The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-20
SERMONS FROM HHE STAGE.
Many OPINIONS BUT Va Plot
~ "THE MADRAS HOUSE"

Il SHa3NNA4I ANMI1EE aN8NNaA gA8I NNSNN~ -
| Ne Tiresemel On PaPts-nssna9n Pieased
bV . New NlasicaI Csmeay-New Dra.
matle Material Prem the Continent.
LONDON. March I7.-0eorge Bernard
Sbaws disciples are overseeing thpun-
selves in a desire To lecture from the stage
on all possible subjects In one play. Plot
character development. dramatic pur-
pose Ale all neglected. and epigrams.
witticisms and long discussions among
the people who wander on and on the
stage for no reason az all constitute tins
main features of playWriting.
Two years ago Granville Barker.
faithful follower Of Mr.. Shaw In dramatic
work a. well a. FAbiAniam. wrote q
remarkable play called WASTE II vas
censured. and Mr.. Barker. hurt and in-
dignant. laid down his pen and intimatsd
that he would not write &C al since he
could not write a. he wished. but he has
now roconsidered this intention and The
Madras House which Charles Frohman
produced at the Repertory Theatre On
Wednesday evening. IN his latest work.
Waste" was . strong. purpossful
drama with = clear. well developed plot.
| plenty Of excellent character drawing
and human interest. The MAdEns House.
10 shavianism naked and unashamed.
IL IL a moving panorama. q SUCCESSION
OF scenes. sometimes brilliantly amusing.
sOmetines moderately entertaining. some
times duh. Plot there 10 none. One
| thread Of purpose which seemed to be
going to run through tho piece WA an
attack on the living in system Al it
affects the employees Of stores. but that
soon gave way to discussions on women
and the absurtities Of modern civilizA-
ton.
The play opens with q picture of the
suburban household OF M. Haxtabis and
his sax unmarried daughters. Who have
no interest in life but auArrelling and gos-
slipping about one another. AF. Huyfabie
IL chief partner in Roberts a HuxtAble. q
Peckham firm OF drapers. and u also in
terested in the Madras Houss. fashion
able West End dr~asmaking ests bliahm-nt.
His partners are his brother-in-lav. Goa
stdRffRs Nodras. who many years before
deserted his wife and went to live in the
far Fast. and his nephew. Phlip AadVos.
a young man convinced that the world h
ont Of JOINT
The second act II az Rotsrts y Hux.
tables. One Of the shop assistants. Miss
Yates. - involved in q scandal together
with n fellow worker who has been seen
kissing her. The latter IN married. hut
has kept his marriage secret from the firm
because he could not AFFORD to live out.
and this scandal drags his secret out. Miss
Yates in a soene with PhI'p kodros n de-
fiant and PhIip suspects her NJ having
been friendly with his father
The next act - AZ tho Madras HOUSE. |
where q sentimental hut practical Ameri- |
can has come tn arrange to buy up the
CONCERN. Constantine M0dras makes his |
appearance and there II much brilliant |
conversation on many subjects. Goa |
sf0RffHe Madras has become a Mohamms- |
dan and means 90 make Arabia his per |
manert home. The American delivers /
oraiionS with extracts from Byron. who's |
poems he Learned at his H.othsT's knee.
and latin phrases. and finally. just before 1
the fail NJ the curtain. he succeeds in buy
ing the establishment Rnod will and all.
w the lasa act NJ. and Mrs PAilfp No
drd~ are NJ home and Constantine has cnma
20 hid them Sood-by. His deserted wife
has arranged 10 he present The old
qI@rTeI ~ resumed a. soon as they meet
The curtain falls on PhafD Nadras and his L
wife talking platitudes and Sha vianisms.
This fourth act " weak. The audiences
grew FESTIVE during its progress The
!
A. the Iyceum n melodrama called
The Fighting Chance by Edward
Ferris and n v. Matthews. is scoring a
great succsas with a probability of an
early American production.
A. the Savoy Theatre &. n. Workman.
undeterr~d nv two recent failures, has
persevered a. an operAtic actor mana
ger. and on Thursday evening produced
Two Merry MonArchs.- a tuneful and
pleasing musical play. There 10 not
much 81 story 20 IL, hut there are plenty
of charming melodies reminiscent "a
sullivan. and u genuinely pleased a very
large and representative first night audi
Geork- Edwardes has returned 10 Inn
don after a two months absence on the
Continent and Mr.. Frohman has Alags
come hack after few days i'm Paris.
Roth have secured dramatic material OF
value Mr Edwards has made the
largest haul. for besides completing
arrangements To have The Count N
Luxembourg. Igehar's latest Vienna sue
csssS. follow The Dollar Princesn- in I
London he has also a new work of DIR.
Leo Falls called The Divorced Wife
The Italian Operetta Capt. Fracan.e
by Mario de Costa, has fallen into Mr. |
Edwarte.s hands a. well ~ an aEnlnrinw :
farce called is Mairimony a FAihrePs
be%idea the veteran musical comedy
manager has secured the Russian i'm
cerial opera company and ballet from
~. Petersburg They are To give short {
operas and hallets IN London. and Mr.
Edwarfe- ~ confident of their success "A ,
the vogue Tor all things Russian has not I
yet diminished in England
Mr.. Frohman has secured the EnRlah
and American rghts tn three PARIS sIIc-
ces~fS. The first u HEM BataiIIe'S latest Z
play. la Verge FOlle.' which Mr. Froh-
man prOnounce~ -one of the finest plaVa {
! have ever se~u in Paris.- The second {
acquisition n Henri IAyedan's comedy
Sire Then there ~ Tristan BernArdis
-I~ Danseur Inconnu- and a new piec~ .
Ivy the authors Il Love Watches" which :
has not yet t-eeu produced and laat but .
not least -ChanSecier.- which Nr. Froh-
man will hsssdss for America bat not sor
England
The Sicilian actors and Actre~ses are b
winning the plandits 81 their fellow 4
players IN England. though they arr not :,
lotning money. AZ a professional matinee }.
M Thursday which SignOr Granao had ar :
ranged tbe applauss was deafening and
isa@~o was obligrd 90 make a speech. e
-.