The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-04-16
"Kreutzer Sonata at
BelaScO and Shaw Play
at Columbia.

Tho best play Of the year indeed. the
best play Of several years. has come to
the National this week. IL IS The Hyp-
ocrites." written by Henry Arthur
Jones. produced by Charles Frohman
and played by a company that is thor
oughly competent. even to its humblest
member. The curious part Of 1t is that
on a theme as old as the theater itself
one that Mr.. Jones himself has used
effectively before nOw-with a handF Il
of absolutely conventional types, me
English dramatist should have produced
a play that really Is a play; a melo-
drama that is yet an absolutely absorb
ing drama.
1t is the old story Of the woman sin
ned against and SHINING. the weak young
man, son Of ambitious parents. about
to marry wealth and position. the up
right high-principaled young Curate-
Ihey are all there. all as old as the
everlasting hills; all. In the final aualy-
SIS. as new as next week-or next year
or so far as one can judge. as the
year Zoo. But they are combined into
tremendously vital and absorbing
play, magnihcentiy played by a com
pany that for fiawless adjustment Of
pared with Mrs. FIske's.
on. it's not a pleasant play. All OF
the characters. with the possible excep-
tons Of the baronet and his daughter.
and the curate, are hypocrites-just the
sort Of conventional hypocrites we meet
every day. just the sort Of conventional
hypocrites we. except for one hypoc-
risy. would probably own ourselves 10
be. The play is a meIodrama, but it
IS also biting satire on the blind gem
eralizing that is comforting. when ap-
Piled TO some one else. but highly dis
concerning as applied TO ones self. It
deals body blows 10 the self-compla-
cent holier-than-thou attitude.
There has been considerable tvyaddle
as TO the morality of the play. Is a
sermon morale One may perhaps criti-
else its overfrankness. The young per
son who goes there alone with another
young person Of the opposite sex will
probably have moments OF embarrass-
ment. That fact being duly set forth the
young person viii undoubtedly hasten
to buy her a seat. The cry against the
harmless policy Of calling a spade a
spade Is ever on the lips Of the prudish
public. But the fact remains that the
influence Of such dramas as 1.-THE
HypOCrites" is certainly for good. They
preach more powerful sermon than
IT has ever been my privilege TO hear
from the pulpit
And yet, be it understood at once, this
Is no preachmen. 1t IS a playa vital,
gripping, powerful play, and vitality and
powerfully played. The cast is of eX-
cepuOnal bTilliancy. W. II Tsnuy. as
Ine Rev Edward Daubeny. and Helen
Tracy. as Mrs. Blaney, come periously
close 10 caflcature at times, bU- apart
from them one scarcely knows where
10 begin with appreciation, for there is
no room for criticism.
1t Is said that AIR. Jones wrote the
play as means OF introducing TO the
American public his talented sOn-in-laW,
Leslie Faber. And since Mr.. Faber is
company, let him have first place
lie plays the curate, the hero OF the
play, and plays him most artigtically
It is the sort of tOo-goOd- -be-true part
that easily becomes tiresOme. That Mr..
Faber holds the interest from curtain
TO curtain speaks much for his art. He
plays his curate with a simple direct
manliness. He brings good looks and
= winning personality to the part, and
makes his young clergyman man even
before he is a minister. absolutely de-
void of fanaticism and cant, but true
as a die to principle.
Doris Keane does as much for Rachel
Neve as Leslie Faber does for the
CuTslte- The suffering heroine is apt to
be rather tireSOme person, but Miss
keane saves her from commonplaceness
and makes her the pathetic and appeal !
Ing figure she is meant TO be. She
plays with almost perfect sincerity and /
poise and dignity. and with unusual in
teiligence and appreciation of values.
Jessie MtlWard plays the conventional /
society WOman-c0Ol. VindictiEe, CaiCu-
latiag, apparently heartless-but makes
the role sympathetic by showing the /
love for her son, that Il is
after all her ambition for him that
blinds her She prevents the character /
rom being merely scheming, selfish |
minded woman.
Arthur Lewis gives a really magnifi- /
cent portrait of the old family lawyer, |
PRACTICAL, INSCRIPTIONS in the service Of /
his clients, fairly eXuding the Odor of I
parchment Richard Bennett does the 1
spineiess son, and. does some very good |
work in an unsympathetic part. j. II. /
Barnes is capital as the hypocritical /
aWyer. Viva Birkett IS entirely at /
recty wholesome English girl with a i
normal development of character and 1
conscience. and John GIendennfne is 4
exactly the sort of straightforward Eng (
iSh gentleman that ought to be father /
of such a girl.
Indeed. the whole cast is wonderfully /
competent They not only interpret Mr.. Z
ZONES really great drama-they refine 4
md intensity it. The maneuverine of
he characters is splendidIy suggested.
A look. a start, half-suppressed i'm
)ulSe, gesture. speak volumes. They
make of the play a pulsating slice taken
)ut Of life they leave the auditor. 1
when il is all over, limp as a rag from !
he contagion Of warning emotion. but