The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-07-17
ALL ABOUT A
GLORIOUS
REVIVAL

To the boards of the Natlonal
Theater last night came that I'M
mortal exposition Of life as II IS
lived in the backwards OF Louis
willie, KY, Mrs. Wigs OF the
Cabbage Patch"
Mrs. Wigs can never ole: one
is as much a part of the Amer.
can scene as chewing gum Llrlo'
bergh. contented COWS ana the
Kiwanis Club. Some day MT.
George Tyler or another eminen.
revivalist, will stage MRS. Wiggs
with an all.star cast, and the play
will make a barrel of money just
as it began to make at the VA
tional last night.
It's not difficult to understand
why and how America loves this
play, for it's drenched in a k1ndly
American philosophy, or what we
would like to believe is American
philosophy.
1t is funny. and high Heaven
knows there are few really good
comedies, past or present. Further,
Mrs. Wigs has the lovable
qnaintnesses of age. 1t is rounded
and jovial, mellow and fragrant
a distinct relief from the angular,
brittle realism of our current
drama.
No modern playwright could
conceive such q situation as the
passing away" of Mr.. Stubbins,
the matrimonial bureau husband,
who, under the soporific influ.
ence of strong drink, was loaded
into an empty freight car with
two of Mrs. Wigs best pies to
keep him from starvation, while
his quondam widow, the erst-
while Miss Hay. waved him
sad farewell.
So much for the play itself.
Let us concern ourselves now with
the manner in which 1t was pre-
scented last night by the National
Theater Players.
Mrs. Wigs" is a presentation
of which the troupe may well
be proud. In the program, Mr..
Cochran might have inserted,
with deep verify, notice read
ing, "Glorifying Mrs. Adelaide
Hubbard" For this is Mrs. Hib-
bard's play. She has. of course,
the title role, and IL there ever
has been better exponent of
the character, not a man or wo-
man in the National last night
will admit it.
Mrs. Hubbard steps into the role
with an easy assurance that
keeps the entire cast in q warm
and friendly glow. She mothers
her own family, her friends and
the whole neighborhood.
The parts of Australia, Asia and
Europena. the three daughters OF
the Wigs household, are taken
respectively by Geraldine Duncan,
Catherine Birch, and Alice Glover,
local girls. Leneta Lane. in q
red gold wig, il beautiful as Lovey
Mary, and Billy Phelps makes an
acceptable Billy Wigs.
The house roared when the Inn
maculate John Warner stumped
onto the stage in ill-fitting clothes,
red whiskers and garterless hose,
in q sterling representation OF Mr..
Stubbins. Warner seemed relieved
to be out of multi for a change,
and scampered through his part
like boy let loose from school.
His drunk" scene was superb.
Maude Howell Smith, whom we
had known hitherto only as the
lady who played Autumn" and
columbia in local pageants, reg
istered heavily az Miss Hay, in
an excellently shaded portrayal of
the funny. pitiful bride Of Mr..
Stubbins.
Helen Wallace and Robert
Brister were on and off the stage
from time to time, as a couple of
young lovers. Others who walked
off and on. with little to do but
doing 1t effectively. were Edward
Arnold, Charles Hampden, Ham
ilton Phillips and vast number
of local talent.
we are slow to make predic-
tons but, in the face of a steam
ing week, we don't mind fore
casting that the National will
do a Iand.office business in
tickets during the stay Of Mrs.
Wigs" There won't be any
second week of it. either, the
MANAGEMENT assures us, so buy
early and often. j. II.
GTU ANRGETHpS