Judge — March 3, 1917 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BET WE 667"PHAT'S a pretty old story, and yet it is always new,” said the Tired Business Man as he met the Critic in the foyer of the Man- hattan Opera House after the first’ per- formance of “The Wanderer.” “Yes. Old, and yet always new,” replied the Critic. “And there are Prodigal Sons chas- ing up and down Broadway to-night, some of them begin- ning prodigality and others, down and out, wondering how they are going to get back home.” “But the play doesn’t been devised so much prodigals as to entertain crowd,” resumed the Critic. “Well, the crowd was there, all right, and other crowds are going to be. There is a lot of stuff in that second act that will draw like a mustard plaster. It has the regular ‘girl’ shows beat szven ways! “You have touched upon what to me is the weakest part of the drama,” said the Critic. “Weakest? strong!” “You misconceive me, my friend. You mgan it is frank. It is more than frank. I meant that to me it was a sensual exaggeration that did not fit at all into the austere Imirable parts of Such an act would be more and far more artistic if it had restraint and suggestion only. This act fairly wallows, leaving little to the imagination. But the class of theatre- goers for whom it was PII especially intended It is overdone in the num- ber of figures as well ry as in the doings Ka oof the figures. Of ha course we must con- seem to have a lesson to metropolitan I thought it was mighty avaWavauavis EN By CYRIL ANDREW cede that the Orient is more or less ob- viousin its contacts of the sexes, and that antiquity emphasized such contacts; but the playwright should have some regard for Occidental reticence.” “But do you suppose that act will keep other classes of theatregoers from going to enjoy the other parts of the play “Perhaps not. After all, there is great deal of hypocrisy among Occi- dentals, and curiosity is one of the strong- est characteristics of humanity. Yet there are many persons who attend the theatre to whom that act will be of- fensiv “But it’s a remarkable company that plays ‘The Wanderer. Yes. There are of note. Mr. Elliott ha presence and method as Jether, the son, though I doubt if he gets all that is pos- sible out of the part. Nance O'Neil contributes the classic manner and voice, but I think that on the whole she general- izes as the mother when she should spe- cialize, James O'Neill is a fine figure as the father, and his reading is a delight reminding one of so-called ‘palmy days’ —but he shows too little variet gesticulation, though his moments of repose are fine. William H. Thompson is impressive as an ancient villain, and when we remember that among other parts he has played a bishop we get some notion of his range. Charles Dalton is adequately disagreeable as the elder brother; Janet Dunbar is sympathetic as Naomi; and the many réles in the second act are represented in line with the irit of the scene. Florence Reed a Tisha gives the courtesan’s part realistic emphasis.” unny thing about plays,” philoso- phized the Tired Busin Man, after digesting the Critic’s analysis of ‘The Wanderer,’ and apparently finding no fault in it. “It seems to me that the greatest successes are built on themes that everyone knows everything about. Take ‘Lilac Time,’ for instarice. It and number of actors a sympathetic C U RTA ‘The Wanderer’ are about as different as could be imagined, and yet they're both old ideas.” “T must say,” replied the Critic, “that ‘Lilac Time’ left me cold; but it was not the age of the theme, or even the intro- duction of infantile lingerie, which invari- ably makes me angry, that did it. It was —well, it was simply a well-written, well- acted play, with nothing in particular toit. [will be popular for two reasons: one is its theme, and the other is Miss Cowl, who can fill more houses by her n many another actress by her enunciation. There was some exceed- ingly fine acting in ‘Lilac Time’—aside from Jane Cowl the noteworthy hit was by Cecil Yapp, who was superb in his réle of the old Frenchman, But despite the good acting and the pleasing play, and Miss Cowl, I protest that I see nothing in ‘Lilac Time’ to distinguish it from any other play.” “Perhaps you're right,” said the Tired Business M. thoughtfully. “But I enjoyed * Lilac Time’ much more than the usual run of plays here. I saw the Rébutante after the show, and she couldn't make up her mind whether to s She compromised by doing both. dently made a deep impres- sion on her.” “Oh, * ime’ is due for a run,” said the Critic. “And as a study of Miss Cowl’s ability it is worth seeing. It is so much better than ‘Common ‘lay’ and ‘Within the Law’ that it should be praised for that alone. I didn’t like the introduction of the sex-theme, though.” “Why, I thought that strengthened the a lot!” cried the Tired Business sobs t “It did,” conceded JAVAVAVAVSY, B the Critic, “in the same way that the second act of ‘The Wanderer’ strength- ened that produc- tion.” AVAVAVAVAVAN 4 *AVAVAVAVATAN BAVAVAVAVAWAT.E