New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-27
LONDON DRAMA
DIR. Sutro's Comedy = Gentleman
and Man.
London, September u.

dramatists. The master playwright Sir Arthur
PinerO has found in plutoCratic society, with its
selfish middle age and chdess marriages, ma
terial for tragedy. Mr.. Alfred Sutro. clever
craftsman with more sentiment than genius is
content with superficial satire and makes a
comedy of the social state OF the new rich II
"Mid-Channel," at the st. James's, with the
soulless heroine hurting herself out of the will
dow after finding out that marriage with a
money maker failure and that an intrigue
with a shallow tame robin" involved dIsillu-
siOnment disgust and shame. be sermon as
depressing it is strong, Making a Gentle
man." at the Garrick, is a drawing room enter
tainment without moral more serious than the
risk of spelling for old-fashioned condl-
lions by educating him above his station and
family level. Mr.. Sutro amuses a smart au-
dience without scourging ii with the whip and
sting OF satire. Sir Arthur Pinero may force
his audiences to face the sins of modern So
ciety and to think about them without levity.
Mr.. Sutro reverses the oldtime Oxford dictum,
Manners maketh the man." The experiences
OF the wealthy Carey family tend TO prove that
manners unmake the man and leave in his place
thoughtless. useless gentleman, amIable and
frank, but without force The fortune was
amassed by Sam Carey in the picking trade.
Ashamed OF his own obscure origin and of the
common, sordid conditions Of his business, he
had aged his children to despise their
heritage and TO aspire to the privileges OF smart
society The daughter had married earls
penniless son, and become mercenary. selfish
intriguer. The son. Archibald, had been edu-
Gated gentleman. was living luxurlously in
chambers without having earned a shilling
or done stroke OF work. and was counting
baroness, rich widow with tainted past This.
is the situation disclosed in the opening scenes
in the sons fiat and in the daughters drawing
room. with the additional fact that the fortune
has gone and that the father being at the end
OF his resources. is on the point OF emigrating
20 Canada and starting aires in picking
business. Here Is the direct call 20 the fashion
able idler to shake OFF the vices Of the pleasure
loving gentleman and 10 be man. Impulsively
he accepts it by declaring that he will go out
10 Canada with his father and help him in re-
building his fortunes. The father is overjoyed
and welcomes adversely since he has regained
the affection OF his son. who has been e tranged
from him BY education as gentleman and by
constant association with smart people.
The ruined pickle manufacturer is counting
chances without considering the calculating
daughter the sentimental baroness and the
bankrupt earl; nd in the course OF the third
ana fourth acts he is d!siIlusionized. The daugh-
ter with her titled father-in-law behind her.
considers her brothers marriage with the bar
oness more effective method OF mending the
family fortunes than emigration and fresh
start under the humble title OF Carey Son"
She readily convinees the young idler that he
is too much Of a gentleman 70 work for living.
and that since the baroness Is evidently in ove
with him II is his duty 20 propose 20 her and
20 obtain control Of her fortune for the good Of
the family He asks the baroness 10 marry
him and Is scornfully rejected as a fortune
hunter He returns TO the attack as a boyish
admirer who wants her without reference 10
her money and simply because he loves her and
cannot get on without her: and she agrees 20
take him. provided his father consents 20 the
marriage This the elder Carey declines to do.
He warns his son against the unmai..y course
OF selling himself for money and taking wife
with tainted past. lovely and fascinating
though she may be- II is. however. too late 20
make man OF the elegant gentleman. who has
been rising at noon. dawdlng among fashionable
acquaintance and protecting himself against
being bored by anything serious. The father
RACES against and daughter and hres
vollcy OF homely sarcasms at Lord Sarkhurst
the worldly casuist: but he fails to influence
or convince anybody. The fact that the bar
oness has an income OF f20OoQa year outweighs
everything that Is irregular or scandalous in
her past The disappointed father turns over
10 her the gentleman who is incapable OF earn
ing a pound a week and sets out for Canada
alone 10 make another fortune in picking.
What the play comes to is that the man OF
force by overeducating his son and allowing him
20 become accustomed 10 luxurious and pur-
poseless living has ruined him for life OF self
respecting labor. His children, instead OF being
grateful 20 him for all that he has done Tor
them with the help OF his money, are pleased 70
get rid of him when his fortune is lost espe-
cially as the baroness is at hand 20 finance the
family The fathers love for the son is a reed
shaken by the wind when contrasted with the
power OF the baronesss money Indeed. Mr.
Sutro is reminded by some of his critics that on
the English stage there cannot be a real con-
test between father and widow for the control
OF the sons future. Parental love and hlial al
lection. he is told. may be Ineligible motives
in French drama but English audiences are en-
crossed with the romantic adventures OF man
and woman In love. and there is no room on the
stage for the doting father. whether rich or poor
This may be heartless reasoning for fathers who
love their children and make sacrifices in edu-
eating them for broader lives than they have
known themselves. but il IS as much the most
ingenious moralist can make out OF an unsatis-
factory comedy OF manners. Mr.. Sutro has
closer knowledge OF French drama than nine out
OF ten writer's for the English stage but his
hand is too heavy to satirIze the follies and at
fectations OF smart society. He cannot repeat
the successes of MolieTe: he can only write pur-
poseless plays with little story and no moral.
The acting at the GarrIck is better than the
writing. especially in the third act. where there
is an approach 10 dramatic situation after pro-
longed exposition and preparation. Miss Ethel
Irving imparts TO the character of the baroness
her own hayward fascination and distinction
OF manner, and the two proposals have vivid
interest because she makes the part real and
highly attractive by the charm OF her own per-
sonality Mr. Kenneth Douglas, as the boyish,
impresslonable and unaffected lover. plays with