The Washington herald., 1909-10-10
THE THEATER IN NEW YORK
FRANKLIN FYLES ENTERTAINNGLY CHATS OF THE
LATEST PLAYS ON AND ABOUT BROADWAY

as though we were indeed seeing the whole
play through the opening in the mantel
/ And II is a mean lot we sea- cheating
! landlady. an ill-tempered. slatternly
slavey. and a household OF snobs and
backbiters. when not actually rogues
Only the poor room on the third floor.
at the back, is untenanted Contrary 10
the landladys more conservative wishes
/ the slavey puts a room to let" sign over
/ the door. Later, when she goes to an
swer the bell the girl starts back IN
surprise WHY" she exclaims. as she
gazes at the unfamiliar beams OF light
falling through the glass; why, it's the
SUM-"
The quiet stranger who takes the room
never obtrudes himself upon his fellow
dodgers. never once censures or adnon-
ishes But to each he shows the forgot
ten good in self; the happiness resulting
from small sacrifices and mutual con-
sideration. the helpfulness OF cheer and
self-respect. To rehearse the petty vices
that we see disappear beneath the gent
~ rising tide of better effort would be TO
cneapen the graceful fancy, the human
humor' and delicate artistry o. Jerome
IN sense, the play Is not r play at
al. NO conflict is involved; no plot Is
worked out, and, we're one to Judge II BY
usual standards. the construction IS
clumsy. But as well measure Every
man by the technical laws OF Pinero or
Sardou. The play simply Is an illustrated
sermon-a morality-of Bloomsbury And
II is 70 be admitted that in hands less
skilled than Forbes-Robertgon's and his
excellent company, there might be
stretches Of tediousness.
The play is IN n prologue. one act, and
an epilogue. The first. with rich humor. ex-
poses the small meanness o. TIE little
household; the second. almost wholly In
a series OF fireside chats with the stran-
ger, reveals the soul-awakenIng OF the
sordid circle; the last discovers them a
happy group OF friends. cheerful in doing
Tor one another. yet unconscious OF any
sacrifice or self-virtue. So then there is
no longer need Of the stranger. Every
one Is sorry he is going. The last he
takes leave OF is the slavey The room
Is dark. When he Is gone the girl covers
her face and cries lonesomely. Then.
looking toward the door through which
the stranger has disappeared. she sees
the shaft OF light still within the house
II seems 70 envelop her. Cheerfully she
turns 70 her work. which. before. was
drudgery-and thus we leave the little
clearinghouse.
A Citizens Home.
Quite as seriously purposeful as the two
plays described Is "A Citizens Home"
for II reveals the common practice in
Gotham politics on the low levels
Author Boyd says so, anyway-coercing
Of black-handing. and running small
tradesmen who won't help along the dis
trict organizations with money as we'll
as votes Maybe a secondary object n
this piece IS TO give lessons in New York
City dialects. as a Swiss, a Frenchman.
an Italian. an Irishman, and some native
born vocal contortionists speak English
as Il IS spoken IN their various WAYS on
the cosmopolitan East Side The Swiss
Is meant 10 be a lovable breaker OF
English Ike Dave Warfeld, with touches
OF Sam Bernard humor: and a quite
angelic waif is assigned TO him as an
adopted daughter for paternal effects IN
pathos. His name Is Johann Schmidt.
and he IS acted by Adolph Lestina
Johann's shop is small and he has no
time, money, or congeniality to spare for
politics. He won't mix with the thieves.
thugs, and the various other rascals in
lAS warn bIdlIuB machine. The dis
trict leader demands some Of his dollars
all OF his influence, and his vote several
times over IN a municipal campaign. The
swiss citizen refuses all these. and for
his display OF independence the boss IN
dertakes the ruination OF his homo and
his business.
The Illustrated allegations OF black
hand methods In low-level politics might
make - Citizens Home" startle Broad
way but for two reasons: The conditions
are exaggerated beyond resemblance 10
truth, and the incidents presented are of
the kind that the grosser order OF sensa-
tional melodramas are made of-an alb
duction. false charges Of theft, and that
sort OF stuff. However. Il Is likely &c
please people with a taste for the stun
and no desire for social problems-not
too nice taste at that For instance.
the stolen girl Is drugged and placed
with vile associates. from whom she ig
taken at a ball. after having made no
effort to get away by herself; and her
decent lover mArTies her with no show
OF curiosity as to what she has been.
Ny dear child her father by adop-
ton says-and II is his real son who is
10 take her for a wife-'1t's the evil a
girl does voluntarily that makes her
evil others DO TO her
shouldn't make her infamous"
A good line. surely, yet. as the sectors |
say. It didn't go strong
FRANKLIN FYLEs