New-York tribune., 1909-10-13
THE DRAMA
THE DEBTORS" AT THE BIJou
THEATRE.
Digby Bell and Adulterated Dickens.

The first act Of last nights play was a success.
the second act hung in the balance and the third
fell in a heap OF folly. The play called THE
Debtors" and was adapted from German piece
which had been founded on Little DOrritt'' The
programme frankly acknowledges that ''Ths Debt
ors" is not a dramatizatiou of Dickens's story
Some of the MarshaIsea business has been bor-
rowed or built upon, and the names Of the char
acters have been lifted" No one pretends 10 tell
thOugH. why Arthur CIenham is Sir on the pro-
gramme and Mr." in the play. But that is not
the only uncertainty Mr.. Digby Bell skilfuI actor
though he is, could not seem TO know how the part
of Old DOrritt should be played, whether
gentleman, a curdmudgeou. a hypOcrte. a cad
fool, and sometimes he plays all five ways. 70
the Infinite CONSERVATION of the spectators. Miss
Kathleen Clifford PLAYS Amy. that is TO say. Little
Dorritt, but it IS quite impossible 10 guess why
she does SO. or tries TO do So II may be because
she is little. But that is her only qualification
for the part which she plays ike shrewish elf.
without any sweetness, daintiness or sentiment
And what IS a Little DOrritt without al these?
Sometimes Miss Clifford seemed to think she
was acting shallow sOubrette part In a
Conan musical piece. Digby Beu was fear
ruIly hampered BY the author. Miss Aarga-
ret Mayo, who. the text showed. didn't know
her own mind i'm the matter for five minutes III
succession after the first act. Much OF Mr.. Bells
uncertainty was due 10 this. for the author makes
Dorritt the most Inconsistent character that even
9 dramatist can conceive old DoTritt is, in this
Why drag in Dickens? As for that matter. why
have gone q the German? Why not have made
new story out OF hand So far as this curious
hotch-potch is Dickens at all. it is Dickens and
water
The first act opens IN old Dorritr's quarters in
the Marshalsea prison. 1t is long act but an
interesting one. and well done. excepting for the
so~0rette anectatiOns of Little Dorritt In the
second act Cenham effects old Dorrstt-s release
IroLn prison. after eighteen years OF existence
there, and restores 60 this very odd old n.~sor his
gs'a'e ana fortune. whereupon old Dorrttt inrne-
uIaIeiy proceeds 70 behave Ike cad and in the
third act, becomes bu4foou An ,arv- r-,77.Jare,r
oO Ihe greater wonder is why It is done at all II
"OuLo De easy 20 make this uIav consistent and
successful Apart from the exception already mem
tIoHeu and an unprinceIy Prince Henry Edward
1ii7 aeuns IS -ood Mr.. Bell would he caDitaI fr
-7 "otid decide how the part should be- Dlav-d
and dy it that way
80 i' "us"l # eed with this part He
- - 10 50 beyond ques if he would mil If
Ana the play would succeed if il we're
- ''S7Ii'eF' and If there We're "a Little Dorrit
p S"rel1ess' simplicity. charm and understand
ing But the play as it stands is a o,lze- -,..-,
ton " queer cODeee-
Ihe absurd practice OF haiIfng a +rea+r+s1 ~
uuc'Ioh as q success before the last sot f 80,
a'O'e ior putting actors in very ridiculous nos.
uoiis' D!Sby Bell had 10 deliver "a sDeecb LAST
---7H@' because the audience insisted on If for no
reason az all If New York audiences wound =
serve Ilelr judgments till the end OF a NAV rbara
"ouId De an Immense reduction in the number os
-o'tishI speeches What qualification do audiences
N7'1Ne from actors speeches. VIII arv 7,rr1ar
% actor De sensible enough, and courageous enough
- ~ ue1tne these silly invitations 10 utter lines
winch are not set down in his part?