The Washington herald., 1908-04-12
Going Some. y


Mr.. Paul Armstrong; facile pen has
won for him an enviable place among
native playwrights. and he has one or
more plays at present occupying the
boards which nave made showing cred
table enough 20 satisfy the reasonably
ambitious.
1t is to be hoped that the flaws in
Going Some" will be speedily remedied.
because they are not such as to lead to
complete failure, but apparently might
be doctored Up during the run OF the
piece. But certain changes in the cast
have already been decided upon by the
authors. 50 that the order has gone forth
for the withdrawal of the play for the
present The most serious fault seems
10 be in the plot itself. The interest
worked up is superficial. and puts the
leading character Speed, in anything but
an attractive light He is a four-fYushing
college boy who sticks at nothing. even
questionable transaction ike fixed
race, TO appear heroic in the eyes OF the
girl he has set out 10 win Even the
threats of the cowboys. who. thanks to
the villain of the piece. are "hep" to
Speeds deceptions are not sufficient ex-
cuse for what is certainly a dishonorable
comI act
The episode of the thrown race is such
a palpable theatrical expedient that in
measure 1t spOils whatever fabric OF In
terest has been previously woven. It is
as though the authors had gotten Speed
too far into the difficulty to extricate
him with dignity, and smacks strongly of
The time-honored method Of hiding some
one behind a screen or a curtain to over
hear the plotting and help the author out
OF his troubles
For the playwright to give It up" at a
tuneture OF the play where the action
appears 20 lead straight 10 a denouement
which is apt to dissatlsfy the audience is
not by any means uncommon. OF course
Going Some is broad farce. and in
broad farce It is customary for charac-
tors to overstep all bounds OF decencv in
lies and deceptions, and the harder they
work TO that end the funnier the sftua
tion is supposed TO be: but even the
excuse for farce comedy cannot Justify
Speeds diekering with his opponent. It
IS a slur on college athletics and sports
in general for a gentleman to be mixed
up in such an affair
A good percentage OF the comedy IN
Going Some is original. and some of
it almost freakish. The prayer-rug feature.
as well as the phonograph. being good
fun, cleyerly handled. and also the scene
Of the hero's sweetheart being present in
the room while his trainer is administer
ing rundown and shower bath ac-
oompsnied by sundry slapping and groans
Of protest. Her dismay at being the
unwilling party to the mysteries AZ
physical training IS amusing ana the
scene is not In the least overdrawn or
suggestive. although there is a lingering
expectation on the part OF the audience
that Speed may step forth from his
curtained corner IN the full glory Of his
unadorned muscularity. This is undoubt-
edly what would have occurred had the
scene happened to be in The Follies OF
1907 4"
Mr. Armstrong has written a clever
play in Going Some" and one thar
every one who sees viii talk about after
ward-and the reason IS that there is a
certain verve, an esprit about IT which
breathes Of the open air. of the sunshine
OF youth. While the characters do nothing
big or imposing, or psychological, the
things they do seem big 70 them. They
are tremendously in earnest.
word regarding the excellence OF the
cast will not be out Of place. The selec-
tion OF Richard Bennett for the part Of
Speed was most happy one. The capabla
jeune premier is scarce on our stage and
Bennett catches the enthusiasm the
irresponsible seriousness Of youth as well
in "Geing Some" as does Henry Wood
run in Brown OF Harvard As for
Larry Glass. James E. Sullivan is un-
suited 10 the role The part Is a very
eomical one. as written, With possibilities
Of which q straight comedian would