The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-03-22

more profound Leoause wholly
unexpected. The Servant in tile
House" came to the BclascO Theater
D after week of One-night stands ana a
4 matinee premiere in Baltimore. where
= it was damned with faint praise. The
? author, Charles Ram Kennedy. was en-
tlrely unknown to the theatergoing pub
= Il, both In this country and in Europe,
and all that had been heard of his
. theme before the plays Washington
opening was a vague rumOr that 1t was
the rather futile vapOrings Of a doc
triuaire.
Great was the surprise Monday night,
thCIefoTe, when those VINO had been
attracted 10 the Belasco only because
OF such notable names in the presenting
company as Edith Wynne Matthlson,
? Tyrone Power, Arthur Lewis and
Charles Dalton, found play which
will, in all probability, be looked upon
eventually as markinS the beginning Of
a new era for the Stage.
''The Servant iu-the House" is a prob
. lem play. but not in the generally &C
cepted meaning of the word which car
Ties with il the idea Of a dilatatioE on
the subject of sex denominations Per
haps it would he better 10 speak of the
Kennedy drama as a purposeful play.
The true test Of the intrinsic merit az
any play is the aftermath for the al
ditor. II the stage impressions grad
ualy fade from the mind zad the action
begins 10 grow hazy the moment The
final curtain falls, the one mission OF
mere entertainment may have been fui-
dned, but such an Offering will not have
ri Der
ton. With The Servant in the House. %
however, the hold which the play
--F~ upon the individual grows strong
h every recurring thought OF the
kable simplicity with which the
has handled a universal Ques-
n a convincing and wholly "a
way.
doctrine OF the brotherhood OF
as opposed TO sham. hypocrisy
upidity is presented with q force
riginality which at first is almost
ng in its directness. the seasoned
ROGER having become accustomed
)terfuge. counterpart. and spectac
Meet. There is in this new play
Of the claptrap fustiau, and so
y which the public has come u
upon almost as a necessary evil
uLilti III the very opening lllltS ID
rama takes ND his theme and
ghout the entire acting time of tht
with the single exception of
divergence in tire second act, TIE
Al idea Is never III the background
Ter puzZling feature OF the play a
g the manner in which symbolism
anu realism are interviewer. This com
mingiing Of the material with tht
81
nation and a spur to iutrospeCtIv,
thought. Il is this quality which make:
The auditor carry from the thester the
conviction that Mr.. Kennedy is dram
atist OF creative mold.
The human intelligence in judging
anything new invariably seeks sOm'
previous experience or standard fol
comparison. With THE Servant u the
House" there are TO be found some
points OF similarity 10 "Everyman,' FOL
III both virtue and vice are symboliZed
In the modern play, however. the appea
is vitalized and unmarked, whereas II
the morality classic the subject mattel
IS more OF less removed from common
experience by distractions.
While entirely devoid Of dramatic sit,
Uations Of the kind which one ordinarily
sees depicted on the stage. The Servant
IN the House teens with mental &C
ton. Tie combat of personalities il
continuous and is developed with in
Crsasing intensity as the play pro
crosses. The author with rare courage
dlsregards the popular demand 70
tFeatric situations and verbal pyrotech
mics. but drives home his argument
Unobtrusiyely and always without TIT
slightest suggestion Of the spectacular
only once during the play is IN,
audience aroused from its enforced at
titude OF analytical thoughtfulness. i
iE upon the occasion Of that remarkable
outburst Of the drain man when he an
nounces that he has found the cesspoo
under the church. Seldom has Their
been heard on the stage a more force
fGI bit OF dramatic oratory than tina
delivered by Tyrone Power in thi
scene. The blood is fired by the en-
thusiasm OF this low'y laboreT who ind
beauty and enjoyment even in the filtl
and the sickening atmosphere of tn
sewers because there lies the work tina
3 his to do. It is a wonderful expo
sition Of the tenet that the faithful per
Torrance of duty ennobles, regardless
OF the sphere in which ones labors ma,
be utilized
One of the most notable features o
this play Is the manner in which tn
author has caused the personality o
Manson TO dominate the spirit of tn
entire performance. Whether he is o.
or OF the stage. this figure of the India
bishop. a reincsrnated divinity. over
shadows and influences all. The re
nIarkable part Of the creation is tn
fact that the audience feels this infiu
ence no less keenly than the person
OF the drama Manson is man of he
role, colossal moral and spiritual stat
uTe- His humility and his willingness [
serve in whatever loWly capacity re
Quired are portrayed with such dignit
Of bearing and loftiness Of purpose tina
although ne has fewer lines perhap
than some Of t-e other characters, h
stands paramount in all situations.
From a technical standpoint, 'Th
Servant in the House" is somewhat OF
novelty for the modern stage. The al
thor has adhered TO the rules OF III
l.