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Show "TEH FOR THREE" AT THE ORPHFUM IS ! ENJOYABLE j i Ry .odfrey Matthews.) I A crowded nudlenco at the Orpheum theater lasl night witnessed with evident evi-dent pleasure Ihr performance o' a three acf society eonied entitled "Tea I for Three." by Roi Cooper Megvue The piny came to the city of Og '.en . boosted by tnanj press notices from the east In which, particularly in New York City, It Is regarded as one of Lhe cleverest comedies of the modern i American Blage, The word clever sufficiently describes de-scribes the whole concept of the p!ot, jof the book, and of the acting as it was Riven to the Ogdcn audience last night The motif of the play In su'li-eiently su'li-eiently old to be outworn. How shall I stodgy. Jealous husband be cured for I once and for all? How shall a man! i whose interests are those of making I vast sums of money from rea estate and allowing his business interests so to run o er into his leisure hours mat he has little time to give to ino,ui 'ng the way and perfecting 'he nnrm i r. i I making life livable lor an : dorable and 1 adoring wife? He is con'nt to think, :hnt her life Is sufficiently happy i; h' is there at home every evening to jawn over dinner and go early to Ded. Unfortunately, however, for his peace of mind there is an old loc- of the Wire s who sun remain? a verj niau ;u and entertaining friend whose weekly calls at the house give the wife a glimpse of real happiness without approaching ap-proaching the danger zone of estrange ment from her BtO'JgJ husban. whom she does in truth and In fact adore. Husband, played by Haydeil Stevenson, is perfectly matter ol fad keenly business bus-iness like, and well nifilu impossible. Bachelor friend, plae( b Norman Hackett, Is a physician who th'nks more of constructive research than he does of money. Imaginative, sentimental, sentiment-al, and delightfully entertaining, Wifle, adorable and adoring, played by Mil dted Eans. is enirancii'.gly tac"ful. faithful, lover of her husband, and -taunch admirer of her old friend. What wonder il sne tells of her b.-ch- lor friend and former lover how drab the das are becoming? "Vhat greater wonder than that the Imaginative and sentimental friend should suggest that he bo cured by having his Jealousy llrcd by concrete circumstances which will give him furiously to .hink? So i'. is arranged that bacheloi friend and wifle shall meet secretly and that lhe secret shall be uncovered ?. little so as to allow friend husband to fear the worst The plot works to the desired end. Husband takes advantage of a witty wit-ty cynicism of friend "jachelor and EUggestS that the situation la so bad that they must draw lots to see which ne shall quietly depart from this mortal mor-tal life without casting reflection on . nybody. They make the Jraw Friend bachelor is the unlucky winner who must so depart, but befc:e departing lhe assures friend husband, that he has always wished for such a circumstance in order that he might be ihe splendid lawless man for whom c.ath has no .ears but for whom the short pau of life still left may provide him with ihe motive to do what he wishes to do vithout regret, remorse, ir C nip'inc tlon af any kind Fulfilling this, he ays. be will within tho twenty-fours .Ueal wlfie All of which is, of course very disconcerting o husband. Friend bachelor imposes only one c'uty on friend husband, and that is to pi in-, debt-- He takes the opportunity of t writing to r Journalist friend and an nounees his death. At 'he moment that husband Is eaten Ui with fears, and wifle Is disconcerted o know what Is happening, the evening p?per is lellvered announcing the death of friend bachelor Valet, maid Husband and wife, join their tears, unite for Once in a common -ibjHi, ihey grtevi for the loss of a Irlend. Then vlfe j t ells to husband how much she has I loved her friend wlthou ceasing to love her husband as a true wlf should, Mid Knef In all it tearful expression Is at Its height when friend bachelor; walks in, exposes thf plot. eurc3 friend 1 usband, and all ends happily. The distinctive feature of this play, as we said at the beginning of ih:-crltiQUe, ih:-crltiQUe, Is Its cleverness. Tor the rest It Is artificial and brilliant Mr. MegTUe is a very clever dramatist and I will always be able to pay his board! bill He can write a very successful play which calls for very few actors, which can cram theatres and reduce the cost of production. Ml of which is to the benefit of the producer's receipts re-ceipts and the author's bank-roll. But Mr Megme, in this Instance has not written a truthful plav. There may be people in the world like bachelor friend, and wlfie. and friend husband, but they do not talk like thi people In this pla This play Is not really a play. It Is a witty dramatisation dramatisa-tion of a cleverer mans reflections on ! married life as he sees it. A play oupht to have quite a little action in1 which I' sustains ihr character of a I play. This play had little action, and! pages of brilliant, witty, cynical talk Because it was witt brilliant and clever 'he audience, knowinp the j whole thins to be as untrue as untruth un-truth could be, laughed at it and en-I Joyed It Norman Hackett, Mildred Evans and , Kayden 3tevenson, played the prinri pal parts In just the manner needed I for such a play except that Hayden I Stevenson would shine considerably brighter in a western play in which he wore a sombrero, threw a lariat, and showed off his perfectly tremend- I ous stage stride. I The women of the audience c.T'pi l 1th sheer delight at the beautiful up- I nearance and ravishing gowns worn by Miss Evans. The two smaller parts of the play, the maid and valet, played by Sydnej Conn, and Marie Newklrk. called for little histrionic ability and got all they deserved. In conclusion the play must have I been a great plesrsure to mpn ind women of artificial ideas |