The evening world., 1893-11-01
"sHoRE ACRES"

1t Is not James A. Herne's
tionality. as many people suppose, that
attracts so much attention in his offer
ings to the stage. II Is his truth. the
unerring brush with which he paints
familiar c%olors. and his peculiar gift OF
being able to detect the humorous and
the pathetic amid the sometimes squalid
realities OF lowly life. Most playwrights
present n series OF episodes that are
truthful in spots only. They are afraid
to tc too natural. in the dread of becom-
ing commonplace, so they call in the aid
OF theatrical devicas-rhe villain. the
wronged woman. the climax before each
curtain, and the pairing Of the lovers at
the end OF the play. No wonder that
the perpetual theatre-goer grows weary.
He has the same diet every night. The
incessant water-drop will wear out a
stone.
Mr.. Herne Is not afraid to be natural,
and he certainly 10 never commonplace.
In Shore Acres" which had its second
performance at the Fifth Avenue The
atre last night. he has written a play
so absolutely satisfying to truth that
one marvels at the direCtness OF some
OF the touches. that are apparently
aimed carelessly. There are beautiful
episodes In this p~lay-episodes that cause
he eyes to molsten and the straps OF
convention that bend a man rlgidly into
his mundane shell. to loosen their hold.
Such n play mt st be educational and
Der eficial In its influen e. I would take
criminals In n body to see 1t. and rely
more upo its effects than on all the
sermons that coldlv inundate those un
~fortunates. The sermons, at any rate,
could come afterwards. To those who
are not criminals-to you and to me
who have nothing more hopeless thai a
~toughened OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Acres" IL
n sweet aid fragrant zephyr, blowing us
into Il sort OF dulcet appreciation OF
neglected buties.
We saw at this same theatre thu
CRIME and the nature of Mr.. Thomas;
In Mizzoura." and we can now com.
pare the effects of Mr.. Herne's play witt
the clap-trap naturalness and the the
atrical pathos of Thomas's effor
Herne looks at the sky; Thomas at tn,
flies and wings. Herne touches tn,
quiverlng ye; Thomas the ~opera-glas
that you can obtain by putting n quartz
" ~ ~ Si'hie VI III MiZHoura
couio De copyrighted; the nature o.
shore Acres belongs to all who car
discover
Yet Shore Acres while pregnan
win reailsm' Is also tempered will
ldeallsm. Herne's kitchen is true t.
life' out 1t Is beautifled before 1t Is pre-
scented, n at the silver wedding din
ner the guests VINO put their knives IL
'heir NOUNS refrain from other an
more offensive acts mat such folk
wou'd IN all probability commit. Mr.
iierhe Is not a Hoia' he Is real, blu
ne IL aIso iueai' me character OF Ma
'hai'ei Berry Is ROBBED OF Its angles.
me story OF Shore Acres Is sim
pici'y ITSELF into the littl,
homestead near bar Harbor creeps
serpent IN the shape OF a lam boomer
ne so"s the seeds OF discomfort in tn
oreast OF martin Berry, whose propert!
he coVets LOT building lots.' TIL
SEEDS nave taken root In the secon'
Gct' ana NE or the home !
ruined IN the third act misery ha
clairneu Niartih' MS daughter, her lover
ola Nat n the household. In tn,
iourth act content Is pathetically re
stored ana the maj curtain fails upoi
'ne oea'hine content ana s~elt-abnegatiol
VI N"'' aS 1T letires, al'er lhe p set
'ieiieht VI all ~uiineuities' leaVing IN
e'ase snen' III soilary' anu the audi
ehce "onueriis why they are SO move
ny "oiu'ess' hoh-.hea'ricai scene.
ihe oeau'S Oh 'he play Is mares
soihe"ha' Wy III ~htrouuctioh OF the IN
eiuen' ueainls WIN .he unhecessar.
.mei' Vi WHICH MEMS lo'er Is accused
Inns see"'s 10 De u Urine cheap, and
strikes one as pelhs dragged IN. IN
lighthouse scene IN Whlch Martin trie