New-York tribune., 1909-02-09
THE DRAMA
A NEW PLAY AT WALLACK's 8.
The New Lady Bantock. 3"

In Mr.. J. X Jeromes play, called THE New
Lady Bantock," which, for the first time In Amer
lea, performed last night at Waliack's The
stre, where 1t amused a large audience, the posture
Of circumstances is essentially farcical while the
authors treatment of it is measuTably serious. The
intention, apparently, vas to make comedy.-that
is to say, a picture of actual life and manners.
artisticaly exaggerated and caused be
Ing by reason of the expedients of equivoke and
comical situation and incident. The actual result
Is farce. Events in life strange. and often
they occur in such a strange manner, that no pru-
dent observer will make haste to declare that any
thing is impossible nevertheless water does not Of
It's own accord up HILL and there is distinc-
ton between fable and truth. Preposterous
sumptions credulity and repel interest but (as
some of Mr.. Barre's plays have decisively
shown fantastic plot mrthfully treated, imparts
abundant pleasure Viewed as a farce Mr.. Jeromes
New Lady Bantock' is a pleasing and useful ac
QUESTION to the stage and such probably II will
have prosperous career.
The ground plan is not less ingenious than mirth
ful. Vernon WethereH. landscape painter, resident
In Paris, is, in fact Lord Bantock, English
peer possessing opulent estate in Rutlandshire,
England Fanny Bennett is popular singer, IN
music hall The peer and the singer meet, love
each other, and get married,-Lord Bantock keep
ing the secret of his rank. and Fanny commun-
eating no information to her origin and family.
AFTER marriage the nobleman conveys his wife to
his ancestral home and declares his identity. in
stalling Fanny Lady Bantock. Then, to her
ladyship's CONSERVATION, she finds that all the
servants employed by his lordshp are her relatives,
being various members of the family of Bennett.
For several generations, it appears, the family Of
Bantock has reigned Bantock manor. and the
family of Bennett.-a serious-minded famiy,-has
supplied domestic servants for Bantock Hall Mar
tin Bennett Fannys uncle. is the butler.-a pious,
solemn, formidable persOn,-while his wife is the
housekeeper; and all the subordinate positions
occupied by his nephews and nieces From that
numerous and tedious family. It also is made
known. the rebellious Fanny constrained to
Qu2Tr hall
and thereby incurrIng the profound disapprobation
of the whole Bennett tribe. The temperance of
Fanny as mistress OF Bantock Hall creates of
course, a perplexing dilemma; for the servants.
and particularly the butler uncle. prone to
presume their relationship. and Lady Bantock
shrnks from explaining the situation to her hus-
band.
Upon that dilemma the dramatist has built his
structure of less mirthful incident
The action eliminates in Fanny's
tion of her authority, defiance of her rela-
ves, defeat of her servants hall faction and revela-
tion of her secret. The expedent Of the introduc-
ton of group of her music hall associates (some
what reminiscent Of "Trelawney of the Wells')
preciptates the crisis Lord Bantock at first Of
Tended. is proptiated by the reminder that his
own lineage was derived from ancestral butcher,
and that, practically, his wife is well born
himself. The mrth from the comicality
Of the main stuaton.-fraught as it necessarily Is
with contrasts of character. absurd pomposity on
the hand. and mpetuous spirit at first re-
strained but ultimately fluent. the other. The
character Of Fanny,-one that Mrs. John Wood, in
her bright day would have made irresstibly fasci-
natlng.-is acted by Miss Fannie Ward. actress
OF some experience in musical comedy" but
chiefly notable for a trim figure, sprightly de-
meanor. and the good intention Of being comicaI.
Perseverance I'm that direction may eventually be
rewarded. Meanwhile she possesses plenty OF
animal spirits. she can be demure. and she knows
and can use the customary wies OF coquetry. The
re-entrance Of Mr.. Cartwright. who made the
2 znTor E1v-
lish funkv added much 10 the interest Of the
representation. and. indeed should be recorded as
its most important incident. Mr.. Cartwrght's per-
formance, consistent and replete with expressive
detail vitallzed the play and eclipsed the entire
throng nf his associates W. w.
Cast or THE NEW LADY akNTOCK"