The Washington times., 1925-03-25
UETORETURN
/ AFTER PLAY
| DEBUT
Princess Bibesco's "The
] Painted Swan" Pro-
J duced in London

NAYOW that her play, ine
NJ Painted Swan" has been
safeiy-and let us hope
successfully - launched, Princess
Bibasco will doubtless soon De
turning her face toward Wasning-
ton. She remained in LONDON wnen
Prince Antoine Bibasco, minister OF
Rumania, returned to his post, with
81 tiislocated ankle as an excuse ana
her absorption Of in rehearsals Tor
Her play-her serious stage venture.
although she has several successfui
novels to her credit-as the real
reason for lingering.
However, the play had its premier
an March 16 with a fashionable au-
dience crowding the Everyman
Theater at Hampstead. a sort OF
Riorified parish hall, In Wnlcn
Norman Macdermott has been try
ing out some interesting plays. l
must confess to not having seen
the reviews OF the piece SO Iar' Dut
4 letter from London written JUST
rrfor to its opening told all ABOUT
the plans for its presentation, the
interest 1t was creating among So
oiety folk, and gave some idea OF
thu what the play Is IKE. =,
THE cryptic and intriguing title ~
lien from the figure-head once oo-
nerved on q merry-go-round-on the
theory that life is Ike that, coming
heck always to the thing from
LhIch If started. It Is a three-act
nav of modern English life, a
comedy with serious overtones'
and II has been given an excellent
production by Mr.. Macdermott, the
cast bristIing with names well
known to the British theater.
"The Painted Swan" was written
Hare In washington at the Ru'
r1anian. legation, the original driIt'
Pm told, only taking about Tour
dayg. This brilliant daughter OF
the Earl and Countess OF OXFORD
md Asquith works exceptionally
East, but she did. Of course, put In
weeks OF polishing and observed no
eaght.hour law while renearsals
we're in progress. I'm told she mas
introduced into the play some or
ne characters from one Of her
favorite novels.
The play il to be put on by Rien-
hardt In RerIin-in German-and
Princess Bibesco il hoping for an
American production. II we are
TO see it here, ] hope the producers
viii do better by 1t than was the
case when Prince Antoine Bibesco's
hl-fated Married Life" was brought
out here early last summer. In
the hands OF second-rate stock COM
pany 1T was. I'll confess, rather dit
ficult to know what 1t was all
about. Yet Prince Antoine Is a
veteran playwright in whose pieces
represented in Paris In French
such actresses as Duse and Reianne
have played!
Novels Have Had Successful
American Run; New Volume Ready.
Once upon q time when she was
Miss Elizabeth Asquith, Princess
Bibesco wrote e. one-act play called
sOff and On which was given
Tor charity during the war before
Queen Alexandra It is described
as Q bright little piece, but the ac-
counts OF this occasion state that
unfortunately - although not un-
naturally - the girl-author, who
played the leading role. was q bit
niffident and haiH her lines Were
lost TO the audience. Since then the
princess has confined her writing
10 short stories and novels. "Bal.
looms" and 1.-The Fir Tree and the
Pine have run through several
american editions and 50 has a
volume OF short stories, 81 Have
Only Myself to Blame"
In addition to helping rehearse
her company in 1.-THE Painted
Swan" the princess has found
time to write a new volumne Of
short stories.
Z eff Princess Bibesco has not
Anade her play over subtle" wrote
my correspondent from London just
prior to the production, lone fan
eieg it win be a success. She can
write delightfully."-, but has a way
% assuming that the intelligence
q her readers is as keen and their
mental equipment as intensely mod
efn as her own. We are not like
that really, at least not many of
us are" The scene of the play is
laid in q country house and the
eostumfng Is said to be quite mar
yelous.
: Little Princess Priscilla Bibeco,
only daughter of the Minister and
Princess Bibesco, returned to Wash
fngton with her father and with
him is anticipating her mothers
arrival.