New-York tribune., 1907-12-17
THE DRAMA.
NEW PLAY AT THE LYRIC.
"The Secret Orchard. "


=, ,be discussion OF a new play the duty or =
ievez 10 his readers can. usually. be fulfilled
=, the giving of an to these two questions:
T3-st What does il contain? Secondly, What does
:. mean? The play called THE Secret Or
,ta-5 made by Claiming Pollock the basis
- novel bearing that title, by Agnes and Eyer
.or Castle,-conteins story relative to the re-
,orse of 4 husband who has been false to his mar
,see voW and whose agony of repentance irnpels
tins TO use every means 10 keep his secret from
bis zrffes knowledge. That husband is French
-oh1e-aan the Duke of Cluny. and a somewhat
1udicrous iutimation is given that the i'm
-,Jse Of his sinful conduct is hereditary weak
ress' proceeding out OF his descent from the royal
for,se OF Stuart. 1t scarcely needful TO recur
% -he period of Charles II in order TO for
Iicentious gallantry. The Duke has misled girl
,horn his virtuous and excellent Duchess an
american beauty subsequently and precipitately
adopts. only knowing her 10 be the daughter OF
on old acquaintance deceased. The noble liber-.
tine deeply regrets his misconduct, and determines
that he viii lead yirtuous nfe-letting the dead
rasf bury its dead An excellent resolution! But,
,rnhappily is the of sin result in shame
and sorrow and likewise the nature Of every guilty
secret 10 struggle toward the light: the inexorabe
roral law OF the universe-Operating slowly, inCes
sanity sternly. without anger and without pity
attends TO that Cluny's endeayor 10 conceal his
.uiouity proves Intellectual and, after 1ounGering
in falsehood. he is constrained to make confess
sion TO his wife and TO ask to be forgiven. The
details of the story would be trivial In the novel
the end is accordant with that justice from which
sinner appears 10 be forgiven The play according
" rneans.-n far it clearly means anything
,hat no sin is unpardonable: and incidentally the
6ranatist suggests by implication. that if man
can be forgiven for the sin committed by Ciuny.
q guilty woman. when repentant. is entitled TO
The same ekoneTstioH
few years ago an ingenious device was much
used by persons wshful 70 escape the tedious repe
f.iion Of old stories Il a little trinket that
could be worn beneath the lapel ot z coat. and.
when lightly touched by OF a spring. it gave
forth gentle but distinct sound. 1t called
.rhe Chestnut Bell" It exercised kindly and ben
eaciaI influence. and the disappearance of II is
somewhat 10 be regretted. Perhaps, IF somebody
feS -ung that little bell, for the benefit OF Chan
Ming Pollock, while he was writing his play OF The
Secret O-cna-d the public might have been spared
smother. and quite unnecessary, exposition of the
results OF marital tnconunence- The presentment
Of that old threadbare tedious subject is not, n
sfr Pollock's drama. commended TO acceptance oy
any accoutrenent OF dramatic novelty; while, oo-
siously obt-udes ethical question. OF . most
uupleasaut character. that nobody wishes TO dis
cuss ana that, surely, ought not TO be ProfeFeo
for discussion IN theatre If nfidety in the mar
-ied state known 10 be epidemic, or even
widely prevalent in the community. there might be
some need of missionary labor TO cure the EVIL; bul
even then It would not be 10 the theatre that So
cjetv would look for relief does il seem prooa-
HE that relief would be afforded by theatrical
counsel whetlsr express or implied, that hosoalos
and wives should. under any circumstances, en-
courage a Iuushy propitiousness OF nnnd Io"aio
breach of an obligation perhaps the most sacred
that human beings assume. There IS rnuch
loose ttiuking-if thinking il can be caled-on
that subject and it has been much promoted by
many Of the plays of recent years FOR the res|
this theme is well dismissed in the wonderfuiIy
pathetic and beautiful words with which the poet
Teuuysoa causes King Arthur TO take his leave OF
TIE wretched Guineyere. There is more pracucaA
wisdom in them. as well as more humanity lhan
could be found IN a whole hecatonb O. snch pays
as The Secret Orchard
M- Pollock however. has extracted from me
Castle novel as much, alike Of character ihcloeiN'
and language as Il could be made TO yield Tor q
theatrical purpose. There four situations; the
meeting Of clury and the girl, JOY. whom MS VIE
has adopted when Joy first appears IN the hoIne'
ihe disclosure BY Favereau, made 10 C!uhE' ol h.S
lifelong devotion to the Duches7-a disclosure made
.n order to explain and Justify his counsel 10
brave the matter out and iaTor the marriage
&C Joy Of the Duke 5 hiasIilel' anu
the voluble. frenzied declaration mace oy TIE eri'
when being sought in marriage by an honorane
man she is driven ID reveal the secret Of her
shame and abruptly pauses upon perception that
another snoken word viii wreck the happiness o.
the affectionate woman by whom she mas peei
sdon.ed; and the husbands ayowal TO his vile OF
.he sin with which his soul burdened- Those sit
z,s-in-s though trite are moderately effective: IN
The hands Of consurlrnaIe actors they might DC
made even powerful The finest acting was ooAe
nv Nr Edward r. Mawson. whose sincerity
dignity repose Informative byplay. and rare
discretion afforded strong contrast with the pro-
fuse sr.iace of most Of the associated players
Miss Adelaide Prince provided conspicuous eA-
a1uule Of mechanical precision. without one par
.ole Of feeling while Miss Josephine Victor NUS
--a+ed the potentiaIty OF wid-eyed. moony hys-
,s-icr NJ courtenay proved completely unequal
.o .se renireneats Of Cluny, who should certainly
r,sssss authority and charm. blackguard as ne IS
IN character and detestably weak in conduct