The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-02
THE NATIONAL.
'The House Next Door"

Is ItHIIy a play. lLt tloSc lHtCASoN WIN
which the large audience at the National
Theater last night followed the unfold
ing Of the play. and the enthusiastic
manner in which they showed BY laugh
ter and applause their unbounded appre-
citation, were the first glimmering rays
of the lights Of a most backward and
disappointing dramatic season.
All the advantageous compliments OF
successful drama were IN evidence. A
play. written with purpose. not didactic
or dreary, but drawing a powerful and
timely moral: plenty Of good comedy.
without the least shadow Of suggestive
ness TO mar IL. and a great company OF
able and intelligent actors. headed by
J. r. Dodson. an actor who upholds our
histrionlc traditions as exemplihed by Sir
John Hare +. $. Willard. and the late
Felix Morris.
Indeed. in many respects. Mr.. Dodson
belongs at the head OF the category rep
resented by these names. His genius AT
characterizng is a remarkable gift, pos
sessed in so high a degree by but few.
The role of Sir John COtswOld In The
House Next Door is one that requires
an actor Of this caliber to III. and the
greatest care taken, lest the part appear
ridiculous and Inconsistent.
The play is an episode that shows the
turning point IN the character OF Sir
John. At the beginning he Is all irascibil-
ity and explosive protests. AT the end
he is all tenderness and forgiveness. To
pass from almost farcical violence into a
pathetic surrender of his dominating Will.
Is tho task which MI DodsOn had set
him, and II proved 10 be one that no
conquered 10 the minutest detail
THE House Next Door was written
by an Euglishmau-J. Hartley Manners
and. inclusive Of Mr.. Dodson. an Eng
l!sh company Is mainly concerned in the
piece This latter fact Is made neces-
sary by the peculiar characters which
have been created, several Of them being
types quite new TO the stage.
Sir John Cotswold. a baronet OF the
! ultra-conservative type. Is in sore lnan-
cial straits. brought about by his own
extravaganza and ignorance OF practical
affairs Sir John has a son Cecil and a
daughter Ulrica. With Lady COtswold
they form a pathetic quartet OF we'll
born people struggling 20 keep Up their
heads In spite OF grinding poverty. Sir
John has mortgaged everything. and is
unable even 20 pay for his sons musical
education. Unknown 20 Sir John, u
rica's slender legacy from an aunt is
! used for this purpose and by its means
/ Cecil procures the training necessary FOR
I him to become a great singer.
/ The play opens with Cecils success as
| an operate barytone. The night before.
at Covent Garden, he has captured Lon
/ don as Don Giovanni Cecil has been
away four years studying and his tri-
umphal return 90 his family IS only mar
red by the testiness and ill-temper o.
/ Sir John. whom reverses and induigences
/ have made more OF a spoiled child than
/ the head OF the family. Sir John is par
tiCUlaTly elated over letter he has writ
ten 10 the Times. calling attention 20 tie
majesty OF birth. which is the bulwark-
/ he believes. OF the British nation. His
/ ins!nuat!ons regarding mushroom uis-
| tocracy are sarcastic and offensive, and
! are leveled In particular az Sir Isaac
! Jacobson. a Hebrew, who has been re-
| Gently knighted.
Sir Isaac. who IS very wealthy. and
who also has a son and a daughter
/ lives next door 20 Sir John. His father
was a poor tenant or SIR Johns fathel
/ but by his brains. ability. and business
acumen he has gradually acquired the
| Cotswold estates. until Sir John himself
/ Is only a tenant IN the former home OF
/ his ancestors.
/ Sir John cordially hates Sir Isaac and
| all the Jewish race. His most violent
| outbursts OF temper are aimed AT the
| Hebrew baronet. and he INDUCES hercely
IN trades against the entry Of the Jew
into British affairs He finds them in
politics IN music, in literature. and IN
art. Even the heavyweight champion OF
England Is a Jew One after another
pile up Incidents that tend to Increase
the unreasonable animosity OF Sir John
9 low
Sir Isaac's son; his son loves Sir Isaac S
daughter; Sir Isaac and Lady Jacobson
have insulted Sir Johns son by offering
him 500 TO sing al an entertainment
given by them.
/ Although Sir John regards Sir Isaac as
a deadly enemy. the second act finds him
in the Jews house. returning the E1O0
note. Sir Isaac's motives have been OF
the kindest. In fact. he has secretly
helped Cecil Cotswold with his musical
studies. and has allowed Sir Johns rent
10 remain far IN arrears. He has only
the most benevolent feelings toward Sir
John and the COtswold family. He, too,
however. has a feeling against the mar
rlage between Jews and Gentiles, and he
advises his children 10 consider such q
step well before taking It. He does not
positively forbid the unions, but he ad-
yises against them.
Sir Isaac is the fine type OF a self
made man, and presents sharp contrast
to Sir John, who represents only tho
decadent and prejudiced type OF a Brit
isher. He is merely amused at Sir John.
tyrannical opinions and bitter invective;
against the Jews. but when Sir John In
Inmates that the money Sir Isaac has
made has been gotten dishonesty. ne or
ders him from his house. All relations
are broken or between the young peo-
pie. and Sir John retires in bitterness L
his own house. there only TO meet with
further humiliations, when he learns thai
his daughters legacy has been used NJ
and that Sir Isaac has loaned Cecil 21.0Ot
for his musical education.
The barOnet's change Of heart comes
slowly, but it comes surely, nevertheless
In the end he apologies TO the noble
hearted Jew Of the house next door. anC
acknowledges his mistakes. He is forced
20 admit that there IS something more
vital and necessary to the nation thar
mere majesty Of birth.
While he Is attacking Sir Isaac. who
is addressing him cOurteously as Sir
John, he shouts: You need not en-
phasize the Sir, was born with f."
And l." returns the Jew. Il earned
IT"
In a neat speech OF thanks delivered
at the close of the second act, Mr.. Dod-
son disclaimed any intention on the part
Of the author 10 settle racial problems
He laid stress on the fact that The
House Next Door is a comedy, and in
tended only to amuse The play itself
however, is partly refutation of this
statement. for it may be regarded as @
powerful answer TO what really should
not be a question at ALL Il argues tina;
the Jews or any other people have right
to be left alone to achieve what they may
20 the best of their ability.
TIL cor,aItr ,rIfcb l. %