The Washington times., 1908-12-08
New Goodman Play Isl
Closely Akin to Earlier
Production.
ACTION is VIRILE,
THE PLOT UNREAL
Acting of Miss Walsh Relieves in
Measure Artificial Appeal
of Theme.
f intense and sustained ac-

/ 4 play OF intense and sustained ac-
ton that ranks FAR above melodrama,
but one which falls just a little short Of
being real drama, even when measured
by lax sIaudarGs-that is Jules Eckert
Goodman's The Test" which comes to
the Columbia close upon the heels Of the
same authors widely discussed The
Right to Live"
That The Test" holds the attention
with a grip that is the truest gauge OF
its power is UndeLiable- For this rea-
son 1t is all the moro disappointing 10
be forced 20 realize, after II is all over,
that the interest was artificial and the
after feeling all the more depressing
because the stimulant was so potent.
The play presents no new truth nor
does II tell an old story IN new guise.
Not even a love theme relieved the
grimness. The ashes of what seemed
TO be that. when thoroughly raked over,
dispclIed The illusion. The newer play
is more closely akin TO The Right TO
Live than was generally expected II
almost seems that Mr.. Goodman strikes
while the iron is hot over the attention
attracted by his earlier venture TO feed
the public on another meal Of the same
diet. The mOoted problem OF the woman
who. pays while the man goes free fur
nishes the theme Of both. But IL the
second was designed as a follow no
falling of from the standard set by its
predecessor is noted save IN the fast
waning interest In its theme.
Story of the Woman.
The story of q woman who has lived
down her sin after struggle of years,
not IN the face Of the world but to her
own satisfaction. and who. in a moment
of rage, almost travels back that long
path 10 seek revenge. but who again
rises before she is well launched on the
accomplishment Of her purpose to a
clearer vision than ever before-that is
all unusual. but not beyond the realm
Of truth
CuriousIy enough 1t is not by the
action OF the play that consistency IS
shattered It is the pre-existing con
ditiOns, not revealed until the third act
that tax creduIity, Just as IN The
Right to Live the spectacle of a daush-
ter making her iatner bite the dust
3 for the sake Of a THIEF was unreal so
, here the possibility OF an eighteen
year-Old girl bUndIy selling her soul TO
keep the man sh, loved from prison is
beyond the pale OF verify.
1T is all too much Ike Themes
novels" TO quote the Skeptical Herr
Brettner. And the words Of Thone
himself, "I do not quite understand.
. feu as he hesitated, with the problem OF
Emma EItynge still unsOlved must
have struck a responsive chord in the
/ audience
Throws No New Light
The play offers no solution nor does
/ it throw any new light on a social con-
dition as unfortunate as real.
No matter how roundly the motive
+, may be scored one must pay a tribute
to the author for his power Of creating
virile. dramatic, and logical action.
! There is no byplay. no relief. no devices
/ for relaxation. yet the play never de-
4 cends 90 the cheapness Of Claptrap. 1t
remains 70 be seen whether this feature
. can live down the unhappy theme. Upon
F. this depends its success
/ Whatever promise lies in store for the
/ production will be due. in no small
. measure. to Miss Blanche Walsh. The
difficult and aUduous task is hers of pOr-
. traying intense emotion in the role OF
woman who has lived under a weikht Of
flashes of her former SELF followed by
D complete despair It is part that
makes heavy demands. opens wide pos
4 sibilties, one that can be developed in
finitely, and IL IS for just such a role
that Miss walsh IS best fitted
Strikes Responsive Chord.
Next to that OF the star the finest
! piece of acting was that Of Bertram A.
/ Marburgh, as the father Of Minna,
who realized by intuition that Thone's
social Investigations were the out
growth of hazy idealism rather than
fixed principle and that his theories
were artificial, though lie himself be
ueved them. On the stage for very
. brief periods, nevertheless, Mr. Mar
burgh's Interpretation seemed the most
real. largely because he gave voice to
4 the attitude OF the audience by his ii
rades against the slum workers mis-
. sion.
Just one other character arouses an
interest that is genuine and makes an
appeal that does not rebound That is
George w. Howard as Arthur ThOne.
That a man could be so blind as Tret-
man that a woman should be so mis-
guided as Peggy ThOue is unnatural,
but that an idealist and dreamer might
be self-deluded into believing he loved
an Emma Eltynge as does Thone Is
matter of common experience and its
working out shows one touch Of the