New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-10-30
LONDON DRAMA
RI. PinerO's Doll IN Comedy With
OFT Disguise.
LONDON. October Il

With Ianciiu ourlesIae on old fashioned pan
sruliu'e. and he was followed by Mr.. Henry
sTthur Jones in The ChevaIIer," with IN &C.
uentrlc comedy part overacted by Mr.. Bour-
cher Mr.. Pinero Is now charged with falling
under the influence OF Mr. Barrie and writing
fantastie comedy for the entertainment Of play
Eosgs who are weary OF earnest drama: but
me eyl5ence OF imitation is not convincing. "A
wife Without a Smile" is not a fantasy Ike
"Ths Admirable Crichton." nor a social traves-
y like Little Mary" nor an oldtime sentimental
SOulanOe like Quality Street" II may be satire
or Nj. Bsrrie's work as z playwright. The toys
and dancing dou suggest vaguely the babies in
the boxes exhibited in the opening act OF 1T
ue Mary" ana John PuIlinger. who prescribes
a sudden shock IS Z stimulus 20 undeveloped
huuor and brings a radiant smile 20 the mourn
ful face Of Mrs RiprlngIn. cay be csricature
o. the little champion Of dieting. The rem
trIscences are evanesceut, and need MT be seri-
ously considered. II Mr.. Pinero be a satirist
IN this play the London audience. rather than
IFS fellow playwright. is the victim OF his art.
There are uercless drives Al Ibsen. book re-
viewers the Royal Academy. successful authors
sn5 dramatic critics. but these are incidental.
like the outbreak against the split indnitive.
The satire is SO subtle that q good deal OF it
does not so over the footlights, and it is so Bit
tsr that II spells the fun of the evening.
slr Pinero calls this play "A comedy N dis
grise." The only thing concealed is the satire.
This IS 70 be found IL Tie method OF treatment
rather than the text the scenes or the charac-
ters. The playwright seems 10 stand before the
footlights with hooking leer. and 10 say with
cynical glee. y have written artistic drama
series Of earnest plays dealing with life. emotion
and character-aud the public inds my work
TOO strong and ITenchanL II does not want 10
think deeply about anything. II Graves amuse-
rnent and goes 10 theatres where il can laugh
easily and thoughtlessly. Wei. III show people
how readily can entertain them in their own
way III hang up 2 doll and set everybody
laughing over IFS gyrations. Every curtain shall
tsu with the doh dancing in the air. and the
play shall end when this object lesson in mod
err hunlor Is removed with knife. The dear.
stupid public which is incapable Of approaching
resl drsma. shall have a nice lot Of playthings
and find out that the doh is made Of sawdust.
and when The snow is over every one viii under
stand how true is Buuyan's line: That which
did MOI g little amuse the merchandisers was
that these pilgrims set very light by al their
Wsres'~
Ta.s speech vas not made when the curtain
fell on the opening night az Wyndham's Theatre.
bur il would have supplied an Ineligible cpl
logUe 10 confused and boisterous entertain
1ent There had been family party at a river
the Riupingtl household had been revealed. The
husband had . sense Of humor, and while he
laughed fmmode-ately over his own jokes craved
fhe encouragement OF smile from Mrs. Rip
p3ngII she was 2 wife without q smile. and
three devices we're employed 70 stimulate her
sense o. humor. A stock Of toys was ordered
from town. & doIl. connected with the leg Of
sota II the room above, was suspended from the
ceiling: and the announcement was made that
Rtppinsirs cecree Of divorce from his first wife
hsc rot heen legally obtained. She stared in be-
Vl1erment at the playthings; and she did not
sn2ils when The doll danced 10 the piping OF
Tebbnarsh. who was kissing his wife instead
o. writing beck review But when she learned
The truth that she was not legally married and
was free 10 take her lover. Vivian Trood her
face was radisnr with smiles. She had had
keeneT sense Of humor than his own, and had
been bored with his silly jests and practical
.okes. and the legal bubble over the decree uisi
c1ered her prospect Of release. AS she
gained her enjoyment of 4 joke, he lost his own,
and could not laugh when the dancing doll regis
tered her eirtarion with the artist. His spirits
We're not restored until his wife came back 10
Aim out Of a feeling Of spite for the woman with
whom he YVES thinking Of running away. After
these farcical arrangements had been made
Euc one actor had done some high kicking for
no definite purpose, ana another had been mas
queraCing as aiIllsssIy. IN goggles and long fur
eoaL the doh was cut down
Tie dulL thoughIess public has its doll, with
& Sill parody Of the Conventional plot and with
Tie satisfactory ending. which the galleries de-
manc. I can laugh ~ the dol as noisily as
chil1ren al a Punch and JUDY show, and there
ne matter ends Tie comedy in disguise contains
several droU situations z little brilliant phras-
ne AID Eco5 deal OF forced hufnor Of an acrid
neFor There is little 10 laugh at. except the
CO.. and b. the end OF TWO hours The specta-
tor Is vel as the wife Is without = smile. Mr..
F-nero IS The only one capable Of enjoying the
situation from beginning TO end. for he is
concentrating with sa-donic glee how little
Auuor is req ired for public entertainment If
rlaygosrs grow weary Of laughing at the doll
they can be convuIsed with m=lriment over
iIetr oEn puerile folly n being entertained by
Ne drama % the time. Therein lies perhaps
'ne concealed comedy, that they are expected
N JOIN The author in laughing AZ themselves for
watching a doll when the old stagehand pulls
me wires behind the scenes Few audiences like
us method Of finding fun Al the fair There
- prevailing preference in favor OF getting en-
Hfislln.e-t cut Of the actors on the stage
'Alner than the people IN the stalls. This is a
-eiGra- feeling Nhen the playwright and the
e'io1s are paid for their services in amusing
III stal and galleries. Topsy turveyoom comes
Naeh the spectators are asked 70 smile SYM
peiheticaiiy when q reseatful playwright takes
MS revenge for neglect OF his serious drama by
rigging up ooh with sswdust in II and prov
'ag how dU.L inartistic and silly they
me actors. being selected and trained by NJ
F-nero himself. the best theatrical coach IN
AendoE, we're coEaD~tent 10 support the dancing
COL The best performance was that Of Mss
-rFFa 10