The Washington times., 1909-10-05
Underworld of Gotham Plac-
ed in Review at the
BelaSco.
LINES ARE BRIGHT,
BUT PLOT is WEAK
Good Acting Only Partly Saves
Strained Situations From
Being Unreal.

Two more playwrights, Wilson Miner
and George Bronson Howard. have joined
the company OF those who believe
the theaters patrons are deeply inter
ested I'm certain phases OF New York
life and have asked us TO view the
under-Gothsm as exploited in The only
law" seen at the Belasco- last evening.
They have given photographs re-
production of scenes typal of the lower
Broadway: they have created several
human characters: they have put into
their mouths occasional lines Of cynical
witticism: but they have failed in max
ing play Their characters appear TO
be genuine, they speak as would persons
OF their kind, but what they do has been
distorted out OF semblance TO Sponta-
neity and naturslness.
Then. when the plot was staggering
under a burden OF improbabilities, they
affixed happy ending" and the whole
structure fell to the ludicrous. Il vio-
lated the technique of construction IN
the first place, about which the public
doesn't much care. 6t destroyed the IL
fusion of naturalness, for which the
public does care a great deal
The Characters.
To show New York life, the authors
have chosen for their characters:
One wire Taper
One rat (human).
one chorus girl.
one millionaire.
One other chorus girl
Two wOrkingmen.
The plot. briefly. centers about the ef-
forts Of Jean. the other Chorus Girl. TO
build home for herself and MacAvoy,
the Rat. far away from New York. To
do this she works the millionaire who
loves her and wants 10 marry her, Tor
p tip on the stock market, and clears
up $1,000. This she adds 10 MacAvoy's
pile. which was 81 Meanwhile MacAvoy
learns that the millionaire wants 20
marry the girl He sees visions Of
prolonged stay on Broadway at Baunis-
ters expense, and when Jean refuses
10 marry the broker he makes ready 10
leave for Europe. The crook, who is
usually a hero in PLAYS OF this type,
takes a hand and puts the police on
AlacAvoy's trail. When his plans are
exposed Jean declares she hates him
and decides she VIII marry the mil
ionaire Meanwhile chorus girl Number
was on the high seas for Europe on
a ticket MacAvoy had bought her;
As per the accepted custom all this
takes place during the Christmas sea
son.
''The Only Law"
THE only Law" IS being on the
square with a pal" IL was consistent
" honored in the breach One unfOrtu-
nate thing about this sort Of play IS
that about 90 per cent OF the characters
must be human rats to give the atmos-
phere OF New York life" But these
authors have taken liberties with the
animals, at that. The whole play Is so
weak structuraIly that it is worth while
10 risk being academic to study It.
Horterse was introduced as a light
hearted chorus girl who borrowed her
meighbor's breakfast. and would have
been as free in the lending. There IS
nothing 10 make as expect that she
would sell her loyalty to Jean for a
ticket 10 Europe.
BanniEter, said to De OF Wall Street.
would better have been from the mil
lionaire's ward at Matteawan from the
chlldlike simplicity he displayed.
II there is 30 be a plot to these PLAYS
there must be man 10 act as buffer
who is too despicable for verify to nat
IRE or the legitimate stage purposes
lie was pretty bad in Paid in Full.
but this one breaks the Walter record.
These are lev Of the inoonEruities
OF the characters. The plot holds as
many more shaky places
What Is the Use?
Eut the question on which the play
stands condemned IS What is the use
OF ii all?" A play Of serious purpose.
central theme must have some truth
20 tell. must work itself out 10 an in
evitabIe conclusion. "The Only Law
does none Of these things. III I hadn't
butted in on fate all this wouldn't have
happened" declared Spider.
And the audience had an unpleasant
feeling that 81 the playwright hadn't
butted in there would have seeu no
play. Left 20 themselves these char
stcters would not have gotten into rrOu-
bic enough 90 attract pa-ring notice.
And there IL an uupIcsssut Drejudic e
against authors who make human be-
ings do utterly foolish Things just 20
manufacture a plot
SPIDER, the most ppeelbie charac-
ter, was excel ienuv acted by waiter y.
Greene Nlsf Mabel Cameron fought
nrsvely against q hO1Re-podge chain
Of events. and woE favor ~ her ef-
forte rather than bv her achievements.
The remainder Or the cast was far
Let's look q week ahead. hope Frank
Daniels Will be- as funny ~ ever. and
forget this Bowery B.acksfols.
J. 81 FlfLDEEEnEy