The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-22
IN Il THEATRES
THE LION AND THE MOUSE"
AT THE NEWARK.
Rafting Good Vaudeville at shubert and
Proctor's-weird Play at Blaney's.
Chuck Connors at Columbia.

Charles Klein's 9TH Lion and the
Mouse" from q monetary standpoint, with
4 the single exception, perhaps, of another
play, s"rhe Music Master" by the same
author. the most successful American
dramatic production of the last decade.
began its second engagement at the New
ark Theatre last night. The play was
presented under the same suspicious cir
cumstances as n its first appearance
here. The two most important characters
ware IN the care of players who nave
been longest and most successfully en-
go ed in their Interpretation and the au-
dience was large, plainly interested ano
generous in expressing it's approval. 1hele
was every indication that the success
achieved by the play on its former pres
e~ntation here would be repeated IN an
the performances of the week.
AS to the play itself, we can only re-
neat what we have often before said IN
ibese columns. It has its merits, super
fetal though they be. It's third act cui-
inmates in a situation which oproVloeu
one can for the moment forget It's N
trinsic absurdity) IS potent TO sur enlhus
siasn1, and which partakes consloeraplS y
tie dramatic quality that comes IN ne
sbarn conflict of character. True, the
sation leading to 1t has proceeded not in
exarahlv from the characters themselves,
hpt arhitra rily. and With the sacrlnce ol
plausibiliry 10 situation. But the loteV
of the situation remaias. A woman iisn.
ing with no resource save her WoiitanS
wit in the cause of paternal honor' ms,
with moving appeal to pity nnpiois'
then with utter adherence of her en-
emv,s ,mplacable refusal Of justice, throws
down the gauntlet of defiance pc
fora TIM most powerful representative o.
fine moneyed and political interests ~ ~
country who holds In the hoio" y us
hand her fate and that or ne. in
whom he seeks to ruin. 1t is virtue az" ~
colossal unrighteousness at pay uai
tho oldest situations the stage Ray avian
;tseIf If but complicated in a manner
+hat for the moment at least, brings II
home with great effectiveness 10 every
The tImeline SIS of Mr.. Klein's play was
not only a piece of good fortune Tor hini'
If was a manifestation Of much snre"uness
on his part. The revelations OF
that nowerful corporate interests employees
- f,rtbar their ends filed the newspapers
n,bon saThe Lion and the Mouse" was WITT
ten Mr. Klein was first to discern the ma.
terial reodv to his hand and as a fesui.
the swelling tide of Indignation caIrtsu
.,Tba Lion and the Mouse" a voicing OF the
Yonular protest, on its crest.
likes to see a fight against odds ana "Aen
the fight is victorious over What IL .eeoe
nlzed as a common enemy there can De ho
doubt of popular sympathy and interest
Go ro,,ch +r,bute to Mr.. Klein's Judg-
ment. which has netted him untold dol
lars and his play widespread fame. But
that il as far as praise can go. 1t Is I'M
possible to blind oneself to the fact that
as q specimen OF playwright1ng Inc lion
ind the Mouse is distinctly ana lament
ably inferior. Structrally, in the presenta-
ton Of character and the invention OF IN
cident, r. is crude almost to the point Oh
ohildishness. Its induction is exceedingly
feeble and it's conclusion lameiy v
Tional. The first act ic cluttered awkward
" With superfiuous personages and wltless
efforts at humorous byplay.t The expedient
by which the heroine. Shirley Rossmore,
ijs introduced into the home OF the m1ihoh-
aire, there to dwell for months undetected
beneath a transparent disguise, is so tr1Vial
and prepostcrous as at once to alternate u
Arge-measure of sympathy from the really
ramatic scene that results from 1t. me
utter lack of versimilitude In the char
acter delineation has an example In the
most prominent character in the play,
around whom, presumably, the entire
dramatic structure was uplifted. 1t was
obviously the authors intention to make
John Burkett Ryder a man of extraordi-
nary mental power and knowledge of men.
Yet an inexperienced girl finds no diff
Guilty IN wheedling from this financial
prodigy his innermcst business secrets,
possessing herself of his private papers
and ali the while fooling him as to herself
and her mission in a manner that should
not have deceived the veriest schoolboy.
Moreover, a master in the business and
political worlds presupposes a man of tact
and diplomacy as well as of aggressive
ness and firnness of will. Yet there is 40
hint that Mr.. Klein has perceived his,
Ie has made of Ryder merely an uncon-
scionahle, domineering brute, an ill-mau-
nered boor who buaIies a United States
Senator in the same manner as he does his