New-York tribune., 1907-11-24
THE DRAMA.
THE MORALS OF MARCUS.
CRITERION THEATRE.

The new play, called The Morals OF Marcus"
which was produced the Criterion Theatre
November Is, has entered on career that promises
continuance. It is fimsy fabric but 1t contains
two or three effective situations, together with
some dialogue that is piquant and amusing. 1t pur
ports to tell story of actual life but it is replete
with Improbable, if not impossible Incidents. and
therefore, while IL interest at the start, It
dsappOints expectation before the close No
girl OF eighteen, whether reared in Syria any
where else, could be such a complete simpeton as
the girl CaTotta is represented to be. The scene
involving Hamdi Effendi Is ridiculous IT would be
only necessary to bundle such intruder out OF
the house turn him over to the nearest police
man. Sir Marcus could not possibly have re-
mained, for eight years, for one. in igno
rance OF the passionate attachment of his cousin
Judlth-a woman whose character would be abhor
rent. if her treacherous conduct could be
deemed possible. Pasquale. after his outrage
and despicable treachery toward Sir Marcus, in
aaducting the girl and his villanous desertion of
her, would never have sought the baronet's
presence, but the contrary, would have
taken special to keep out of his way.
II is quite possible, the other hand. that
young beautiful, ingenious girl, absolutely artless
and thrown. by hardship by cruel chance, upon
the merces of the world might awaken compass
sion in the heart of slightly cynical intellectual
good fellow, absorbed in his books and his studies
and that his compassion might gradually become a
tender interest, and rpen into love the girl
would have ba vastly different from the vacuous
creature impersonated by Miss Marie Doro, an ac
tress whose kittenlike friskiness IS nonotonous
frivolity whose elocuton is a strdulous bleat and
who does not possess either intrinsic fascination
or the force that once at least is requisite-when
the piteous waf turns her betrayer and declares
her innocence. The most that can, yet, be said
for Miss DoTo is that she with agility and
grace and that, Carlotta, she does Indicate the
forlorn helplessness of childhood. The acting in
this representation Of The Morals of Marcus is
provided chiefly. by Mr.. Aubrey Smith, of those
correct capable. neatly expert and quite colorless
English actors, with whom the stage, OF late years.
has been literally supplied Ease OF demeanor, pre-
cslon of method and delivery of brittle speeches
are the conspicuous attributes of Mr.. Smiths i'm
personation of Sir Marcus Ordeyne. At the emo
uonal crisis. when the impassioned lover learns
that the girl has fled his vehemence Is that of the
artificial "old stager Grief, IN nature expresses
itself In the face "the detected havor OF the vis-
age" the wandering step. the mute collapse of be-
ing not in paroxysm. Miss Beatrice Forbes Rob
ertson should be credited with an earnest, judicous
and to extent successful endeavor to invest
with natural feeling and sympathetic charm odI-
type OF feminine meanness. selfshness, and de-
ceit y sprightly. garrUlous French servant is
markably we'll acted by Alice Gale. There is enough
OF movement and incident in the play to excite and
sustain the interest of audience and the attend
ance has been good, all the week. W. W.