The New York herald., 1922-05-09
Eternal Feminine
Appears Again in
Play of Business
The Advertising of Kate by
Mrs. Annie Nathan Mayer,
Cordially Received.
by LAWRENCE REAMER. .

Is the eternal feminine a problem OF
modern existence? Mrs. Annie Nathan
Mayer seems in "The Advertising of
Kate" which Lee Kugel produced at the
Ritz Theater last night. to recognize some
force left in the significance Of Goethe's
phrase.
Must one be blind to the procession of
fappers in knickers every Sunday ready
to play baseball without the handicap OF
skirts and overlook the English lady
putting the shot and close ones eyes to
the pictures of the French girls at foot
ball to find any place left in modern
civilization for the idea of the eternal
feminine The quality seems at least
hidden in the younger generation. Yet
II was her femininity that inspired the
heroine of Mrs. Mayors play last night.
| 1t oppressed her chiefly in business
hours. although she settled one trans
action involving more than s2'oo'oO with
| little or no appeal to her merely FEM
mine qualities. They asserted them
| selves, however. when her partner went
| out to lunch with young woman who
| visited him during business hours.
Then she accepted her clients invita-
ton to dinner and afterward brought
him back 10 the office more than ever
satisfied with his contract-and her.
There was a party that night In the
office--so the feminine interest in busi-
ness does have its cffest-and 1t was
decided that all hands should spend the
next Sunday on the north shore OF
Long Island.
Here the feminine qualities were alto
gether in the ascendant She dropped
her businesslike manner Of dressing and
made herself just as fascinating as
Miss Mary Boland can be when her
fair beauty Is shown at its best. The
man from the West who had not yet
signed the contract accused her of adopt
ing the methods which are vulgarly
known as "vamping" him.
The business partner whom she really
loved began to notice her after five
years of neglect He snubbed the Wis
itor to his office. who saw that she was
losing ground and attempted desperate
methods. They were, moreover.>heredi-
tary. since the heroine's aunt knew the
family history.
The country scenes were saturated
with sex. The eternal feminine was Is
dominant as ever. Naturally the busi-
nesslike heroine longed for her office.
Before the curtain closed her. palpitating
with the impact OF so many protesta-
tions Of affection, from the view Of the
opportunity to declare her principles.
She said she was going back to the
world OF business. where woman was
herself and not what her .dressmaker
made her. At this point Mrs. Mayer
was called to the stage for a speech.
But there was enough more of Long
Island for the woman of the advertising
firm to win the love of her partner
or course the 100000 contract seemed
in jeopardy. But the futility of trying
to suppress the eternal feminine in busi-
ness had been established. Two lovers
superseded two mere partners
Mrs. Mayer had done more than prove
her theme. She scattered words of wis
dom throughout her text She spoke
from experience OF the world of the
various kinds OF women that men meet.
What was more important in a play,
she showed some OF them and the re-
suits of their conduct Much OF her
kindly philosophy of social life was
enunciated by worldly spinster very
naturally and authoritatively played by
Mrs. Thomas Whiffen. She was most
cordially received by the spectators.
Miss Boland acted the woman OF busi-
ness with intelligence and more warmth
than she always reveals. She shim-
mered in her blond loveliness. Leslie
Austen and Byron Beasley contrasted
strikingly the two lovers. Miss Gertrude
Mann and Miss Peggy Doran added the
tang of the humor OF two scrubwomen
to the second act.
Mrs. Mayer said the play belonged
TO the actors and her other assistants
as we'll as herself and even thought
the audience by its cordiality had earned
a right to share in its success.