The Washington herald., 1907-11-10
NEW YORK THEATERS.

4
New York. Nov. s.-The day after
The Right OF Way was presented for
the first time on Wallack's stage-that
is to say, Tuesday mornIng-you could
have read almost any opinion regarding
its merits. from Alan Dale, who had
hardly anything but censure 10 bestow
upon II. 10 William Winter, who praised
II highly. The reader may gather from
this that Eugene Presbys adaptation
OF Sir Gilbert Parker's powerful novel is
hardly more than a success d'estime.
AS IL is not a big, emphatic hit. the
best that can be reasonably hoped for
it is that its strong individual scenes
and the excellent acting Of Guy Standing
and Theodore Roberts will mitigate the
impression of Inconsistency and incon-
sequence. which are more or less Obtru-
siyely manifest.
IL is story Of a man who loses his
identity as the result Of blow on the
head, and it links together in an effec-
tive narrative way the destiny OF two
men as widely different in temperament
and ambition as night and day-Charles
Steele. a brilliant but dissipated lawyer.
and Joe Portugais, the murderer who
narrowly escapes the galioWs through the
other mans professional acumen
Mr.. Standing plays Steele. the dissolute
infdel and brilliant legal genius Of the
Montreal bar, and distinguished himself
In the part by his direct force and TO
mantle vigor. Mr. Roberts portrayed
by methods equally impressive, the strong
contrast Of character afforded by a man
Of such primitive instincts as the sunk
en- creature POrtugais yet who rises 10
something like herOism in consecratIng
his life 70 the stricken lawyer who be-
friended him in the hour OF need.
As those must know who have read
the book. Steele I'm the course of a de-
bauch among the rOwdy voyagers Of the
Cote Darian, is struck on the head, loses
consciousness. and aWakes 10 a new ex-
istence Of sober usefulness as another
man. The past is a blank. and all that
took place therein IS effaced from the
memory In the new life he loves Ro-
sale. who In turn loves and trusts him
and shares in her devotion with Portu-
gals.
As IN the story. the dark chapters Of
his past life are opened through a sue
cessful trepanning operation. but unlike
the deposition made Of the hero by the
novelist. who lets him die in the wilder
ness as an act Of self-immolation 10 his
love for Resale. Mr.. Presby sends him
out into the world by the side OF his
faithful Portugais, and leaves US small
CLEAN Of hope that some day he wiz re-
turn. and Rosalie and ne VIII be q hap
py pair.
This end is a concession 20 she fnical
public. and does no great violence 90 the
laws Of probability. Il may even help
10 make the play popular, for II one can
overlook certain crudities. IL is an in
terestlng play, and Is excellently staged
and admirably acted Sundry Of the
commentators went far afeld 10 find
examples of this theme employed in
previous plays-that Is. the case OF a
man who lives through q hiatus in his
( life wholly unconscious OF MS past bur
no one has hit upon the nearer affinity IN
a play by so well known a playwright as
/ Paul Lindau called "The Other" the
rights 20 which in this country were Sc
/ cured sometime ago though the play has
never been presented IN English.
After keeping his theater the Berkeley.
dark one whole week. Arnold DAILY re-
opened il Thursday night with COM
plete change Of programme. the bill com
prising two one-act plays with Jauanese
interlude by Nine Hanako. DAILY calls
his bandbox of playhouse the theater
Of ideas, and really. he comes nearer
fulfilling that promise than night be
expected II IS decidedly the Theatre
Antoine Of New York. and while YOU do
not see the best acting In New York. YOU
may be sure OF experiencing some new
sensations, and generally of being ad-
mirably entertained. The place was
crowded with a fashionable audience
Tuesday night. and in harmony with the
idealistic tendencies which Mr.. Dalv IS
asserting, you may be sure that every
one paid the price Of admission, for even
the press representatives laid down s.
for every seat they occupied.
Then another new idea was exploited.
When l entered a few minutes past 6.
[ the only other occupant of a seat was
a lady in the second row. began 10
/ feel lonesome. and then embarra ssed. One
never likes 20 be a lonely object Of
ridiculc by ones cynical friends. and I
feared that my search for an idea in
a theater had led me too FAR for honor
I
| the programme from beginning 10 end
/ that 1 discovered o'clock 10 be the
/ hour for the performance 20 begin IN
stead OF the conventional SIS When I
returned the fashionables were crowding
! IN, and I felt consoled for my daring.
The unusual hour set for the rise OF
/ the curtain convinced me that no matter
what hour you fix. there Will always be
/ late arrivals. and people blundered in
even after the first play was over
/ But 10 return 70 our mutton. The first
thing on the programme was After the
Opera" French piece OF one act and
/ three scenes. which created a sensation
/ in Paris. It deals with an Illicit love
/ affair between George Rouve DAILY and
Mime De Chenille CHelen Ware), the wife
of his friend and benefactor. who has
that very ~.-'';. az the opera. lent him
! 20,0O0 francs.
The scene IS the womans rich boudoir.
the husband having sent his valet for his
travelling bag 20 take the train for ar
other city. Georges conscience has be-
/ gun TO revolt under the deception prac-
I ticed upon the dishonored husband, and
/ declares his determination 10 put an end
+ TO the Illicit relationship He is about
\ to go when he hears footsteps on the
stairs. The guilty pair believe il is the
/ husband, and Nine. De Chenille prompts
/ The desperate young man 20 make his
escape By a window She turns out the
/ light. and a new scene is presented.
IL Is the wintry street without. with
/ two gendarmes discussing their hard lot
/ when a man IS seen 10 leap from the
window of a handsome residence. It is
/ George, who, compelled to stand and
/ explain, has no alternative but TO in
form his captors Of the truth At that