New-York tribune., 1903-10-20
LONDON DRAMA.
Mr. Pinero's Play of Bad Manners,
1cith Its Dubious Moral
London. Oct. 10.


reason IL his genius for dramatic construc
ton; another is his sense Of Character. but nar-
maps the strongest is his power Of reproducing
on the stage the energies. temptatio emo
tions and experiences of life His new pIav
Lefty" produced at the Duke of yorl,s Tbea-
tire this week, deals with the sanna ,airf,,i e,,r
ject as Iris his previous work namely the
temptations to which handsome Young women
are exposed when they are reduced by poverty
10 the oTest straits. The conclusion is a diff
ferent one The girl instead Of beinp turned
into the street in disgrace while her resentful
lover snashes the furniture in 4 vhirlxind of
passion escapes through sudden appeaI to his
rragnanimity. and finally u1arrias an old ac
quaintance Of humble birth who had lent
money 10 her when she sorely needed it It is
a commonplace and sordid story. with no better
moral than thiT-that pretty girls ought not to
look aooVe their own class. but marry within
it, even if there be no more available suitor
than an eccentric, good natured photographer.
Nevertheless. 1t has the breath OF life-albeit
the tainted breath Of foul and degenerate life
and is intensely dramatic, with q powerful sit
Uation in the fourth act and with fine oppor-
tunities for effective acting. The dramatic
critics do not venture to describe it as a great
play, but they agree in saying that only Mr..
Pinero could have written it and that his power
playwright has not declined
So unpleasant story may best be told brief
ly. Lefty is the daughter of a defaulting So
icitor and clerk in a bucket shop where she
has attracted the admiration Of Vaudeville one
OF the partners and a most brutal and vulgar
cad. She is also on friendly terms with Letch-
mere, well born debauchee. who is not in d
position to marry her. since he has q wife, but
has neglected to mention the fact In the first
act Letchmere entertains her and two Of her
friends at his rooms. and is warned by Mande-
vile that the truth about IFS marriage Will be
disclosed unless he promises ''to keep off the
grass" The intruder is dismissed insoently,
and an appointment is made for another birth
day party at Hilda Cummings, and sealed with
a kiss This appointment is kept in the second
act on the roof Of the lodging house, where Let
ty is receiving the congratulations Of her fellow
lodgers. a commercial traveller. an insurance
agent and photograp pher from all OF whom she
has borrowed money. Letchnere startles her
with a confession that he is already mar
ried and with a proposal that she shall take the
brutal ruffan, Vaudeville, as her husband. HUI
inflated by the failure of her schemes, for she
has been dressing smartly and living beyond
her means in the hope of marrying Letchmere,
she accepts reluctantly MandeviHe's coarse.
overbeartng offer Of marriage. The third act
brings together at a cafe Letchmere, who has
been dining with a married sister. Mrs. Crosbie,
and Mandeville's party from the lodging house,
who have been celebrating his engagement by
a night at the Alhambra. The two rivals are
spurred by jealousy. and Letchmere asks
Lefty TO meet him that night at his rooms. In
the fourth act she agrees TO live with Letchrnere
rather than marry the repulsive Vaudeville. A
messenger suddenly brings in a note from his
sister confessing that she has left her husband
and eloped with a lover. Warned by this reve-
Iation Of the degenerate Letchuere stock. Lefty
snatches her hat and coat and begs him to let
her go, and with passionate embrace they sep
arate. The epilogue supplies the seGuel-her
marriage TO the good natured photographer.
A more cynical and pessimistic study Of Eng
Hsh life. high and low can hardly be imagined
than this play offers. The Letchmeres are rep
resented as a well born family Of degenerates,
incapable Of resisting evil and corrupting ten
dencies. The married sister is eulogized by the
rake as the only honest one among them, and
she falls from grace as soon as her brother
protection is rnomentarily withdrawn Letch-
mere himself has barely enough good feelng
remaining in his shrunken heart TO ailo" MS
victim to escape when she is appalled, by his de
nunciation Of his sister and himself, and IN the
epilogue he is q physical wreck going down
under stress Of consumption. Mandevil!e, the
rich bucket shop proprietor. with his coarse
ness vu1e..rity and buster, is creature 50 des-
-tcable that an honest marriage with him be-
.or7ee iy77rossibe after the pitiable and lovable
LEFTY has been engaged 10 him for few hours
The two rivals are strongly contrasted, ana so
also are the girls intimate companlons-1he
vfrtuous and independent Marion Alaroyce'
who seeks TO protect and save Lefty. and the
sensual ana vulgar Hida Cunning who enVles
her for every opportunity for wrong dong en-
courages her in degradation. and in the eplIosue
erDerges triumphant strident and overoeafihg
in sban,elessness Lefty herself is superior to
her surroundings. and while she DoIfo"s money
from her good-natured fellow lodgers the Pho
tographer. the insurance agent and the com
reroiaI traveller. despses them until she IS con-
,-inced that the fates are against her, and that
she win be safer and more comfortable II she
remains among people Of her own station Even
7ra three dodgers with all their delicate con-
stderation for a pretty girl who persisted III
dressing too well and running into dent nave
the common taiut Of vulgarity, and take acVah-
tage Of the engagement supper 70 adVertIss
their business and solicit patronage from a
wealthy bIaCkguard. Mr.. Plnero seems 10 lho
only the weak spots il human character and 70
enlarge them. Brilliant as his WORK as
,.r.,-7,-rirrt undoubtedly IS, and intensely in
,eres+ing as his dramas Invariably are from
sku in construction and character drawing' the
-fgbt minded spectator goes away from such
NAV as Lefty" with depressing feeling that
whatever is is wrong.
Mr. Pinero writes plays for actors and per-
sonaIy coaches them in the Interpretation OF
tis characters. Lefty" was most brilliantly
rro5,ced at the Duke Of Yorks and the acting
-,as Of the highest order. Miss Irene Vanbrugh
ss the heroine played with sureness Of method
and fine variety. 1t was a most vivid and
realistic representation, with moments OF great
emotional power. and the transition from the