The San Francisco call., 1897-06-20

No one seems to know with any degree
OF certainty why Lorimer Stoddard
called his satirical comedy the Ques-
tion." have been twice to the Colum bia
TO see it, and have not succeeded in dis
covering the true inwardness OF the con-
nectiOn between the name and the play
Others more clairvoyant profess to be
reveling in a satisfactory answer to the
problem, but most OF them give different
reasons for the name. 1.-The Question"
suggests Meyer Helmond's pretty song,
The Daily Question Is, Lowest Thou
Me- p There is a vast deal about love in
Lorimer Stoddard's comedy, but the
Question" might apply TO a dozen diff
rent points. For instance: Question
When married woman flIrts as desper-
ately as Annie Cannon aid, does she not
deserve some of the retribution that
threatens to overtake her in the last act?
am sorry ''The Question" has not been
a greater success. The third act is so bril-
ant it deserved better fate than the Two
preceding acts brought It. The finei scene
depicts the chGm6re GrdaRte OF a woman's
club, when one member is trying to rail-
road through a measure to further her
ious things, as people who have pene-
trated into their inner mysteries and seen
them at boiling point know. Crhat re-
minds me, In the play Mrs. Stone n Marbe
says: I'VE must strike while the irons
hot, and now IFS boilInr." 1 can hardly
imagine iron as an effective instrument
for striking when in seething condition,
but that's etan.) People who have seen
Of 81,
point must have been struck by the fine
dramatic possibilities OF club row. The
only difficulty to he ordinary mind is 10
imagine strong enough motive to make
the audience hang spelIbound on the pro-
ceedings, more or less parliamentary,
which are apt TO occur when the iron
boiIs.
Lorimer Stoddard has imagined
strong dramatic motive for the club
session when the iron is at boiling
point-nothing less than the railroad
ing through of an act of expulsion
Which will blast a woman reputation and
incidentally settle The destination of for
tune of millions. He has added 10 the
effectiveness of the stene by making man
burst in on the joyous irresponsible pro-
csedings, goaded by his desire to aid the ac-
cused woman. Nothing but a courage born
OF love or profound chivalry could inspire
such a deed of daring on the part of
male interloper. The audience recognizes
this and takes John Cannon TO its heart
for his bravery. The way in which that
one mans firmness changes the whole
course of the proceedingsis is very dramatic,
if little untrue to life. My knowledgeof
women's clubs would lead me 10 believe
that a mere man could revise the whole
code of the Medes and Persians more
easily than be could change decision
once voted upon by a woman's club. Mr..
Stoddard may have had experiences which
lead him 10 believe that ladies-even club
ladie can change their minds.
The pity of it is that The young play
wright has found it necessary TO lay the
foundations of this really splendid climax
On Two acls of wearisome chatter and
hackneyed stage effecis. What scant in
terest can be found in these two acts Les
chiefly in the way Annie Cannon firts
with a lady-kiIler 10 punish her husband
for piatonic friendship with a beautiful
philanthropist. The woman who gets the
best of an apparently neglectfui spouse by
trifing with another man is pretty sure
OF LDe sympathy VI INC auu4tliNSf y - 911N
is very oId-older than "The Wife," older
than Re belhous Susan" The elder
Dumas dalIied with the pIoued wife, and
Dumas fills made one entire play out OF
her-and there are others, lots of them.
In fact the piqued wife is so old that her
origin is lost in the shades OF antiquity.
Stoddard's device OF letting woman hear
herself talked about from behind screen
is not exactly new, either, and the mis-
taking OF one woman for another at ball
by the exchange of cloaks was one OF the
few brilliant inspirations in the now de-
funct Social Trust"
The finale of "The Question" is so good,
however, that 1 can quite imagine man
ager with such fine aggregation OF
women as Frawley possesses enthusiast
caIly accepting it on the strength OF that