The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
NEW YORK THEATERS
THE NEW LADY BANToCK" REvIVEs TYPE OF PLAY
SUCH AS BARRIE WROTE SOME YEARS AGO


SPECIAL Correspondents he Washington Herald.
New York. Feb. 12
It VIII be remembered that Mr. Barrie
some years ago drew the picture OF q
common English butler who was a COM
mon English butler sure enough until he
and his master and his masters family
We're thrown on desOlate island Here
they became as primitive man. where
the ingenuity and mother wit Of each had
to stand for the limit OF comfort TO be
derived from The situation. And il was
the butler who shamed his lordly master
and became the real master. according
&c the Darwinian law OF the survival OF
the fttest.
In The New Lady Bantock' we are
again introduced 10 the pe-petuaIly re-
curing English butler IN the form OF
great and important man, but in an en-
tirely different aspect from that in which
Mr.. Barrie showed him 10 US ana as M.
William Gillette played him The New
Lady BantOck Is a comedy by that other
well-knOwn English humorist. Mr. Jerome
\ Jerome, author OF Three Men in
Boat Miss Fannie Ward played the
role for a while in London this season,
and 1t was she who appeared in it on
Monday evening at Wallack's Theate-.
Miss Ward IS an American actress who
has been playing with Mr.. Kyrle Belley
and other stars. and who is rather well
liked IN London. The Lond0ners mildly
enthused over the comedy and said fine
things about Miss Ward. But quite COM
prehensively London refused TO accept
60
that an English earl could ever be
reconciled 10 a marriage with the niece
Of his own butler. over here where
people are not so scrupulolls in the mat
ter, the comedy is not likely 20 fail on ac-
count Of a little thing Ike that What
appeals % Us is the freshness, the origi-
nali1y Of the idea which runs through
the piece. the dash and refined abandon
Of the amiable LADY BantOck "a music
hall singer before her marriage}. as pOr-
trayed by Miss Ward. and the pOmpOus
dignity and al the same time crawling
servility OF Martin Bennett, her husbands
butler and Lady BantOck's uncle, as de-
iineated by Mr.. Charles Cartwright. who
played the role in London with her.
Lady Bantock ana tine butler are the
principal characters in the comedy. Lord
Bantock has married Fannie in the char
acter Of young painter and It is not IN
IL she is introduced in Bantock Hall that
she learns that she IS the wife Of a no
bleman- But her amazement and delight
are embitte=ed BY her first glance OF the
butler Years before she tired of the
carklng tutorship Of her numerous family.
all under the imperious domination OF the
terribly correct Martin Bennett. She
went TO London and became a music han
singer In the course Of time she met
Lord Bantock under his other name. Her
manager told him she was the niece OF
great bishop In NeW lea and. He
wanted 10 know nothing further and
asketi Rer no questions. and they were
married under his civil name without ths
title So everything is perfectly clear 10
the audience why Fannie should not
know that her uncle is Lord Bant0ck-s
butler Once installed the problem be
gins The butler has a deep religious
streak complicated by an abnormal feel
ing OF humility and meekness in the
presence OF a title 4 martinez among
his own below stairs" and a superior 10
everybody without the sanctity Of blood
or title, he tTembles with a sense Of out
Taged dignity 20 think that his WayWard
niece has so imposed upon MS master
Three generations Of Bennetts have
served three generations or more Of Lord
BantOcks ancestors He undertakes 70
tutOr her in the ways Of a gentlewOman
and To prescribe her course OF department
and manners. and. poor Fannie has 10
submit 10 this dictatorship over her in
order 10 keep her husband in ignorance
Of her humble relationship-ind K re-
mains TO be mentioned that the Bennetts
have so multiplied about Bantock Hall
that there are twenty-three servants
20 each OF whom our heroine Is somehow
bound by ties Of blood
The explosion comes when Lady Ban
toek entertains bevy Of chorus ladies'
from the extravaganza company 10 which
she was attached and after serving them
literally with hbatiOns Of champagne
executes her famous dance and turns the
quiet drawing room Of BantOck Hall into
the scene Of a theatrical performance
Surprised by the spOplectic butler and
stung 10 the quick by his rebuke and
threats. Lady BantOck calls in her hus-
band and tells him everything But frst
she has obtained an acknowledgment
from his lips that she is to be mistress
IN the house She draws Up a check for
two months wages and gives notice to
ali the Bennetts that their services hence
forth VIII be no longer. required
OF course there IS a terrible shock. and
things look bad for a little while for
everybody concerned. But after a sleep
less night Of serious reflection husband
and wife come 10 an understanding. Ben
2ett knuCkles under cOmpIetely, and
everything ends as II should
The New Lady BantOck- Is quite 2
good comedy and has prospects of a run.
Henry Z. Dixey is back at the Garden
Theater this week after his en-
forced engagement in BROOKLYN which
interrupted his run in MARY James Pa
Il is an III wind that blows nobody good
The fact that this shift enabled BENJAMIN
Cnapin 70 utilize the Garden for run
nights last week 10 put on his piav. Lin
coin At the White House has resulted
IN William A Brady taking the manage
ment Of Chapin's affairs for the next five
years and that astute manager will star
him after February Is in this play whose
title is 70 be changed TO Honest Abe +"
lnasmuch as Fiske did not avail him
self Of all the time which he could have
commanded at the Hackett Theater.
Brady has taken the playhouse for the
remainder of the season by arrangement
with James Hackett As his wife
Grace George. viii not be ready To 20, in
10 the Hackett in her new play until A
week from Monday. Brady has arranged
10 transfer Chaplin TO it TO iii the short
interim In his Lincoln play.
William Faversham found that he could
get no bookings from the syndicate while
he remained under Felix Isman's inan-
cial control and the announcement was
made this week that the Shuberts had
acquired Isman's interest. Faversham
viii stil be his own manager and pro-
Gucer as before. Isman has bitterly an
tagonized the booking powers Of Iate.
but Il remains TO be seen whether he
VIII submit 10 them. Developments may !
be looked for in good time.