The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-06-22
Finished Performance and
Careful Staging Prove Sur
prise in Trial Production.
DRAMA EXPOSITION
OF MODERN FINANCE
Heavy Demands on Many Mem
bers of Cast Are Uniformly
Well Met.

season an organization has come to
Washington for which the seasons re-
cord must be reopened or be incom-
plete, and has come on a mission that
is decidedly unique. The Belasco The
alter Company viii offer a series of
premiers representing many Of the at
fractions they hope 10 produce next
fall In the first of these, THE Son
Of His Father" the Capital has been
privileged 10 see what looks TO be a
coming success.
This play is a strong, though not al
ways very clear, exposition of modern
business methods. And back OF that lies
a second teaching which, though indi-
Gated By the title. seems to have been
overlooked; that the son of a masterful
man is not likely TO succumb to the
subtle poison of luxury all in one
generation as some novels and most
plays set forth. From this viewpoint
the theme is more novel than il might
seem at a first glance The play is not
the successor of three seasons similar
productions but rather retutattOn Of
a mistaken notion set forth in many OF
them.
As a whole the production is credit
able. But the third act rises TO genuine
dramatic merit of which two rather thin
acts gave TO augury and a fat fourth
act failed o spoil.
Tells Simple Story
The nameless author has wisely
chosen to tell a simple story, very little
ourdened with side issues. John Lee
Baron, jr., His Fathers son." has his
fathers latent business ability but does
not choose to use il to smass a fortune
already sufficient to crafty his most
expensive whims. Not until the daugh-
ter of Richard Hillary, daughter of
the Wall Street ''ringmaster,' trained
10 regard business activity as the
end Of man. urges Le-Baron 10 make
a name for himself does he investigate
Wall Street business methods. His in
itiation is unfortunate He finds Miss
Hillary's father engaged in a Ques-
1Onabie transaction which spells ruin
for a number OF small investors. Hillary
decides to fight the ''ringmaster" at
his own game
During the fight and struggle the son
shows the generalship that brought his
rather fortune and uncovers something
OF the relentless spirit that made his
father eXecrated. The disregard for
friends, for fair play, for law, when its
letter could be eVadeds are cleVeTly
worked into the story And when,
under fear OF exposure, one of Hillary 5
allies drops dead, Le-BaTon's promise
IS proved, Miss Hillary gains a deeper
insight into her fathers business meth
ods. and even the 'ringmaSter' HIM
self is made 70 feel something Of the
shame OF II all.
Demands Are Heavy.
The demands of the third act fan
heavily upon A. H Van Buren,, as Le-
Baron. and though his role is not diff
ficult. it calls for a sure touch and
restraint which this actor affords. The
scene lies in Le- SarOn's temporary
office in the Trinity Building From
there he directs the operations by
which he gains control Of the market
and breaks the "Ringmaster' 5" power
There ne receives Miss Hillary, as
much out Of place at this juncture in
the play as she would be IN a broker s
office, and later her father. 1t is q
difficult task the author outlined when
he attempted TO convey the mad strug-
gle OF Wall Street, the high tension
OF its deniZens. the busy Whir of the
little world around him even TO the
afternoon extras, hungry for the latest
sensation, all in the four walls of one
room. But he accOmplishes this and
does II with very little opening and
shutting OF doors, even without the
aid OF too many kilograms and too
many messengers BY such logical
channels as the telephone and the con
fidential agent he has drawn a living
picture that many others have tried TO
paint and have failed And the impress
sion that this act leaves is that the
man who can visualize such a scene
from everyday life approaches very
nearly TO the artist. who can but i'm
canvas.
Curiously enough, the fault Of this
author has not been that he tried 10
overload MS story with Incidents, but
rather that he has erred on the side Of
simplicity. The baroness of the plot
for the first two acts is a poor prepara-
ton for the climax.
Language Too Technical
The second fault. natural in a first
performance. is that the story is at
times little too technical for the aver
age layman. II does not add 10 the
Wall Street atmosphere to fire volleys
Of technical terms and IL does detract
from the interest. Though the language
IS clear enough TO the average man.
women IN the audience found IL a little
hard 70 follow the story at times.
The third fault may right itself with
the correction Of the other two. Even
Tor play transformations in the char
acters are worked too rapidly. His
slow start IN the first two acts leaves
the author too little time 10 work out
these changes In natural way. It
would take more than an unjust ar
raignment Of his enemy 20 break the
vii Of an INSCRIPTIONS piunger and Il
would take more time even with a bet
ter motive, 10 work Hillary's refOrma-
ton. IL would take longer than the
author gives Le-BarOn 10 become ac-
duainted with the innermost workings
OF stock manipulation II might even
take longer FOR two sips Of champagne
10 effect a recovery from sea sickness,
but all these discrepancies should be
as easily remedied as the last, when
few roles are eliminated and the prin-
cipals allowed to work up 10 a logical
conclusion.
Miss Laurette Taylor hardly comes to
her own until the last act. and even
there her work does not yet show the
finish she displayed ia yosemite A
few DAYS OF team work with "a fuller
knowledge Of the other roles, win prob
ably change Miss TaylOr's lnterpreta-
ton Of several situations.
Honors Divided.
For genuine character portrayal the
honors fall wholly neither 10 Mr. Van
Buren, nor 10 Miss Taylor. but are di-
vided with Edward Emery. who gives
a true picture Of a former Senator. .out
of politics, In finance" with Frederick
Burton as Kingsley McElroy, president
Of a railroad, and William ROsseli as
Peter StuyVesant Cobb, ION the Her
aid" True, Cobb is not Ike any re-
porter you or / ever saw. but he comes
pretty near the popular conception Of
one. which is enough Tor the play.
The roster OF actors had prepared
playgOers for an excellent cast, but the
stage settings and the finish that mark
ed tha whole production were unex-
@~E In. Frfu