The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-07-12
FaVorS for COUSIN Kate. y
A New Comedy Which Is Much APP
proved in London.

A New Comedy Which Is Much APP
proved in London.
Nearly all the London critics unite
in a chorus of praise over Cousin
Kate" the new comedy by the latest
new dramatist, Hubert Henry Davies,
which has Just been produced IN the
Haymarket Theater. Their delight, ap-
parently. is in the manner rather than
than the matter OF it.
The author. indeed. has chosen a
| theme which is as simple as it is old
A sentimental and rather shallow mind
ed little Puritan, on the eve Of her
marriage. has quaTreled with her lover
and dismissed him. on account of the
! levity with which he treated matters
| which she deemed Of vital Importance.
Cousin Kate. a brilliant woman of the
world, is summoned TO heal the breach,
| and, meeting the recreant bridegroom
| on the road, falls in love with him, as
he does with her. Later on, after for
NAL introductions and explanations. the
pair realize that duty stands in the way
of their happiness, but after the neces-
sary interval of indecision and anxiety
! the Puritan maiden decides that she
will be happier with a sympathetic Gu
rate and all difficulties are solved in a
double wedding.
Pleasantly and Joy.
Evidently the freest possible use is
made in all this both of convention and
of coincidence, but the general effect
| seems TO have been one of great fresh
ness and humor.
For instance, the London Times II
a rare mood Of enthusiasm. saws: For
years and years the English stage has
been looking for a writer of joyous com
edy, and last night-it sounds too good
to be true, and anyhow il must be said
with all sorts Of reservations-the Eug-
fish stage found what It had been look
ing for. Comedy writer's. of one sort
OF another, our stage does not lack
Mr. Barrie is a writer of comedy. His
comedy is brilliantly intellectual. iron
ical satirical; or it is engagingly sim
pie and pleasantly roguish But il is
not joyous. We have writer's of com
edy. writer's vastly inferior to Mr. Bar
RE. but writer's who do. after their
kind. produce comedy. But it is not
joyous.
Joyous comedy is what our stage has
been seeking for so long. the comedy
not of ideas or social satire or worldly
wisdom. but OF the lighter emotions
the lighter emotions gayIy aroused and
q cr~n oh
still think. found what it wants in
Cousin Kate"
A Gift of Dialogue.
ut needed a great deal of dramatic
instinct" says Mr.. Archer in the Lon
don World" Ito make such a delightful
entertainment out Of such a very slight
theme. and one. moreover, so -bristling
with improbabilities.
And where lies the secret of Mr.. Da-
vies' success? Not In any manipulative
dexterity. but simply in his power Of
persuading US that Heath Desmond and
Cousin Kate are quite exceptional and
exceptionally delightful characters. to
whom the rules OF common SENSE and
common probability do not apply. We
really do feel that they are made for
each other, and that the world will be
poorer If the flower OF happiness which
could not but spring from the compan-
ionship Of two such congeniaI spirits
should, by perverse destiny, be uipped
in the bud.
Moreover, Mr.. Davies has quite a re-
markable giff OF dialogue Critics, /
see. are comparing him to this play
wright and that. possibly with Justice;
but the combination OF brightness
with naturalness in his dialogue IS
peculiarly his own"
Through Technical Eyes.
Another commentator writes: ut
worl7 20 co7v sp~v~h e. nick LoI--
in Cousin Kate on purely technical
grounds. 10 quarrei WITH the TIM.
OF plot and discursiveness of treatment
But when the general impression Is one
OF unalloyed pleasure. when one has
spent so entirely agreeable an evening in
watching a little comedy in thr lives
OF five perfectly natural and wholly de-
nghtful characters, and when one re-
members not only the unforced wilt
and humor. but also the truth of char
acterization with which Mr.. Davies has
worked out his ingenious little story.
TO cavil would be captious to the last
degree"
A fourth writer says: THE second
work by Mr.. II. II. Davies shows that
Mrs. Gorringe's Necklace is not an ac-
cidental success; he is clearly a force
TO be reckoned with, but whether for
good or evil l cannot say He has the
gift Of Captain MarshaIl-the power OF
writing witty and pretty dialogue ap-
parently without an effort and the gift
Of inventing neat little pieces of bust
ness. Indeed, / doubt whether any one
would have guessed that Cousin Kate
was not from the pea o. M. Davies
predecessor. lie exhibits the same