The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-26
LEN ETTLE."

Henry Guy Carleton is a playwright of
experience. lacking in that originality, or
that subtle something that pnnaclas a
| man. He can construct a play neatly,
and according to the most approved set
of rules, and he can also fit 1t with bright
and occasionally pointed dialogue, but he
never impresses or leads one to believe
that he has single CLEAN of creative
power.
Lem Kettle" the play Mr.. Carleton
has written for Tim Murphy. and now
running at the Bijou. is smooth and tidy,
but 1t is lamentably tame 1t is written
around one OF those impossibly good
heroes. of whom American playwrights
seem to be so fond. All the interest is
supposed to centre in highly virtuous
young man, VINO. unfortunately, doesn't
die. but who is pcrpetually struggling
for the sympathy OF the audience In the
centre OF the stage; speaking rude words
to villains and kind words to worthy
folks: ready to sacrifice everything lex
cept the centre of the stage Gnd con-
stantly making bid for cheap applause.
The audiences OF New York are past that
sort of thing. They have gone IA step
hDpNt IL lHty Will u spice VI SbIlt-
thing less .nfantlne than "Once upon a
time there was good little boy, who
loved a good little girl. but a naughty
villain came up The good little boy
jumped upon the naughty villain and
married the good little girl. with whom
he lived happily ever Afterwards"
Lem Kettle is n poor inventor who lives
on horrible farm, where shrill-voiced.
nasal people say My Lands" and
Suffering Ginger and where everything
is squalid. unattractive and unpoetic. MIR.
Carleton. however. wants the audience
to like these country folks. FOR he
makes them all good, and contrasts them
wildly with the villainy of the New
Workers. The poor inventor has some
troublous times in New York. The girl
he loves Is engaged to a heavy villain;
bad man tries to reap the profits of
his invention, and 1t Is only in the last
act that he triumphs. as you knew he
would do He is not very human, for
he never errs, and he always says the
right thing at the right time. No won
der that Bernard Shaw has tried to
parody all this sort of thing in his clever
skit, Arms and the Man" These i'm
possible heroes do more harm than good.
for they make virtue so insipid. If they
had some redeeming evil. Look at Lord
Clivebrooke In The Bauble shop" He
Is not a saint by any means, and he
does a good deal of unthinking wrong.
but John Drew has never had a part
that Is so attractive. II Mr.. Carleton
had written the play, Clivebrooke could
have appeared in a halo at the end OF
every act. Yet Mr.. Carleton has thor
oughly mastered the a b of his art.
and Is. moreover, a man OF undisputed
literary ability. and enviable sincerity
Of purpose,
Mr.. Murphy as Lem Kettle Is artistic.
but highly uninteresting. You know ex-
actly what he is going to do and say.
so that 1t Is perhaps not his fault II You
can't admire the way In which he does
It and says It. Miss Dorothy Sherrod as
the heroine, Is very pretty, but rather
awkward. and Miss Clara Thropp as n
hoyden is fearfuily loud and obtrusive.
Such girls as B'Lindy may possibly exist.
There was a day when vulgarity was
cute" but 1t has gone by. Samuel
Reed, as n country lout. follows the ira
ditions ruling such ro.es, and Clarence
Handyside Is conventional william. A
capital little character sketch Is con-
tributed by John E. Ince, and It stands
conspicuously forth from the DUH level
of the other characters.
ALLAN DALE.