Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-10
THE THEATER.
New National Theater.

The notorious Mr.. Pinero exploited rev
more OF his bedraggled moral specimens at
the New National Theater last night. The
play Iris has been seen In New York ana
it's success there was SO great as to encour-
age its promoters to offer it to the Amer
lean public. Some people like to go sum-
ming without the inconvenience OF contact
with the actual sQualor or tawdry garish-
ness with which the unfortunate types OF
humanity are surrounded. For these IT'S
offers congenial opportunities.
Mr.. Pinero, with a lack Of originality I'M
worthy of his literary talents, permits MIN
self to be credited with the assertion that
he does not write plays for young per-
sons"
Young person, a word with you. Do
not imagine that this sneering lntlmalion
that you are not wanted Is due TO an eIois
to close against you the doors which ieao
to piquant and alluring mysteries. II Is
really due to an honest fear that you VIII
be shocked and more or less bored 1ou
would not understand the social types wiz. ~
which the playwright deals; you would lack
the pathetic sophistication which IS one VI
the heaviest penalties exacted by the years,
that melancholy philosophy which ADMITS
the possibility of all things shame1ul OF re-
pulsive and Is stirred to contemptuous pHy
rather than resentment by the efforts OF some
boor, literary or conversational, to optruoe
them upon the attention OF their associates
You, young person, are the best OF crltiSs.
Your relentlessness is more feared than the
egotism Of the professional pen, ana the
sense of moral responsibility which you
inspire in playgoers, and thus indirectly III
playproducers, Is one OF the most whore
some corrective influences that can sur
round the theater. So long as the young
person can command the respect Wnlcn
compels the playwright to hang out his own
danger signal, there is no need 10 gro"
hysterical and call for the police
n x,
lem play. 1t suggests no argument, put Is
merely the picture Of social type WHICH
is so frequent as to be commonplace IL
needs all of Mr.. Pinero's wit, all the ener.
eies of an unusually competent cast OF
players, all the cunning of the modlste anc
all the craft Of the scene painter ana tne
furniture builder to prevent the play from
being merely an exhibition OF 1nane DE.
pravity. There are some very bright bits Of
dialogue scattered through the piece, ana
the dramat tic interest is well sustained MISS
Harmed does some of the very best Work OF
her career in this play. Her performance
displays an emotional strength which Wouid
be more gratifying If addressed to higher
purpose However Objectionable the selec-
ton of the subject may be, there Is no oe-
nying the thoroughness OF her art. MT.
Henry Jewett has the role of Maldonado,
which he performs with great force and IN
telligence.
Clean and exact as is the literary express
sion of the play, 1t has neither the poetic
be requisite to constitute reasonable apol-
ogy for its existence.
The police department recently received
an anonymous letter characterizing Iris
as a Grammatical sewer" and as lone of
the foulest plays ever enacted" repre-
sentative of the District government at
tended the performance last night. Inc
play is not regarded as within the inhibi-
ton of the law. The only law touching on
the subject is police regulation which Is
addressed to the prevention Of plays where
in any person conducts himself or herself
in an indecent manner or sings any song
obscene or indecent in character, or takes
part In any song, act. farce or play In
which any person makes any indecent mo-
ton, sign or movement, or makes any indie
cent gestures, or exhibits himself or her
self in a manner offensive to common de-
cency, or wherein anything shall be pre-
scented or exhibited which Is offensive to
common decency.
So clever a craftsman as Pinero would Of
course not lay himself liable to any such
direct charges.