The Washington times., 1909-06-29
NamelesS Drama Bears Ear
marks of a Machine-Made
Production.
ACTING REDEEMS
MANY SITUATIONS
Characters Cleverly Drawn But
Are Not Developed by a
Central Theme.

Capable acting is not wholly discount
ed BY summer weather. A goodly audi
enee paid tribute 10 the Belasco Theater
Producing Company last evening, when
a play yet 10 be named. received its
first presentation on any stage.
The author did not wholly get away
from the eternal triangle. for the play
hinges on the love OF two women for a
man, but he added TO this the love OF
the two women for each other-proving
that, II a new angle is not 20 be found,
the third one can be used 70 advantage.
The father OF the Girl. so the story
runs, committed suicide because he
thought his friend, Brundage, had tried
TO steal away his wife. As a matter OF
fact, his wife on the night he killed
himself, was making a vain attempt TO
force herself upon Brundage. The cir
cumstances of his friends death had a
lasting effect upon Brundage. who left
the country to recover from the first
blow. Mrs. Dakon, encouraged by a
sense OF injury because Brundage had
seemed TO tilt her and cOmforJed by an
income which Brundage had settled
upon her for some reason that can
hardly be fathomed, RECEIVERS from the
Ehock more easily
Nearly ten years later Brundage meets
AIRS. Dakon and Ruth, a daughter of
Dakon by his first wife. he falls in
love with the girl, while Mrs. Dakon
believes his return is a reawakenIng OF
an old affection for her. When she sur
prises the two in q love scene she Ell
fectuaIly raises a bar between them Dy
telling Ruth distSrted story OF her
fathers death. But Mrs. Dakon hnds
she has overplayed her hand when the
young woman insists that everything be
sold and the money returned to Brun-
dage as partial reimbursement for MS
The last act shows Mrs Dakon and
her step-daughter in bare room near
the art shops of Paris. where Ruth Is
trying 70 earn a living with her brush-
Here comes an adnirer whom Mrs Da-
EOn scOrned in the early days. but VINO
finds a ready assent 70 a proposal =
immediate marriage. After long h9nt
Brundage, too, finds his way 10 tlls
Mace and face TO face with the bride
Of an hour, forces from ner the trulH-
Situations Strained.
Told in clever lines and acted by a
capable company the complications do
not seem quite 50 imaginary or the sit
nations so strained as in the actual tell
ing. But one can not help feeling i'm
patient with these people for getting
themselves into such a tangle over al
most nothing Miss Ruth is singularly
keen at times, at others she is willfully
obtuse. Mrs. Dakon is an almost I'M
possible blending of cool calculation and
generous impulses
In many ways the play is more liter
ary than dramatic This tendency Is re-
sponsible for explanations which should
be left 10 the actor for expression. Oc-
casionaEy it is responsible for clever
lines Mrs. Dakon IS accurately descr1b-
cd as a woman who comes IN strong
at the flnish-at steamers weddings
funerals. and other such places. But
much OF the exposition Is mere YerbiaSe
and wholly pOintfess unless the actors
Back OF this lies fault common in
this day Of demand for new plays The
ihearer can not help feeling thar this
author has worked, not 10 tell a mes
sage or 10 develop a central theme. but
rather set out 10 write a play. All the
more Is the pity IN this instance thai
he has written the play fairly well and
has given life TO characters who. at
times, seem singuiagly human and real
And IL was FOR these characters and
their excellent representations, in near
u every instance, that EheatergOers
stayed through one of the warmest
evenings thiT summer AMI applauded
again and aesin after the curtains last
fail.
Miss Taylor Scores.
Miss Laurette TAYLOR brings to the
role OF Ruth an Interpretation after her
usual manner. which, however. is all
her own. The most pleasing feature of
her acting Is that in n part such as
she has this week she forbears 10 rely
on her personality, but creates, instead.
a clear cut impersonation. albeit on a
slender thread. Even I'm the long drawn
out love making scenes where the temp
tatian u play out Of her character is
greatest, she carries out this impersona-
ton. The triumph OF hCr work last
evening was iE the genuinely dramatic
scene with her steD-mOther, when she
declares Mrs. Dakon must choose be-
tween Brundage's income and her love.
This situation Is not new. but is certain
j. unhackneyed. And II is such 1itua-
ti9ns and sucn acting that lift the play
FAR above the level of an absolute fall
ure.
Miss Beatrice Morgan is a capable
ACTRESS Dut she apparently stepped out
q her field when she assumed a heavy
emotional role. Her acting at times was
good, but she hardly gave the role a
consistent portrayal as a whole. Though
Edward Emery IS not given the oppor-
tuuity afforded him in "rhe Son Of His
Father" last week his acting as a r0Ge
IS so good that II is disappointing when
the realization comes thar his part has
nc particular significance in the play.
J. r. H1LDEBRAND