Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-01
ARTS CLUB GIVES
TWO SHORT PLAYS
Productions of Committee
Presented Last Night
at Club House.

Flashes of poetry, philosophy and art
were revealed in the two one-act plays
presented by the dramatic committee
of the Washington Arts Club last eve
ming at the club house, 20l7 l street.
Particularly was this true of the sec
Says Her Prayers" presented with an
ease and ability far above that usually
seen in the work of amateurs.
The first skit, a fantasy. by Anne
Bradley PEBBLES, entitled 20 Spring."
treated in a bantering, amusing man.
ner the subject of beautiful Spring"
and its influences upon those POLITICALLY
and dramatically inclined. The story
told of a youth who thought he had
lost the girl of his heart. In park,
surrounded by budding trees and flow
ers, he becomes inspired to write the
oversees of broken heart" He
soliloquizes on these matters. with
tiny boy sitting on bench, who Won
ders what it is all about. Two girl
students, seeing him, decide to play
o trick. Dressed as Spring, the dane
ing student appears before him, while,
hidden by trees, her companion plays
the flute. The poets temperamental
nature is affected by the girls dancing,
he Is about to forget his grief and
the girl he has lost as he seizes the
dancing girl in his arms.
Sweetheart Appears. l.
At that moment the lost sweetheart
appears from behind the trees, and a
realization that she loves the poet comes
as she sees him with the other girl.
A scene ensues with the usual happy
ending. The players in this fantasy
were Harry Welker, Thelma Schmidt,
Judy Lyeth, Anne Ives and Master
Billy Neuhauser.
The second playlet was of a more
serious nature. The scene, q side chapel
in the Cathedral of Milan, was artist
tcally produced; the stage effects, such
as lighting, organ music and the slight
aroma of incense, were carried out ex-
ceptionally well. 1.-The Duchess Says
Her Prayers" written by Mary Cass
Garfield. tells of a newly wed Duchess
Of Milan during the fifteenth century,
who goes to a shrine of the Virgin to
tell her prayers. She kneels before what
she believes is a statue of the Madonna
but in reality is the figure Of her hus-
bands mistress. Seeing the duchess ap-
proach, the clandestine lovers decide 1t
will be best for the dukes LADY love"
to hide in the niche which Is empty.
Believes Woman Statue.
Believing the woman who has been
the cause Of her husbands infidelitieS to
be a statue, the duchess pours forth the
sorrow which is in her heart. Cecilia
Gallerini, posing as the Madonna, is
forced TO listen to the sorrow she has
caused the young duchess. After the
latter has departed Gallerini descends
from the niche, completely changed by
what she has heard. She announces to
the duke that he must leave her for
good, and tells him the reasons Of her
change of heart.
Some very beautiful passages appear
In the lines of this playlet, which was
exceptionally well presented by Jane
Plummer Rice as Madonna Cecilia CAL
lerini, Lodovico Sforza, the duke, and
Beatrice D'Este, the duchess.
Considerable credit should be given to
Mrs. Fulton Lewis for the artistic and
effective stage settings, which helped
greatly to make the two playlets enter
tanning and effective. g. s. S.