The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-05
PLAYBILLS OF A BUSY WEEK.
CLj M FITCH AND "THE WOMAN
IN THE CASE"
"HlrOufhcart" and the Old Conventional
Comedy DrainS-The problem Of Marry
rlinE m ndlan"Friquct" and the
Modern Museum of Drama Tic Mummles.

rNinE Nh lndlan-"Friquct' and the
Modern Museum of Drama tic Mummles
In one respect and IN une respect only
The WOInnn In the Case Is distinct ad-
yance over anything MIR. Clyde Fitch has
hitherto done, it is the sustained and logi-
cal working ont OF Il theine-a whole made
up OF rn eton and consistent series Of
ra1s linked together SO "a TO produce the
eject Of zone increasing purpose finally
achieved
Hitherto. etcn az his beat and that
j. the best the American drama has yet at
tanned his play give. on the ultimate
analysis the impression Of more or less ef-
lective pntchworS Certain passages, oven
acts entire. are AZ interee ling in substance
~ flushed in form, "A Pinefp and Jones
Mt their best aud every bit az individual
and authentic The scene on the Atlantic
liner in tho fist act cot The SUtbonness
of Geraiiine" j. a little masterpiece of
genre pitrrng IA iresstibly comic as
it IL freshly vegaciou. But how trivial,
how artificial the rest uf the play, The
first act OF Barbara Frietch.o" the gossip
ing Of old peopla and the phiandering OF
Young nv the front porch r'laNation Of an
American ,iagc evening j. fun OF what
recent critic m Rochester paper happily
called -opalesceut witohery Never has
this simple and characteristic aspect OF
American life been lrelthed so fun of the
atmosphere Of poetic eHehgHtHlent. But
the stark emotionalism. the crude melo-
dramatics OF the rest Of the play The
frst act Of The Climbers" ia informed
with a spirit of hitinvly vrracous satire
that suggests Henry Becque ia his pioneer
masterpiece Of realism Lies CorbeauI."
aud has a comic force that eurpasses H.
As drama the third act Of The Climbers
"a equally consummate, with its dignified
intensity OF passion, working out so simply
and SO logically amid the eleighbells and
the falling snow Of a winter afternoon at
the Hermitage The third net OF The
Girl With The Green Eyes is masterpiece
of dramatic effect. arising simply and inev
iiably out Of acutely observed and intensely
felt feminine character Inasmuoh as pure
drama is more momentous than genre
comedy and third acts more important
than frsts. these two plays arc the best
Mr.. Fitch Inns given us. Yet they, too,
considered as whole compositions were
arbitrary and Fictitious. as was seen In
the falling of OF the final acts.
The Woman in the Case cannot be
dignihed by the name Of either comedy or
drama Like the plays Of Sardou, 1t Is
the nero theatric telling of a story-melo-
drama, If you will But IL is also like the
plays of Sardou In being n story told with
consummate theatrio emphasis and form.
Comedy characters it has, but they are
incidental always not thrust into the fore
ground In & manner which throws the play
as a whole out of focus. They are str7lct- |
ural part OF the story. The picture of /
supper party in Tenderloin fiat has an .
incisiveness Of detail and a characteristic |
truth of atmosphere, even to the paper on |
the wall. that at the rising OF the curtain |
called forth n shout Of recognition from /
the men in the audience and filed the |
breasts of the women with a questioning !
dsq,Iet at their mrth. Some OF the women,
that is There are others who looked about |
in wonder at what it was in this common
place scene that caused such laughter.
The photographs of two groups of college |
athletes offered partial explanation Of /
why the metropolitan university has not (
been rema rkable for consistent and effective
training But these we're the sensations
Of n moment. In another instant the
whole house was plunged into the excited
suspense Of third act that il already
famous.
1t ia In only one matter that the play
fails to qualify as drama, but that Is a matter
II moment Characterization Mr. Fitch
has drawn his men and women. it is true,
with his accustomed ecuteness of obser-
vation IA regards tho hero and heroine.
with n wholesome directness. simplicity
md yirility OF tone Of which no has only
II late years learned The secret Yet the
l.
characters l.ut on the story in which they
move The character delineation Of hero,
heroine aud lady villain has it's origin,
not in any general idea of life, any criu-
ism ON lnluncrs and morals. but in the
r,r-stieS of the plot. 1t is this, and
100. the ultimate analysis ttlis only, that
distinguishes melodrama from drama In
ON Needless hearts we all instinctively
lelcve--;nd prefer to believe that virtue
* utterly white. villany utterly black.
Good wives are as unqucstioningly loyal
IN n,clodrnma d. they are questioningly
ioulou- IN farce and We applaud the blind
ness OF the one as robustly as we laugh at
he tortures Of the other Thus are popu-
10. stories made, No hero OF Third avenue
,u Eighth was ever more unfiaggingy
brave and true than Julian Rolfe. no heroine
than his wife Margaret. sincerely and truly
~ hotn are conceived. The villainess is as
utter Il monster OF degeneration ~ one misses
with viii on the outskirts Of Broadway
and II is here, if anywhere, that Mr.. Fitch
lla- allowed his melodramatics to become
untrue With a more human
villain tho story Of the suicides infatuation
would have been more plausible. The
effect is on the order Of the chromo-litho-
the French call ~ In
and drama, the informing spirit
of which il not a story but an idea, the
characters are almost never. like these
characters Of Mr. Fitch's cear-cut units,
seen in profile. Lake the men and women
Of our intimate acquaintance. they are
creatures of light and shadow good
qualities and the corresponding defects,
vices and their compensatng virtues.
In point Of effectiveness with an audience
there ia probably but one scene that can
with Mr.. fitch's great scene OF
the third act-the battle between Quoz and
Sophie az to whether or not the gay lord
shall marry an innocent and ingenious girl.
The matter at stake here is insignificant in