The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28
PLAYS CHRISTMAS BROUGHT.
CLYDE FITCH'S "GIRL WITH THE
GREEN EYES"
The New Comedy Nc Mastespiece-Ibsen
on the Road-Judas 1scariet AMI
Mary Magdaiene on the stase-A
Week Not Notable In the Theatres.

MARY MoBuete0e on INC StsSe
Week Not Notable In the Theatres
Good old Sir Thomas Browne wrote in
his urn Burial: what songs the Syrens
eang or what name Achilles assumed when
he hid himself among women though
puzzling questions. are not beyond all con-
iecture." But to make bricks without straw
u feat that might have given pause to
the wonderful word spinner OF Norwich'
A famous journalist once said When In
doubt, invent and demonstrated II by
putting a speech into the dead mouth OF
DR.. Samuel johnson. George Augustus
Sala was the man; his tabled words were:
Some, let US take a walk down the Strand,
said DR.. Johnson" who, of course. never
said anything of the kind.
Oh. TO possess the invention OF these
antique fellows. They wrote their 5000
words daily. dned solidly. wined copiously
and slept like giants. Hazlitt cut out the
drinking. substituting tea. "the beverage
OF the Intellectual quoth De Quincey
(who forthwith filled up on laudanum.
Yet none of these. not even Hazlitt, had
70 write Of plays and players when nothing
had happened. Again we insist on the COM
narrative easiness of Sir Thomas Brownies
conundrum as compared to the one We
propound What shall we talk about this
morning?
That most charming of cduseurs, Charles
Lamb. would possibly have asked why
write at all?" Men must write for others
to read-not TO mention the moaning at
the bar Then snufing the candles
before a hearth miraculously swept and
garnished, Mr.. Lamb would have insisted
like Sarah Battle on the rigorS Of the game.
Give me the plot of your empty week.
he cries, and I'll see what may be done.
Pooh, pooh. sir! what's this? A Des-
perate Chance The Girl With the Green
Eyes All for Her'-why, these must be
brave pantomimes for Christmas. Now
dearly love your pantomime. be it Of tabled
folk or Of that excellent couple. Punch
and Judy" We smile at worthy Mr.. Lamb
and shake our head sadly.
'The Girl With the Green Eyes" is a title
that has a pantomimic ring, God only
knows" as Cordoba said in Mr. Harrigan's
play, the new Clyde Fitch comedy is no
masterpiece. nor Is the mining Of an ex-
allied character. Perhaps played in pure
pantomime. like the delicious 'L'Enfant
Prologue" it might be more effective than
IT, was last Christmas evening. Perhaps
tried before a less partial jury than a we'll
dined Christmas audience the verdict may
not be so favorable. Certainly. there was
much laughter at Jokes 80 old as to mas
u,ierade as new. II would seem that every
thing about the nudity of the Apollo Bel
vedere had been collected by Mr.. Fitch
and spilled promiscnously throughout the
second act The guide that lectured the
Cook excursionists was of the Mark Twain
order.
As for the story. it simply lacks vertebra.
In the technique Of most playwriters there
b a gap which means weakness. Some
hide this defect with more or less brilliant
dialogue; others plant a situation extrane-
ois to the development Of the play and BY
noise cover up their shallownees We have
seen many plays that ran smoothly for two
acts and then went up into the air In the
third most first acts are well written Mr..
Fitch gave us a first act made up Of the
usual Clyde Ftchian little touches. He
sees the drama Of life en- miniature and 10
therefore happiest in the comedy Of man
ners. For example. THE Stubbornness
Of Geraldine" does not revel in the primal
emotions. 1t contains just enough real
feeling to Offset it's excellent comedy. And
there are some live people in the play.
In the new piece it Is difficult to single out
one-except, perhaps, the saucy Susie.
The rest are n,arionettes tangled about by
the experienced hand Of MIR. Fitch. Mrs
Mckee Rankin made credible her role of a
vulgar, well-meaning rich American. But
that son! And his hiccups-to give them
q polite name II is to SILVER! The old
married couple are not 81 good "a the easy.
going pair In Gsraldins's family Still.
there we're the little Fitch touches for two
acts-then bang began the story!
II il q hopeless one but at least II began
Something happened. And at the enc
Of the act the jealous wife Ia deserted. She
Immediately does an original thing-shs
falls sobbing and shrieking before the
door and pounds 1t. Oh. Mr. Fitch! VIII,
season has had this door pounding climax
Iris did it, though the window opened
door-like upon a balcony and she nigh
have easily followed Tren,rith, Blanche
Bates does 1t, and when there il no dool
size takes to the floor. And now Jimmy
Why? Surely the servants must hear tn,
Internal drumming! The door liz no
locked; why not follow that husband anc
bring him back saying Look here. John
rather than thump the door again in on,
Of my tantrums I'll wear blue-glasse
goggles; then III never see green again"
Query: Why doesn't some one DRAMATIC
Balzac's LA File aux Yeux d'or'f Yer,
neaty matter. Mr. Fitch, though the au
dience would have to wear green glasse
In several scenes.
OF "A Desperate Chance" ono may sing
'Hey Biddle-B iddls. Kremer's Q riddle
the lid jumped out Of the Jail; the critic
laughed to nee the sport, as one and al
did rail- Which ia not exactly verse
but a mere seeming. Otherwise VIVA
can Be said Of a baby who sings Home
Sweet Home" at the door OF q convict
cell' 1t would madden the nerves Of an,
well-regulated prisoner trying TO ee
through his time without soul-harrowin
experiences. But Mr. Kremer does no
worry; his box-office percentage Ia hi
ideal. He knows a good play when h
encounters one, and no doubt next summe
he will be seen at the Deu' sches Theate,
Berlin. enjoying Haup,mann, Suderman
and lbsen. and smiling as he thinks of IN
enthusiasm aroused by A Desperat
Chance"
Mr. Willard oloaad III.