New-York tribune., 1909-03-22
LONDON DRAMA
4 Labor Play by Mr. Galssrorthy.

! The success of '"The Englishman's Home has
! imposed new condition upon the playwrights
art. II must deal with questions and themes
which are directly and vitaIly interesting to hu-
man beings of the time. Otherwise IL will be
demned with fine irony as drama OF the library
or of the theatre essentially artificial and stage
made and having point of contact with what
people in the stalls and gallery are thinking
about every day. Mr John Galsworthy's play
Strife produced at the Duke OF Yorks The
atre answers the current requirement. OF crfti-
cisrn. for 1t is concerned with the irreDressibls
struggle between capital and labor; and II is
sound, strenuous drama, with contrasted types
of character and social condition. and conflicts
of will and ideals. 1t is a human document
rather than economic treatise; and II deals
so impartialIy with employers, strikers and
trade unions and states their case so eIoduently
that the blindest partisan in pit stalls rerires
after the final fall OF the curtain without sense
Of injustice. There IS serious, sympathetic
treatment Of a social question. with the en-
phasis laid upon the wastefulness Of labor con-
ficts and the sufferings of women and children:
and it is effective drama. especially when en-
acted under the stage management Of Mr.. Gran
willie Barker by picked body OF actors from
several theatres.
The action passes during single day near
the Trenartha tinp1ate works, on the Welsh
border. The strike has been in progress for a
long time. and has cost the management 10000
and reduced the idle workers to starvation and
wretchedness The curtain rises upon a meet
ing Of the directors in the managers dining
room. The veteran chairman. John Anthony.
who had founded the works and held out against
four strikes, will not listen TO proposals for
compromise. His son is against him and SO Is
his son-in law the manager OF the works. and
the directors are divided and vacillating. and
insist upon hearing what the workingmen have
to say. First interposes the trade union officials
to the board that his organization. which
has not supported the strike. will be compelled
to take part in the movement unless there is
a speedy compromise He is followed by the
strikers committee. with David Roberts q fren-
zed champion Of the rights of labor. to match
the chairman in infexible will and passonats
love OF strife The duel between master and
labor agitator is fought with dramatic effect
when the actors are Mr.. Norman McKinnel and
Nj. Fisher White The master triumphs when
the workmen's terms are refused. and the agi-
tator suenly defes him and forecasts his ruin.
Neither duellist can count upon his supporters
The workTnen's committee is already breaking
away from the leader, and the secretary warns
the chairman that the directors will vote against
him and bring about compromise. The two
extremists before the day ends will be deserted
by their associates and be pItted against each
other when they are helpless and disgraced.
The second act with two scenes portrays tbs
consequences OF the strike In an impoverished
village. and the struggle for the control OF The
desperate workers. David Roberts's cottage is
first shown with single loaf Of bread in the
cupboard. the coal scuttle nearly empty and the
wife dying from cold and starvation and recsv-
ing little sympathy from neighbors, who hold
her husband responsible for their misery. The
managers wife. who is the chairmans daughter.
pays her visit and IS roughly elected BY her
rnIa floss hrle Dab
cold and exhausted. tendsrIy wraps his overcost
around her knees and tries to cheer her up be-
fore going to the strikers meeting Nadge
Thomas, vividly impersonated by Miss Liliah
Mccarthy, voices the sorrows Of the women and
children with passionate Indignation while her
little brother Jan interrupts her now and again
with the shrill note Of a toy fute-a fine touch
indicating the helpIessness Of ths children in
the conflict between capital and labor So des-
perate is the girl that she bargains avav her
own affection if her sweetheart will agree 70
turn blackleg and head a revolt against Rob
erts- The curtain falls as Nadge is hoverinC
over the dying wife and the boy is blowing euer-
getically on his flute. II IS an affecting scene
with many Illuminating flashes Of character and
a genuine note OF pathos.
The wOrkmen's meeting. with its turbulent
crowd is finely staged 1t is dramatic not 50
much from the excited movement and snrfu
interruptions OF the strikers as from the ss-iszs
of short harangues from four speakers Ths
trade union official advises patience and self
control: Madge's father arrays the chanel
against the strikers and warns them that rhev
are lighting against nature when the cottsxArs
are starving; Madse's lover pleads for the
abandonment OF the struggle when women and
children are suffering and carries the crovd
with him: and finally Roberts regains control
OF the movement by rough eloqueuce and in
passioned entreatIes for loyalty to the cause
of workingmens freedom In tn. moment n,
triumph Roberts is struck down. for MadSa's
shriIl voice is heard shouting that his wife IS
dead and that he has killed her When he has
gone NIadges lover returns 10 the sttaeL and
persuades the strikers 70 abandon their leader
and to make peace with their EMPLOYERS In
the final act the directors are still hesftatinE
them that they are fighting not only for tnsAs
dividends but also for their homes their rorra-
try and social order. The son turns against
him. and the directors finally carry resolu-
ton deputing the trade union delegate to make
peace with the workmen Scarcely has the
chairman resigned his Office before the work.
mems delegation ia ushered in 20 propos> a
surrender. Roberts attempts to break on peacs
negotiations, but discovers that his associates
have betrayed him. The two seIf-willed Lead
face to face in the moment OF defeat Peacs
has been made the terms proposed BY the
trade unionists before the strike opened i've
months earlier That is the fun OF the thing
exclaims the walking delegate as the curtain
is rung down. 1t is an ironical summary Of tbs
wastefulness of a disastrous conflict between
u oh 49,.