The Washington herald., 1907-01-13

on the Gotham D0aTus- ne Gifl " no
Has Everything" in which Eleanor
Robson has been appearing NJ the Liberty
for some six weeks. goes off next Satur-
day The two new plays are THE Truth,
with Clara BioOdgood, at the Criterion.
and The Straight Road" with Blanche
Walsh, at the Aston. They opened their
metropolitan career last Monday evening.
AS in The Woman in the Case" so
again It has been intimated that Theodore
Krener wrote THE Straight Road. There
IS reasonable ground for the presumption.
Can any one fancy Fitch. the dainty
analyst Of the female heart. befoullng
his Immaculate spats with the mire Of the
slums IN search Of types? Well, he has
gone stunning to some purpose in The
Straight Road and after the violet and
Jasmine which pervades the boudoir Of
Becky Warder in The Truth" our oil
factories are RECALLED with patchouH and
musk across the way in the Houston
street environment OF The Straight
Road"
This is the Il Assommoir" Of the day
in local color. il not in power. The ilrst
act might have been sketched BY Zola,
Tolstoi or perhaps Gorky, so boldly does
II trench on some scenes IN Resurrection
and The Night Asylum" 1t is the
story Of the moral resurrection Of "a
Houston street drab and trollop. But
stop,-let Us be just. Houston street re-
cords Mary OHara's chastity, though IN
everything else she has sounded The
depths OF degradation. When she is in
troduced in the settlement house in the
first act she might pose Tor one Of the
furies OF Greek tragedy. Drunk, dirty
and Gisreputable, she inspires a feeling ~
nausea Language issues from her lips
that would put the most extrayagant
slangmonger Of George AIDES creation 20
the blush. She comes on IN the very
climax Of a fight with Lazy Liz, escorted
by bluecoat. who tries IN vain 10 keep
the two vlXens from tearing their hair
out. and accompanied by n representative
neighborhood mob OF excited spectators
of the jamb0ree. 1t makes picture
seldom seen on The stage, and with little
OF the FEASIBILITY that makes for Il pro-
found object lesson.
The whole play IS 4 casual treatment
OF a revolving subject, showing ittle
power Of agination and leaving 40 pro
found impression. The dominant note IS
not one OF pity or sympathy, but rather
OF disappointing coaTseness. In "Resur-
rccti0n' We get humanity along with ths
filth OF Photographic realism. and its
tragic moments move you. To!stoi draws
the veil Of ldeality over the lives Of the
degraded human beings that he depicts.
Fitch had a noble object In view, out his
skill Is the skill OF the stage mechanism
rather than the student OF human nature,
and even the regeneration OF his heroine
falls TO reconcile one 10 the course ma
terial in which he undertakes 10 IN
press Us.
Her redemption comes through the Ct
forts Of Miss Thompson, wealthy young
woman and a prominent settlement
worker, who takes her 10 her beautiful
home on the Hudson, and iguratively
Strengthens out her moral nature Miss
Thompson loves Douglas Aines. Of the
settlement. and in the drawing of this
character we are justified IN believing
that Mr.. Krerler had no hand in the play
His villainy has the stamp OF Fitch's hall
mark too indelibIy impressed TO be de-
MED the credit Of its true paternity.
He tries TO seduce the girl, and when
surprised by his fancee in the act Of
attempting to kiss her. he charges Mol
with the assault. AIou knows nc other
way of proving the rascanty Of the EEL
low to her benefactress than 10 have
her come to her room in the city at a
certain hour. where she arranEes with
Aines, Under a pretext OF yielding 10 his
opportunities. TO meet her He comes.
bringing with him a flask OF whisky. and
proceeds 70 make violent love to the girl.
Her plans are mistimed. however and
she herself Is made 10 appear in the eyes
Of Miss Thompson and her sturdy lover.
BIZ Hubbell "a barkeeper), to be the
temptrcss. Miss Thompson turns her
back upon her, and Bill HubbeH discards
her. Desperate. the woman makes up her
mind 70 revert to her old life. She tears
the curtains from their hanginEs. rmashes
the furniture, and is about to attack the
bottle Of whisky. when her eyes fall upou
the picture Of the Madonna and the Christ
Child upon the wall. given her by Miss
Thompson. as the moonlight through the
light. and she is saved.
The device dates back to Men and
Women, but It serves it's theatric pur-
pose here, and is evidently the climax 10
which the events have been worked I'D
with deliberate design. In the last act
Mol proves her innocence, and though
Miss Thompson loses the lover so un-
worthy OF her. Mol RECEIVERS the sturdy
oarkeeper and promises to prove a good
wife 10 him as the last curtain fails.
Btl Hubbeil Is the best-drawn char
aeter tn the play, and is admirably played
by Charles Dalton As few plsvs from
Mr.. Fitch's workshop are perfect with
out child or two. he introduces a little
crippled lad in The Straight Road. !"
Dorothy Dorr. who played the bad woman
IN Miss Walsh's last play. reverses roles.
and acted Miss Thompson in very en-
gaging manner. The piece is well staged
and rather we'll played. Miss Walsh's de-
lineation Is neither sympathetic nor dy-
manic enough TO crown her with any de-
cided glory.
You will prefer the calmer spirit OF
The Truth" in which Clara BlOodSood
portrnys a devoted young wife, who. from
sheer idleness. drifts into little habits
Of cOqUetry with another man. and ex-
Treating herself from all difficulties
by an ingenious distortion of thu truth
The play Is misnamed In this regard.
Had Becky Warder told the truth and
nothing but the truth she would have
spared herself the experience through
which she Is obliged TO pass when she
separates from her husband and goes to
her father in Baltimore. But il that
event there would have been no play.
A sweet, soothing tone pervades the
whole complication. We are among we'll