Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-23
NATIONAL PLAYERS-"What Every
Woman Knows"


If a play has charm, nothing else
matters; If play lacks charm, nothing
else matters. Because James M Ear
rie's play What Every Woman Knows"
has charm the National Theater Play
ers score another hit in it as their cur
rent offering. Very capable acting also
contributes its part to the success OF
the play. -
This study in masculine ego Of a gen.
Grafton ago has qualities recognizable
today and in any age. The three loyal
Scotch brothers who resort to heroic
measures to obtain husband for their
country mouselike sister, put upon her
a big problem in holding the man. How
she does it, and how he comes to realize
her real significance in his LIE, form
the kernel Of the play and its charm.
AS Maggie Wylie, the Scotch near
spinster, Mary Newton adds to her
laurelS. Her work will be even better,
as well that of the other players, as the
week advances. 1t must be remembered
that it is quite jump overnight from
mystery drama or farce into play ike
s'What Every Woman Knows"
The bargained-for husband, John
Shand, Is played by Wilfred Lytell, who
makes the part of the self-made man
and politician generally convincing
The three brothers, as depicted by
Arthur Rhodes, Freddie Sherman and
Robert Brister, get over their parts with
very satisfactory ratings, while two out
standing bits of work are done by Ade-
laide Hibbard. as the ComteSse de la
Briere, and by Charles Hampden, as
Mr.. Venables. Helen Wallace, in the
role of the aristicratic Lady Sibyl LaZ-
enby, and others in the cast do quite
acceptably.
The staging Is done with the usual
conscientiousness, and there is reason
to believe that the attendance record at
the theater will be well sustained dur
ing the week.
POLTs-"Coquette."
Curtain calls aren't a novelty for
Helen Hayes, but it must have gratlf1ed
her last night to have received the
number she did from her own home
folks. Her play at Polls. "Coquette,' y
was dreadful in plot, but she redeemed
it BY as skillful an exhibition OF acting
as has been seen in Washington. And
her audience, recognizing all this, ap-
plauded her in the manner in which
she should have been applauded.
Helen Hayes has come back after
two years. And her coming is an event
they can't distinguish between murder
and manslaughter in the play. All that
matters is that La Hayes has learned
her art superbly.
From the Superlative artist in the
leading role to Jimmy, the athletic
garcon, the cast does exceedingly well.
Among them there is the Dad, a South
ern physician who believes in the
''maidenly virtue" of womanhood-he' s
Charles Waldron. And there's yet an
other whom this critic believes to be
OF the first water, Frederic Burton
and 1t would be quite improbable to
forget his son Stanley, G. Albert Smith
1t was Disappointing that Michael
Jeffery should have become a bump
off" after the second act. He was quite
the best thing in the supporting cast.
"Coquette" is a performance Of value
BELASCO-"The Little Show"
1t is hard to conceive of anything
which might be added to THE Little
Show" this weeks offering at the
Shubert-BelaSco Theater. which would
improve its quality as musical revue
Five minutes after the curtain rises
every one realizes he is sitting in on a
good one" The first nighters, habitual
SkepticS in this mans town, brighten
perceptibly as they catch their first
glimpse Of the six Little Sinners" and
at the end of the first act, a matter of
IS lively scenes, the spectators express
their pleasant surprise in no uncertain
terms Even the curtain drops re-
luctantly. 1t is that kind of show.
All the rather elusive elements of a
good musical revue are present. First,
and perhaps most important, the girls
are pretty. Not the prettiness described
by the polite reviewer who would rather