New-York tribune., 1908-10-06
MAJESTIC THEATRE.
Nance o'NeiI's Success in agnes. -

The success of the husbands operation man
whose memory back of certain period is blant
means the revealing Of the surgeons wife also
the wife OF the the operating table, whom
she had thought dead. The surgeon. unaware Of
the ira gedy his skill may hurI upon his own head
feels his science will reveal al the past TO
his patient. The operation must fail the patient
die TO prevent him from claiming his wife
This is the strongest OF many strong situations
in agnes" play in four acts by George Cam
eron, produced last night at the Majestic Theatre
in which Miss Nance O'Neil. while she may not
find situations requiring great acting embraces Op
portunties for portraying those emotions in whose
expression she is skilled and convincing. Before
proceeding further let state that the patient
regains his memory only for a second. Then he
expires. The surgeon, unwitttngly. grieves at his
failure The wife simply stretches out her hands
to the unseen BenefactCr.
While there are spots Of loose construction, the
play as whole is well made fabric, of absorb
ing. compelling interest from rise to fall of
tain. It raises expectancy and wonder to what
the outcome will be. eagerness to have II over be-
cause waiting is hard TO bear Every act rivets
the attention and while giving its fill Of emotion
for the present exCes even keener interest IN what
is to follow. The title might be improved and
little pruning done here and there. but probably
few OF last nights audience thought of this. so
gripping was the expectation Of what might
might not happen.
slight touch of n1eIodrama. more beneficial than
marries chiefly as the result Of her mothers
Vaccinations a man she does not love, that
the mother may receive iuxrries she has been
accustomed to, is reproached by her husband with
her coldness while they a yacht off the
coast of France. She reminds him of their COM
pact which was that so far as she was concerned,
there was to be exhibition Of love While he
is kissing her by force the yacht is run down
The shock disodges a chandelier. which strikes
Geofrrey Marshe making him senseless. Agnes re-
~
leave the sinking ship without her The chief Off
Ger Of the yacht with Agnes tries TO get Marshe
10 the deck. but they fail and he disappears with
the wreck. they barely reaching a life raft, from
which they are rescued
Agnes's mother perishes but of her trunks
turns up How? This Is Of the loose scantlings)
and from ii Agnes takes secretary, IN which she
finds letters written by her TO Dr. Loring Brent,
young d5ctor. whom she had loved before her mar
riage. as well letters written by him 10 her.
Her mother had Intercepted and kept them DIR.
Brent hears Of her misfortune sees her. expans-
tions are made and they are married After their
child is born Dr. Brent takes the case Of NJ. De La
AIer, a Frenchman. who lost his memory the
result Of accident. and seeks 70 regain knowi-
edge of what he before the blow. Agnes
recognizes him as Marshe. She pleads with him,
citing his and her case imaginary one, to
give up the operation because Of the misery awak
ened recollection may cause him and others. He is
firm. While her husband is performing the opera
ton behind the locked doors Of hts laboratory
Agnes tries TO get word TO him, TO enter the oper-
atng room. 10 tell him what successful opera
ton will mean to him. She fails She hears her
first husband call her name, and her own reason
totters. Then the surgeon bows his face in his
hands and announces his failure
There was not weak spot in the cast although
C;eoffrey Marshe worked his nose and other feat
ures trine too hard in the first act in portraying
intoxication. Miss O'Neil. Mr. Marshe and Mr.
Drouet were repeatedly encored and Percy F.
do Of he Iasae
narts stand out In a strong light Miss O'Neil re-
cefved a large basket of bowers at the end.
Agnes with a changed name its merits, is
entitled TO an all winters run