Evening star., 1926-11-23
NATIONAL THEATER-Ethel
RaFTymOre.

A brilliant dramatic cynicism by
vaughan has. even in advance of
Ns New York presentation exerted
such appeal that extra performances
are being arranged for this holiday
week in Washington. The line
CHARLES Frohman presents brings
sae touch Of gentle reminiscence
Woich even so charming an actress
- Ethel Barrymore with access ap-
oerently to the fountain of youth.
which the theater appears to make
possible. cannot wholly escape. 1t
was Q presentation worthy of the
sex0 Charles Frohman. with delicate
ahades Of meaning deftly expressed.
1s was all done in the key of national
humanity without exaggerated pathos
or ponderous heroics.
The Constant Wife" brings at the
outset a satriical gesture. Con
stancy" Is interpreted in the terms
o. the old English son, in which
ehe judge announced: Though the
case looks like polygamy, 1t isn't even
bagamy-for his Heart was True to
pollr
The play brings again the delight
Of facile writing to the theater. 1t
ID Tar from prudish, but holds itself
TO language Of intelligence and social
discipline. 1t does not seek to dis
play itself for sympathy or honor like
o small bad boy who has been
wallowing in the vocabulary of the
gutter.
The art Of writing epigrams did not
perish with Oscar wilde, nor is it
locked in the brain box Of Bernard
Shaw, Tho Constant Wife depicts
the "epigrammatic life" with a logical
fascination, us he shows, in a very
simple story, the extraordinary con-
clusions which bold thinking and self
reliant people may permit themselves
without the slightest 'turpitudinous
oompunction.'
To attempt to define the story is to
natten 1t, for 1t is gem, which serves
"a the means of scattering innumer-
able iridescences. The woman, as
befits current drama, is the fine and
superior intelligence. The man is an
example Of stupid vanity, shocked be-
yond measure by his discovery that
his wife meets his sub rosa gallan.
tries not with anger, but with con.
temptuous pity. Her calm social,
ecientific attitude regarding his affairs
Is sad experience for him when she
assumes 1t tor herself.
Up to the last word, the play
hovers between comedy and sorrow
and then ends in compromise-unless
the discounted and undeserving hus-
band may be dismissed from the pic
ture, the conventions Of society sWal-
lowed whole and the audience reduced
to state OF general rejoicing because
Q wife of heroic patience has COM
manded patience in return as she
hnds brief happiness in a love the
more intense because circumstances
do not permit 1t to be for long.
The arrangement by which Con-
stance Is to return Is coolly proposed
On her part, and after some Storming
on that Of husband John accepted
with reasonable fortitude.
This role of Middleton is in some
respects the most difficult in the cast.
II required delicate discernment to
prevent its comedy from being too ag-
sressive. and to prevent its serious
side from claiming too strong a sym
pathy. 1t Is not a particularly ap-
pealing role. and the precision of its
presentation for that reason COM
mands the greater respect.
The admirers of Ethel Barrymore
have not seen her to better advantage
since the seasons when boarding
schools used to send their pupils to
see her as an interpreter Of girlish
goodness. When she appeared in such
plays as "Midchannel' and "Ebb.
smith" the schoolgirls were no longer
kpOA AAllCu W SI0uJ IbCl elS q IlIOOCL W
personal grace. 1t was a very diStin
gutshed audience, and no doubt many
who as schoolgirls loved her were
present ador1ng as Of yore.
It is the most Immoral and the most
refined play Of the season. PHI. j.
BELASCO-"Is Eat SO?"
As idiotic as it's name and yet in
vested with q something that makes
an audience smile and even laugh out
aloud throughout a more or less pleas
ant evening. us Eat So?" programmed
a. IAN American Comedy by James
Gleason and Richard Taber," appeared
at the Belasco Theater last evening on
q return visit,
II defies analysis as a play and
rather suggests the material for a
good vaudeville sketch, which never |
theless has been padded and stretched