The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-10-04
''New York" Modelled After
Prevailing Mode In The
atrical Productions.
THRILLS, THRILLS,
AND THEN SOME
Splendid Cast Keeps Nobly In Run
ming Through Succession
of Shocks.

On its second bound toward Broad
way New York" reached the Columbia
Theater of Washington last night II
was seen for two weeks in Philadelphia.
From here it Will jump TO Baltimore and
thence to Gotham TO vie with such thrill
lers as Madame X'' and THE City,"
which are just now the height Of
dramatic fashion.
New York comes in the wake of
wave that brought the Eugene Walter
successes on it's crest, and was accom-
panied by such inconsequent white caps
as The Only Law" and The Revel-
lers."
Whether it will hold it's own in the
metropolis among plays Of its kind
the Capital is not fitted to judge.
1t is a good drama of the kind the
press agent loves to call strong"
II may even be worth while. but Wash
ington doesn't like its type-thats all.
Certainly William J. Hurlbut has pro-
vide0 a succession of thrills that should
jar the neural system OF the most blaSe
playgOer If he is any longer susceptible
10 theatrical dynamlCS. The second act
develops a series of shocks that reminds
one of the kissing and splitting Of two
crossed wires. il is an interesting study
in dramatic structure if nothing else.
The author has piled climax upon ell
max until the audience is cropping in
maze, and the players. equally bewilder-
ed are forced to forsake all delicacies OF
acting and take refuge in vocal gym
nastics and frenzied caleSthenics-
Plays Upon Emotions.
An experienced neurologist could not
pull more strings in the-spinal cord than
this young man sets in motion. Give
him all the credit for this feat It is a
thing that older and more experienced
dramatists have failed 70 accomplish.
But Mr.. HurlbUt should be made TO eX
plain just why he did it,
The play is sordid. It is unnecessary.
It can't be excused because il is life.
Such incidents occur in the police courts,
but no decent newspaper chronicles
them. Mr.. HUTlbUt is self-condemned.
In one passage of genuine literary value
he remarks, in effect, that all life does
not lie in the muck: that beyond the
stagnant pools there is a strong, clear
current that sweeps slime into the back
waters. This wholesome phase of life
the drama fails TO touch.
If the cast had not been so capable
the play would not have been so re-
pulsive. The grueSOme role of a father
who tries to raise an illegitimate child
in ignorance Of his birth and has that
was taken by OTrin Johnson. 1t was the
general opinion that Mr.. JOhnsOn'S per
sOnaiity was a little too fiinty to strike
pronounced emotional sparks until last
night. He stayed in the running through
that second act with an effort worthy
of a better cause. His work ar times
reminds one Of that other excellent
actor, JOHN Mason, and he should be
careful that he does not, like Mr. Ma
son. shade his delineatiOn so delicateIv
that ii fails 10 carry across the foot
lights.
Miss Halls Triumph.
Miss Laura Nelson Halls impersona-
zion early in the first act did not ring
quite true with the intent of the author
as shown in the rest Of the play But
that fault was forgotten in the discov-
cry Of latent talents that Miss Hall had
not before shown she possessed. Her
acting was splendid through these situa-
tons which made heavy demands on
the-art Of repression as well as of act
ing. New York" is frankly melodra-
matte, and the best means Of showing
that Il is theaCric rather than HfeIike
would be a bit Of overactinS. This
the members Of the cast failed TO do.
a more repulsive part il would be
hard TO imagine than that ASSIGNED to
Miss Mary Shaw She did Il Well-toO
well for the comfort Of The men in the
audience who were acting as escorts.
Frank Craven furnished a delineatiOn
of a young man whose course was
guided by greed and vanity, and he
showed to a nicely the proportion I'm
which these two forces reacted on their
victims conduct. Mortimer Weldon. as
Wendal Randolf. was perhaps the least
satisfactory member OF the cast. Minor
roles were taken by Vaughan Trevor,
Florence Burdett, and Frances White
house.
house. J. r. HILDEBRAND.