The Washington times., 1908-03-17

Charles Dalton
Auntie. the Wears wife....................
Edith Wynne Matthison
Mary. their niece Mabel Moore
Mr. Robert Smith. a gentleman OF neoes-
Saty occupation. ...-..- Tyrone Power
rogers page boy..-------.. GalWey Herbert
Manson a butler Walter Hampton
The Servant in the House." present
ed at the BelasCo Theater last night by
Henry diller's Associate Players, dra-
matte organization par excellence. in
tfoduced 70 Washington a new play
wright. Charles Ram Kennedy.
Not only is the author a stranger to
America. but his play Is new-new both
in conception and execution. That 1t
made profound impression upon the
audience was evidenced by the rapt
attention with which IL was received,
even in it, most didaotio and discursive
passages. and BY the fact that the
majority OF those present remained seat
ed for several moments after the final
curtain had fallen. But whether this
impression was Of a character 10 make
The play a popular hit Is doubtful.
The theme OF The Servant Ia the
House" Is Tar removed from the average
stage story OF love, lust for power, Gu
pidit--, or passion None Of these is
the big motif. Indeed. the love Of ro-
nance Is entirely lacking and the only
Substitute, a dlial affection, is subor-
dinaIad to the central creed or doctrine
of the FatherhoOd Of God and the
Brot ae-hOod OF Nan.
4 trisf outline Of Mr.. Kennedy's plot
is esseH tial 10 a full understanding OF
any discussion OF his treatment OF the
theme.
a clergyman and his wife. who have
adopted the daughter OF the formers
outceAt brother. are expecting the ar
rival OF another Brother from India,
noted bishop. who. it IS hoped. viii be
able to raise sufficient funds 10 repair
the Clergyman's church. As the play
opens, Manson. an Indian servant. who
mas arrived at the clergyman's house
mat morning, is in charge OF the do
nestle affairs. Manson, who. by strong
inference. the playwright would have
as believe IS the relncarnaJed son OF
Nan, begins al once his great work OF
reGeeIung the household. His task is
10 save tne wife from husband-idOl4try
and the husband from blindness 20 the
cardinal prInclp pies Of truth ana person
al integrity. and later from the weak
ness OF the doctrine Of worldly exPed-
iency.
The spirit OF ApoIIyon and Mammon
Is epitomIzed IN the character OF the
Bishop Of Lancashire, a churchnnan of
stocks and certificates, rapacious hyp-
Ocrite and a sOuilesS depredatOr mas
Querading in the cloak Of righteousness.
The regeneration Of the family Is ef
fected through the fundamentally OF
the Outcast brother, a drain man. whose
sphere OF labor IN the slime and 9th
90 the TectOry and OF the church is
symbolic Of the spiritual decay and de-
generaCy which had begun its work
IN the hearts OF the occupants At the
nnal reunion OF father, daughter. broth
or, husband, and wife, the Servant In
the House reveals himself as the Indian
bishop who has wrought best by lOwly
servic
on the program Mr.. Kennedy has Civ
en- the following as the text OF his play;
''He that saith h L. IN TIA Hight. and
hatsth his brother Is ia darkness even until
now. he that lovsth his Brother abideth IN
the light and there is none occasion q
stumbling IN him. But he that hateth his
brother Is IN darkness. and Talketh IN dark
ness and kn0Weth not whittier he g0eth, be-
cause that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
II q man say love God and hatsth his
brother he is a liar; for he that lOveth not
his brother whom he hath seen. how can he
love God whom he hath not seen 2
He might have added the supplement
tary admonitiOn from Hebrews: BE
rot forgetfui to entertain strangers; for
thereby some have entertained angels
unawares,'
OF the brotherhood OF man
Is accomplished with great force and
conviction. The play Is oHe which VIII
the serious attention Of the
more thoughtful element OF q commun-
ity but IL Is not a dramatic Offering
which Will be looked upon as an en-
tertainment in the generally accepted
OF the word. There is but lit
tie action In the play and tie greater
nortion OF the preachment Is handled In
a series Of dialogues between dineT5nt
sets Of characters.
A notable feature OF the work is the
fidelity with which the playwright has
followed the Greek tragedy in the mat
ter OF the uniLies Of time and place.
The action IS continuous, and the entire
play is enacted in the same setting,
dining room in the clergyman S home,
while the tine elapsed between the
opening and the conclusion is from $3.50
I'M the morning until 1880 the same day.
The program announces that the play
is in five acts. but as e matter Of fact.
stems IN the development OF the central
theme, and 20 relieve the audience from
the mental strain Of a too long sustained
on spiritual and moral
distractions.
The author has embodied his thoughts
In poetic and fOrceful English, and he
has been fortunate in securing q COM
pany which can really speak the
isnguage ne has written. and not the
jargon which one usually hears on the
American stage.
AS dramatic novelty and as a
thoughtful atteT1pt to strike a blow at
hypocrisy. sham, md lack or charity,
'0The Servant IT. tie House will win a
success which probably will not be
measured in dollars and cents.
The interpreting company f. all that
could be desired. Miss Edith Wynne
Matthison, who first won laurels In this
for her powerful portrayal Of
''EVeryman, appears as the wife OF
the rector, a role which does not re-
duire the spotlight" She demOnstrat-
ed her worth as an artist OF heroic mold
by subordnating her own work So that
fl would not throw out OF focus the
dramatic picture. Her performance es-
established beyond question her remark
able versatility and histTiOnic power.
The hOnOFs of the evening went to
Tyrone Power. whose Interpretation of
the role of the drain man was truly
magnificent in its holiness OF outline and
Tcafulless. His pronOuncement Of
the evil beneath the Church" IN the
last act was a gem OF compelling ora
tory. MI. Power adds materially 10 the
honors witch he can as Judas in MARY
Of Magdala," and his work last night
was far ahead OF his imbpersonatiOn IN
'"fhe Christian Pilgrim"
Charles Dalton was not less effective
in the unsympathetic role OF the clergy
man, while Fred Lewis contributed a