New-York tribune., 1906-04-22
BARRIE'S RECREATIONS
H Triple Bill, scith Burlesqpe of
Mr.. Bernard Sha10's Methods.

LONDON, April g.
Mr. Frohman for once has been more subtle
than the whimsical Mr. Barrie He has made
IN "a triple biIl'' at the Comedy Theatre. which
fmparts unity and conference TO two rather unin-
teIligible fantasies by the popular playwright.
The stage managers cleverness in preparing his
programme was misunderstood IN advance as
an admission of weakness With two new pieces
by Mr. Barrie why should 1t be necessary to
provide a third from another hand curtain
raiser? The inference drawn by suspicious
critics was that Mr.. Frohman considered the two
little Barries less characteristic and more trivial
than play goers would be justified IN expecting
them to be from the freshness and charm OF his
previous work. II was not until the evenings
entertainment had ended that the stage man
ayers art In putting the three pieces together
was disclosed. Mr.. Barrie had written bit or
topsyturvydom TO illustrate the decline Of the
oldtime serious drama through the audacious In
yasion Of the New Man. bent upon talking poll
tics and engaging in controversy over side issues;
and he had also prepared a burlesque fantasy OF
Mr. Bernard Shaw's art The effect OF parable
and example would obviously be emphasized II
both were preceded by a stirring bit Of melo-
drama such as the galleries loved IN their
primitive state Of untutored ignorance before
Mr. Shaw attempted TO convince them that
epigrams and smart talk were more exhilarating
than genuine emotion. SO the entertainment
began with oldtime serious drama with drum
beat and thrill and ended with political
troyersy more or less discursive; and midway
was the parable denoting the passing OF the
traditions of the stage and the irresistible
rush of the new. talkative dramatist- Clever
Mr. Frohman. 70 put one thing with another and
10 work out In orderly succession the power. the
decline and the renascence OF the drama In the
course Of a single evening.
The curtain raiser IN this mimic triiosy was
."rhe Drums OF Dude" a military drama IN a
single act by Mr.. Austin Strong. The motive
was a familiar one drawn from OF the
most heroic and dramatic periods OF English
hlstory-the Indian mutiny. An interior Of a
palace. occupied by British troops in the spring
OF 1851 was represented in the stage picture;
and the coming revolt was denoted by the
treacherous approaches Of Sepoy servants. the
increasing anxiety OF the officers in command
and the ominous undertone OF the mutineers'
drums. Rescuers were secretly summoned and
the garrison prepared for defence: and
dread OF what was coming was concealed when
there was a sweetheart and sister TO save. while
the Sepoys were making their maddening on
rush and the fuse lighted for blowing up
the magazine AT the last moment the situation
was explained in a few tragic sentences. and the
woman brave as the officer I'm command took
her place beside her lover to face eternity with
him: and the Highland pipes were heard the
drums OF Dude senced. the rescuers
rushed in and the magazine not fred II
IS the old stage business with direct appeal
to patriotic pride and II goes well as ever
How can IL be otherwise when Mr.. Matheson
Lang enacts with frInness and fine realism the
part OF the gallant Captain MacGregor. and Miss
Mabel Hackney vividly portrays the courage and
devotion OF the heroine? Old fashioned drama
It may be. but II has power and touches English
men. who cannot be reminded too often that
their soldiers In times OF storm and stress ara
intrepid and ehivalrous and their sweethearts
and sisters loyal and brave. This rsniniscence
OF Delhi and Lucknow was welcomed with par
tcular gusto on a night when the audience had
been reading the detailed reports OF raging
in the Scots Guards. because a subaltern had
the itch and was negligent In the use of a
toothbrush.
The toy tragedy. Punch" came next a. sn