr. Cort has
named the house in honor of Augustin
DAILY. one of New YorlS's noted man
ayers Of a previous epoch, which is a
graceful gesture of respect for the past
In these days of the very inslstant pres
ent. Then Iden Payne has written for
the theater a historical drama called
Dolly Jordan" Here was another dis
play OF courage. Realism is now in the
air of the theater. Historical plays are
accounted among its artificial products.
But Mr.. Payne fearessly wrote
drama about the life OF the Irish actress
who enjoyed her hours of triumph on
the London stage during the eighteenth
century. Miss Josephine Victor was
Uncover there to inc; rnate this heroine
Of re past.
she new play is nothing IL not historic.
J. corrageously attempts to enclose
Esthin its four acts the entire life o.
the heroine. The dramatist could not,
OF course, depart from the popular for
n:ula in such cases. SO the spectators
siw her fist as a student Of the theater,
learning TO take the first steps that were
destined later to carry her so far on
way to what glory the stage may give.
She is an actress of the company at York
IN the second act.
Sien We're not insensible to her charms
IN the opening scene. In the second.
there is the personification of the in
evitable protection which is to place
hfa- fr ri n a
Her lovers complacent transfer of his
interest in her to the Duke of Clarence
for little later her hour of most COM
plete triumph and then what the famous
Silas would call her decline and fall
off" are inevitable steps in the progress
OF the play in its adherence to accepted
models.
The progress of Mr.. Paynes play al
ways is vivacous II never deeply NOV
ing. 1t Is illustrated, moreover. with
amusing incident and bits of characteri-
ration which in some cases presuppose
n knowledge OF historical personages.
Not all the play Is sacrificed to the de-
velopment OF the heroine's story. In
iced, Mrs. Jordan might readily occupy
= large space in the scene with no dis
advantage to the general effect of the
drama.
There is a delightfully."- quaint atmos-
1bteTe ABOUT tue scenes III lIle STtcii Ooth
of the Theater Royal at York, in the
sitting room Of the popular actress in
Loydon. and in the early nineteenth CEN
tury tableaux of the last act.
Rollo Peters designed tasteful, If
somewhat excessively simple decorations
and the costumes from his pencil are in
excellent taste. Dolly Jordan" seems
TO be full of the right sort of atmosphere.
Miss Victor played in the part Of the
heroine a character quite unlike those
with which her reputation has hitherto
been associated. 1t Is possible to inn
gine her as many different things.
Eighteenth century Irish does not hap
pen. however. to be ore Of them. Yet
her skill and charm made her imper-
sonation a continuous delight. She was
awkwardly noydenisl as the girl meet
ing her manager for the first time. her
gradual promotion to the Theater Royal
she bore with n pretty dignity and her
surrender to the London man OF infiu-
ence. who was to take her to Drury
Lane was prettily contrived
But in her second meeting with the
Earl of Clarence, who was to play such
an important part in her life, she was
exquisite in bearing and in her asser-
ton of loyalty to the man who had
betrayed her for a title Miss Victor
gave a most skillful and appealing per-
formance which showed what an artist
may accomplish even in an unfamiliar
metier
Mr. John Cort and Mr.. Payne have
produced Dolly Jordan" in most artis-
tic fashion with such other players as
Whitford Kane, Walter Bingham, AL
phonse Either and a score more TO main-
tain q high hisitronic standard.