Evening star., 1928-11-05
BELAsCO-"ScarIet Woman"

The theater falls into genial atti-
tude toward the world. Despite its
ominouS title, THE Scarlet Woman,
well established in success, discloses
only the story of woman whose rural
neighbors, relentless as they are mis-
taken. assign to her the designation
which makes the title of the drama
comedy-farce. The classification is op-
tional. The piece has moments vary
ing among all three.
Fortunately by this time this work
of stage fiction has long survived the
ordeal of the uninformed imagination
seeking to scent sensation from the
suggestion on the billbcardS. The
Scarlet Woman is not even pale pink.
She has nothing to blush for even, &C
cording to the precise standards OF
pre-Freudian days.
The plot as disclosed in Act is not
a very promising infant, not nearly as
engaging and delightful as the real
baby who appears quite at home while
on the stage, the star of the evening
surveying the audience with the imper-
turbable calm of consciously superior
genius.
This fragile plot. symbolized in a
way by the Sure-enough baby, is taken
in hand by Authors Zelda Sears and
Reita Lambert and reared, first on the
nursing bottle of commonplace theat-
riciSm and later on the more substantial
originality that produces robust drama.
There is a little psychoanalysis in
the piece, not enough to carry the au-
ditor into bewildermens of abstruse
speculation. Having tired of dolls years
ago. and having been encouraged to
aggressive thought by the close COM
panionship of a scientist father,
Agatha (the Pauline Frederick role),
moved by the maternal instinct, goes
to a hospital and adopts little one
for her very own. Of course, the most
sinister suspicious prevail. AS De-
comes the heroine endowed with the
spirit of independent womanhood,
Agatha refuses to explain the situation,
even to the man who loves her deeply
and who finally convinceS her that his
present devotion is too great to be
turned away by thinking of the past
1t is not until the curtain rises on the
third and final act that the genuine
drama asserts itself. From here on
plot and counterplot are managed With
delicate and intensive deXterlty. up 10
this point the interest has depended
on the development of characters, each
conveying a. distinct and positive I'M
preston of human identity, but always
without the exaggeration of car1cature
One of the best of these type dellnea-
tions is the crude but genial heart
breaker" whose plans are frustrated IN
a manner which leaves him in posi-
ton of embarrassment which only
iaunty Lotnario like himself could sur
vive. BY trying to carry on two hirta-
tions at once, he is compelled, Wnen
trapped into a simultaneous interview
with two intended victims at once, 10
retire from the scene defeated, put
still undisconcerted. Paul Stanton makes
the part so good-naturedly human as
to rescue it from the violent lndlgna-
ton which the Designing Villain ordl-
narily arouSeS.
A very responsible role is that of the
Young professor whose affection Is Su-
perior to all suspicion, 1t is well played
BY Thomas Holding.
The producing organization, L. G.
Wiswell, Inc, is entitled to gratitude
for providing entertainment in such
wholesome contrast to the underworld
fiction which has become reprehensible
of late, not because of any great power
for vitiating influence, but because OF
noisy dullneSs.
There are touches of pathos. One OF
them is provided by Norman Peck, as
the hard-working young chap who loves
the baby, and for the baby's sake
wishes to marry the woman whom he,
like all the rest, believes the mother.
It is a complicated little narrative;
one which might easily stray into NAL
adroit lines. The plot steps securely
from scene to scene, with vivacious
healthfulnesS that never falters.
PHILANDER JOHNSON.