The sun., 1903-12-29
DAINTY new ZANGWILL PLAY.
"MERELY MARY ANN" PRODUCED
AT THE GARDEN THEATRE.
No Chills In T-Eleanor Robson Wins
Laurels as = London slavey In Scenes
suggestive OF Dickens-The Story
Full Of Sentiment Cleyerly Penned.

suggestive OF Dickens-The Story
Fuli OF Sentiment Cleverly Penned.
Merely Mary Ann" by Israel Zangwil,
was produced at the Garden Theatre last
I night and easily achieved success 80 easily,
indeed, that at the end of the third act
the audience, disappointed OF curtain
speech Brdra, Miss Robson!l, rubbed it's
eyes in establishment and wondered If it
had not been taken in. So it had, for Mr..
Zangwil, by employing few old fashioned
dramatic deviG turned out as charming
and unaffecteda little play as New York
has seen this season.
But don't go to the Garden expecting
dramatic chills to crawl over your spine.
The most exciting thing in the piece is the
shattering Of some china, and that hint
from the dramatist is guide pointing
to the manner of his work.
1t is Early English 1t suggests Dickens
with it's faithful transcript of shabby
genteel lodging house and its tender hearted
"slavey," with the romantic composer in
the foreground. The -slavey' may be the
hand Of Dickens. the composer is the voice
of Zangwill, but the china is Robertson's.
If you have read the tale from which
the author made his adaptation you may
remember that Mary Ann, other name not
given, was hard worked little servant in
Mrs. Leadbdtter's pleasing home, surely
a foretaste of sheol, though situated in
London. There. too, among other curious
fauna and fora indigenous to the rank
soil lived a composer, stranded with the
unpublished fruit of his genius.
At first Ldnceiot only notices Mary Ann
as a queer, smutty faced little animal,
kind in her intentions, but n savage pure
and simple Her evolurio ion from CRIME to
gentility is accomplished by the sheer
force of her passion. At last things become
20 bad that the musician determines to fly
with the "slavey" to the country, there to
comp ose. to vegetate to love- mavhap
10 decay.
This is prevented by the intervention Of
tate-Mdru Ann becomes an heiress and
Lanceiot is then too proud-ah. the fatal
pride of romance genus-to marry her
and her fabulous millions. Thew separate,
to meet again in n fashionable drawing
room, she an accomplished young lady,
he a famous composer
In the story thev part forever. but as
unhappy endings are always suspected
Is being immoral ever since Nora Heiner
left her husband nd brats, Mr.. Zangwiii
wisely allows his curtain to descend upon
the pair united.
Now, did you ever read or hear of any
thing morn banal than this sketch? Yet
such is the playwrights fantasy and ad-
mirable sense Of character "values" that his
piece swins along for three acts, cramlned
full OF sentiment, humnr neat situations
and illLding charm.
Yet you dare not analyze the spell, for
i. is all 50 delightfully."- old fashioned
quaint is better word, though sadly mis-
handled the breath Of rude criticism
would tumble the Utmost fGrmless fabric
earthward, There are at Least two un-
conventional curtains and the expOsitory
act is startling in it's simplicity.
But alas! Act ~. lands us in the realm uf
the happy novel for the use Of sentimental
persons.
1t is almost suparauoua, and the intro
duction Of a lot Of stupid people is n wicked
mistake. Even the charm OF Mary Ann
evaporates. She is unreal Her lover is
now huge bore. talking in accents
operatic.
We prefer our Mary Ann in old cloth
with her shy sweet smile, her tremulous
speech, her little canary yon can't kill
Dickens sentiment vet and her ignorance.
an ignorance, positively. blooming in its
greenness and appalling in It's depth
Eleanor Robson has a corgenial role.
She was charming to gaze upon, and while
her accent was blending of Yorkshire and
Tipperary her irnpersoration was one
wholly sympathetic. The curtain end on
felf-contempt Of the composer who would
lead this poor deluted girl away was finely
brought out by Edwin Arden.
On the other hand, Mr. Arden, despite
the bluff bonhomic of his compose, hardly
suggested the musician caught up to heaven
In melodic chariot Of fire. He is rather
matter of fact, though playing with marked
technical ski and unforced humor In the
last act he. in company with Miss Robson,
lattled with the impossible.
Ada Dwycr as a lodging house keeper
was admirable; Rosie, her daughter was
the. very type of the stupid, self-satisfed
oockney miss The music lesson proved
cnmical. Herbert Carr was n music pub
Usher who tempted his clients to write
musical rot He, too, was excellent.
Frank Doane "a a good soul with money and
bad artistic taste made bit
His song, the leading motive OF the play,
is called Kiss Me Goodnight Dear Love.
1t is so common that every one humincd
the tune on leaving the theatre The music
throughout is rather trying. So is the
German; vet MERELY Mary Ann" and
Eleanor Robson made highly favorable
impression. Tho play ought to become
very popular