New-York tribune., 1908-09-15
LONDON PLAYS
n---,otized No7cIs s-4 Morality
p;ece-4 Delightful Barre.


r,ondsn. September 3.
.,-nn,onplace that piaygoers get
iAe --snt and are willing to pay Tor Is
Nn@I .7 At the opening Of the LSnoon sea-
nsNei .--,.i.s invigorated by long MONDAY ar
SOL - of an obligation 70 set hlgher se0iiO
ooi4s0 n improve the quality OF oraiiia' anu
aras go early In September to give tile pun
sre oistg9e epdfen accession Of intelligence
~ s-+,,e During recent years ID H's
ana 80 there was a popular demand Ior
suTaeo '-''-' +acrnioue in construction, for
pays s-a-ns Of convincing quality ana Ior
earnss' .,o-ac1ers and incidents This sea-
realism flias Of the critics point 10 creative
son iHe z-.linr- with life as the secret craving
poNe which are no longer entertained
O. au"'- -..,o7rama and musical comedy, ana
oy e,- the refcTmatory influences OF d
Sie -, +baatre. II so serious view DC taAeN
I4'io- I- methods cf stage entertainment - Il
o. .,of the public viii get what Il IS sup
i-Ae's ,-.,+7 How can there be eneeIiFe eA-
Posel of creative power when so many Oh
hio'loA' -, ere adapted from recent fiction
'iis [-s1cb Of art is substituted 1or an
AhN 7g,a rscasting Of a novel INTO play
o'4-e- -.a7i,,strnents Of plot, the oToaoenins
-, t,-ulav and various compromises anu
u -,-te-s and the force Of SITUATIONS anu mo
~ !. inevitably impaired shakespeare 0h
,7auted ronances and storles' put n0
-, nlavwright seems to nave genius ioi
he same work r.,,. -
NJ ~ ~--,7,,ced in Pete" another variant
FarA-.' 1Ts-vn7ar" for the Lyceum Theatre
O. theatrical melodrama that delights
ahe - and is a money maker for the
lnS 60 Arr AIatheson Lang may laugh
Ha-9 md dance hornpipes, as the JoviaI
o-s Miss Hutin Britton may weep ana
SAM tt the 1,ou-er has gone out Of Mr. came s
HUE and there is q food Of sentImerta4ity
- the heart beat Of real life MISS Eve
-rTrs-d acts with dignity, power and charIn
.-s,Is" AZ The Garrick Theatre, and there Is
.-5c trial scene in a murder case, with
- heroine rerjurlng herself and foul
LeIs with shame IN order 10 protect
f her husbands friends Mr.. hornlflan
,-o5r7oed 2 drama Of feverlSn nLehslty'
- nay enable Miss Millaro TO rival MISS
=. Aebyvelrs achievements as an elIlotloIla1
- hui what has become OF the suoue
.s,cv of Nj ". J. Lockes ronnanuc sIory
po'9-ls - has not been lacking in skill and
-.ener.ent. yet he has transformed the qll1otlc
5sv dream into an impossible woman
- sacrifice Of truth and honor is Vagary
Of insanity.
L
- Passing of the Third Floor Back is
-. hazardous experiment in dramatic
..-.-ion of literary work Of fine quality. AS
s. variant OF the medieval morality play
-.r+ he described IS earnest drama were II
- FAR rl7e comely style and the authors own
s.s,rin+ion Of Il as "aR idle fancy" Like Inc
sg-vant in the House. recently produced In
Esw York. II portrays the Divine Redeemer III
-,ozs-r environments The "Passerby' takes
hack room II a dreary boarding house. where
--e-a are eleven human creatures bent upon
-,s,i7r their lives as worthless and despicable
- rosssr,ra He finds something good in each
~ them and succeeds in converting them by the
hsrign influence Of his words his smile and MS
cbs-sc-er 70 eentIer and less sOrdid ways Ihe
work Of regeneration. begun in the prologue and
fursrnedats act, IS completed IN the epifogue-
Cheat slavey, painted harridan. shreW. snoo'
b,1nv hussy. rniser. coward, rogue ana cad nave
sonstBiur Of the divine IN them which responds
70 sympathetic influence. Each Is persuaded
ma, life IS the best thing that can possibly be
made Of II With much Of the homely simplicity
o4 the medieval morality plays the sermon is
r-sscbed and the question, IF Christ should
o,-,a n .Tond-n? ?s IS answered without irrever-
snce Ye1 there IS not a dull moment IN the
evening for the frallties and weaknesses are
ro--raved with genuine comic spirit, and the
--ane4a--1s-ions of character are wrought IN q
most entertaining way.
There is nothing IN this quaint and impressive
play 10 give offence TO religious sensibility. MT
Forbes Robertson is the Passerby in the thlro
aoor back. who enables the mean and spItefuI
lOdgers to become their better selves; and with
old-eashioned dignity and grace he vaguely sug-
ges,s q kindhearred stranger. who has faltn II
human nature and imparts strength and cour-
age sweetness and light TO all around him
With his Intellectual face, ascetic figure ana
sympathetic voice, he creates an impression OF
o1her-EorldIiness without straining for effect.
his an admirable inpersonaton, pulsating with
sincerity. The spectator, if he likes. can think
Of the mysterious, highminded. tolerant sIran-
ger as a teacher or q friend, or lie may revert
70 GaLee and imagine that there are intlrna-
tons Of divinity IN the gracious presence It is
rsyerent and seemly denotement Of New Ies-
lament teaching put into everyday practice
Miss Gertrude Elliott, Miss Alice Crawford MI.
Ernest Hendrte and the remaining actors play
with Spirit and feeling. and the audience has
unique entertainment with something worth
thinking about st the end. Although II is
tauitless performance 50 Far as matters Of Ca21S
are concerned II is success OF simplicity rather
ihan OF power AIr. Jerome's sermon IS more
effective II the library than the stage one
is ashamed Of having laughed so heartily over
the comic business when so close an approach
has been made 10 z sacred theme
At the Duke Of yorks Theatre there can be
no thought Of stage variations from an original
theme, for AIr. Barrie is seen and heard al first
AAno N What Every Woman Knows II Is
one q his most delightful and characteristic
plays. and while there are no evidences Of dra-
matte power or creative energy, it sparkles
NTH &
Whimsical charm Clannish Scotsmen may not
Ike i, for he is laughing at them all the way