The sun., 1908-03-24
THE DRAMA OR BROTHERHOOD
APPLIED CHRISTIANITY SET
FORTH on STAGE.


Acted and Greeted With Enthusiasm.
There is small wonder that Henry Miller
no whom we are now indebted for another
ey,raordnsry theatrical treat) chose 10
rroduce The Servant In the House for
the first time on Broadway at a matnAe.
That strange conglomeration "a typical
drs' night audience with It's critics and
men gbout town. its butterflies Of the
theatre, its Tenderloin connoisseurs, lie
iumbIe Of sects and races, Is not an audience
iu Ehich the ethical passion dominates or
which greatly cares for exhibitions Of the
ethical passion In others. And The Ser
want in the House was hammered out in
the white heat OF an ethical passion. gows
With sympathy and purpose. Mr.. Miller
vas wise to show the play at the Savoy
Theatre yesterday afternoon beiore an
audience carefully chosen, keenly sympa-
ihe'c for all serious effort end, il must be
added At the close OF the performance
greatly and justly enthusiastic.
And when the play is tonight exposed
~ Dhe attention Of the public this judg.
.rer' viii hardly be reversed, since the pub
la by and large can and does care for
ethical passion, respects IT, ID moved by IT,
The cry for human brotherhood, the per-
ronal the human appeal Of the Man Of
,orrovs, are very near, very dear to VS..
hat is the cry and that The appeal Of this
lay. II II is play not philosophically
rariormed though perhaps il Ia more pro.
H-..t.A tk.p al t,ktl,aapbtaat Il
appeal IL a. direct and as profound as the
ethical instinct in the heart Of man. Surely
u cannot fail! That would stagger all
belief
The author Of this remarkable drama,
which s al once morality and narrati,e
,bou' concrete human beings which does
with sIre sud ,i,id Gtrolcs what The author
- The Struggle Everlasting gropingy
md clumsily tried to do. ia Charles Fam
Esoredv, husband Of Edith Wynne Matthi.
,or Nr Kennedy in his little speech
a''rbuted 10 Walter HampdeN. who played
ne leading part the credit VI bringing
7e play 10 Henry Nilers attention. And
,Ir Miller not only wisely put Nr Hsmrden
IN ne title part and Miss Mat'hison H.
arother part hut he chose actors Of skill
90. al the roles and treiued them into
beautifully working ensemble Every.
Thing that could be done for the play 'ey-
opt 10 eliminate a tendency TO rant from
hsrle5 Dalton was done. And the play
oId the rest
And what is the play: Who il this Ser
want in the House. Os-ersbly at first h.
= butler from India COVE irto the homc
# an English vicar. Then he ia cstensIbly
ths Iost brother OF this vicar, now the BsNor
Of Bensres Finally, though that is never
stated In 40 many worcs. he is tho Chris
Himself. the Christ spirit reincarnste, who's
Dcture has hung on tho wall through tho
FIVE swift acts 10 suggest by it's phys,ca!
resemblance tho haunting Ovcrtonss 81
ihe miraculous aud the divine
And this house into which he comes, To-
Servant for reasons too obvious 10 need
eXpounding. ia sorslv in need Of spiritual
sweeping not because sin is there in any
groeser sense but because hypocrisy Is
there, and small. selfish aims snd only the
form, not the spirit. oi Christianity. The
Servant bacomeH the Master Now ten.
derly, now with eloquent scorn. as when
hN thunders in the deaf Lord Rshop's esr
rlmpet God is not watching. lets give a.
httle as We csn and grab a. much az possi-
bic, he sweeps clean the spirits of al Like
Emerson, he believes that God builds his
temples on the ruins Of churches in the
human heart. Like his Master ~ he IS
not Himself the Masterl, he knows NJ dis
iinctions Of race or creed or class H.
''novs only love End forgiveness and
And 50 he reconcies blood brother Wit
brother and gives TO a little girl father 5
love and 10 the broken father his lost sJJl |
hack again and 10 a woman made mean br !
aehsh love for her husband "a perverte !
good a wider view and a vicar he makes 4
Z hristian Only the Lord Bishop he does
not reform Him r, packs ont Of the house
even as one Of the money changers AMI |
an This he accomplishes 80 sveetly and /
enderlv and nobly and mastefulv that the |
nlav becomes more than any sermon a |
-pritual help and a lovely lesson; and as |
no sermon can do il keeps before the eve
A concrete story that trembles ever on the
ergs Of tears, happy tears at last, which |
.eanse the spirit and swecten the heart
II was no slight task to play the Ser
ant without offence. il only because ot |
7ls likeness 10 the christ Walter Hsmp- !
en-, in beautiful Eastern robe, perhaps
esigreJ by Paul Doughertv, The artist, |
Tho Is his brother, PLAYED the part With
rect and eloquent dignity, large simplc-
nv 1f voice and gesture and pose, a fine |
-ncerity, which stamps his performance as
hat Of a fine and conscientious artist
later issue will he needed Justly to es'i-
nate his work, as indeed that Of the others,
md the play Itself Tyrone Power played
ne role Of the brokendown brother of the
lcar, who found himself through his love
ior his daughter twas a picturesque part |
nd Mr. Power played il not only pictur-
as1ucly but eloquenty. When Mr. Power
y GOOD he is gery good He is good in this
ay Prettiy aided by Miss Mabel Moore
Is the little daughter. the scenes between
a'her and child Mr. Power made touching
O the point Of tears,
Of course Miss Matthison, though her
part 10 comparatively a slight one, wGs
rcat TO sac, even more TO hear And
Arthur Lewis and Galwey Herbert must
No mentioned for their contributions, To
harles Dalton fell the role of the vicar.
,lr. Dalton has the heavy manner, shall we
,Ay uf "the old school? A little s1ftening,
toninR down, greater naturalism in
ne work would help the effect Of the play.
The action OF the drama is coincident with
he time of the performance, and the cur
ain, save after Act Ill, remains down