The Washington times., 1922-11-28
Fay BANTER, In Easily the esstt
Role Of her Career, Support
cd by Worthy Cast at the
Shubert- Carrick.
By HAROLD PHILLIPS.


Az decent a piece Of dramatic
portraiture 'extant this season, IL
Monchton Hoffe's new tale Of
circus and Ssacristy with Fay
BANTER and q superbly cast com.
pany which opened at the Shu.
bert -Garrick last night.
Here IL. part. at least, II not
q play. which brings Miss BANTER
back to histrionic pathways from
which she detoured 20 many
seasons In parts now discovered to
have been unworthy Of her tai
"The Painted Lady" is a
poignant piece Of poetry; q dab at
futility in the realism Of things
an emphasis on the happier ends
Of cultivating spiritual detectives.
Cristilinda, swaddled at birth In
circus spangles. a Nomad In the
blood who symbolixes Heaven as q
&. tented >amphitheater Of "velveted
seats where the canvas never
blows down." loses the only
physical love she ever coveted hut
gains m ideal much In the
manner Of the legendary youth
who eyed The Great Stone Face
until he became like II. The piece
is human, logical. There are four
acts, two of them gems In treat.
ment and handling. Briefly. the
story Ia this:
Cristilinda, the one untattered
star of her fathers magnificent
specktawcle, ~ the travelling circus,
meets The Boy-a prodigal painter
who has attached himself to the
troupe. In spare moments he
paints q portrait Of Cristilinda.
endowing It with q suggestion OF.
sanctity that paves the way for its
eventual, enforcement In the
church OF st. Etheldreda, through
the machinations Of q crooked art
dealer and the susceptibility OF
''the gentry" who make much OF
ita purchase and donation In the
first act. Martini, the painter. is
retrieved from the tented world
by an indulgent family. on pre-
text to him Of his mothers illness.
Cristilinda Is told she 10 running
his career. asked to give him up.
She capitulates when convinced
the anchorage Of her love will
keep him to her own level. Mar.
tint goes. The years pass. Chris.
topherson's Circus Is on It's last
legs. The spurious painting. pawn
ed off as q master, rests on its altar.
Re-enters the crook with plans
to blackmail the parish Of st.
Etheldreda on penalty Of proving
the painting a modern and q
fraud. Cristtlinda, MANNED by a
tumble in the ring. fells him with
her crutch and the last act finds,
her in the church abbey. telling
the truth about the painting and
begging that the villagers who
prayed before 1t daily. never be
told.
saints" says Cristilinda. "are
never painted till they're dead.
and then it's mostly guess work.
Let this picture stay as the world
thinks II is." Her plea affirmed.
she stands before the canvas. mute
and tear-eyed. as the choir chants
the vesper service. Curtain.
Memorable. indeed, are two OF
the character etchings-those OF
Cristilinda and Of Christopherson,
her father. Miss BANTER. COM
pletely disassociated from the
BANTER of THE, Willow Tree"
and East II West" defines .
beautiful study of the ephemeral
circus wight who denies her
chastity to Martini 20 he will
forget her.
Arthur Byron ~ the bibulous
Christopherson Is the very funda-
ment Of character delineation.
Ferdinand Gottschalk. remem-
bered for his work. in Captain
Appletack" and Tho Truth About
Blayds," A. p. Kays Of Back to
Mefhulaseh" and still wearing
the Lloyd George makeup; Gavin
Muir, Courtenay Foote and Henry
Daniell-all, indeed the. entire cast.
make for q talented setting.
The reason We believe in "The
Painted Lady is because It over.
came analytical aloofness and
goaded US into genuine liking.