The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-25
PHEASANT FATHER AND son
NEW PLAY AT TEE MAJEs7IC
rs SOUND IN SENTIMENT.

Wiiiiam Rerris and HIS CompzEty Got .
Hearing At last ara Pssytds o Pspo'
lar EuteftaiHmopt mat b wen worth
Whiie-westiey's Coed Aeting Agsin.
After trying on Monday and failing,
william Norris and bis company pre-
sented aFather and Son at shp MA3est1o
Theatre last evening. and noahins as all
happened 10 mar the pleasare OF the
evening. For. taken for what II b.. q
homely drama Of the domeetio s~sntpseuts
built along the conventional hnSs iof
popular entertainment and not aspiring
10 come closer than Fifty ninth street 10
the Rialto (where Art Is notdfiousty the
god). -Father and Son Is ssscsnd. olean.
interesting. effective play, and very Wei
acted into the bargain. IL b q pleaAnre
to sec 1t. q good bit o Of . pleasure
than to see some Of Its morp ~pretsntlcus
rivals down the Lane.
Edgar Seiwyn. the author. 10 himself
an actor, and perhaps the chief faults Of
the play are the usual faults Of tks sactor's
piay'-laok OF novelty In the fable, scme-
thing too much Of eavesdroppins BY the
characters, very li.tle, 'if ANY senee at q
local or definite atmosphere. OF 'surface
reality. The story, too. 10 slowtin sitting
started, the entire fret act counting er
little; and the comic relief 10 Of tho old
conventional kind.
But when this 10 said the worst 10 said
against the play. It tells o tale Of two
mon and a boy land the boys sweet-
heart, : o sugar the senttment), one, man.
Doc Filktns, q kindly. shrewd, e~ccentric.
Sol-Smith-R usselliah old veterinary, hsd
adopted the boy at infancy. and the lad
supposed him his father, But his real
father was Arfhsr Wei5v. the stern and
hard min owner. whose niece the lad
loved against the mole's wishes and In
whose mills he worked. Wetby. OF course.
did not know the boy was his. nor did
Doc Filkins.
Here the story enters tho pleasant
land Of make believe. But IL carne to
the knowledge Of both men under ex-
citing circumstances. and tho boy, fac
ing his real father without knowing him.
denounced him while the father WINGED.
All, however. was adjusted In the end.
and Wslby became q more gentle mill
owner,
In the writing Of this story. considering
its temptations to the author Of popular
melodrama, there was surprisingly little
pathos or eentimentality. For the most
part II was sound and sweot and true-a
little naive. perhaps. but none the worse
for that. And in the playing Of II there
was no less restraint. Mr.. Norris, who
was Doc Fakias. did not disclose either
the mellowness or the variety. the shading,
to get the most out Of his role. He was q
little hard, dry.
But It was. % far as IL reached, . true
performances, and one that had moments.
such az the Docs first intimation nom
.his boy" that the lad knew ut last he was
not his " father. OF very genuine and
piquant pathoe. Mr.. Norrts's comedy.
Of course, was delicate and sure.
Most OF the other parts were. FOR this
kind Of a play, very well acted. But that
Of the-boy was made most effective. II
was played by John wcstley. ~hoss work
as the brother In The Three Of "a will
be recalled with pleasure. Mt. Wesley.
besides convincing youth, Q quiet re-
~|straint, q knowledge that impefsonaaon
does not cease when the character atops
speaking, possesses q real gift for sug-
costing sorrow and a troubled heart. Of
suggesting II by sincere means, not faushy
means and actors tears. Hs acting last
night did much to make Father and
Son convincing. W.