New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-18
THE DRAMA
Kyrle BeIieW in "The Scandal
at the Garrick Theatre.

Parfs. then IL would seem that Henri
Bataille, notwithstanding his earlier efforts,
has entered for a term of instruction in
the trade of pIaynaking, and has learned
many of the formulas of the current ses-
sion The play 70 which he now attaches
his name and which seems to be a result OF
his late-night studies of the textbooks, is
called The Scandal" Some theatre man
ayers and their attaches may be inclined to
describe il as another great play OF mother
love" There are curious notions Of mother
love-On the stage. But this must be a
play of the sort. because the mother in the
case loves her children. Oh, she loves them
dearly and she loves her husband. and she
dotes on her home. and. and-and she gives
herself to a cheap adventurer whom she
has met at a summer hotel. and the cheap
edventurer, who hasn't z sou to bless him
self with borrows money from her, Dor
rows A dianiond ring from her. pawns it,
and departs And then this fond mother
discovers that she IOathes the hOrrid man,
and she blubbers about her children. goes
about with a rueful cOuntenance. tells
everybody, excepting her husband, of her
dark secret. because she fears it will be
told of her. when. a a matter of fact II
wouldn't have been told at all but for her
own stupidity. She was fifty per cent fool
In more ways than one glocmier
woman. a more shuddery, gasping, "snOop-
ing" disagreeable woman to meet after
dark. or even in broad daylight. has not
been shown TO weary world by the Dram
atists Correspondence School
Her husband is a fine sort. the Unsus-
pecting. chivalrOUs sort, who cant see
what stares in the faces OF all the rest Of
the population Everybody knows the kind
OF man; he has been seen IN a thousand
plays He cries. I will wash my honor
and he calls in everybody to see the laundry
work Of a sudden he changes his mind
and declines TO wash publicly At the end
he forgives his wife. in a beautiful speech
This may be new part OF the formula,
but. on the other hand, 1t may not Any
how. madame goes to sleep during the
beautiful speech The audience remains
awake with difficulty
Somebody is bound to call this piece "a
problem play The problem probably is:
why is the piece performed in New
York; One answer is that the production
must have been driven in from the outly-
ing parts of the country for refuge. An
other problem: Why is Kyrle Bellew in
this galley Why is he wasted on such
part as Maurice Ferioul in such a play as
can be found for him? OF all the artless-
ness that can be pressed into four acts
not shred is missing. The pressure is
hydraulic. the water power being supplied
by weeping woman, whose tears flow from
the first scene until she falls asleep in the
last act. Niobe could not have outwept her.
But. according to the Correspondence
School from which so many playmen re-
ceive inspiration in these golden autumn
evenings. Nine. FeriouI typi1es mother love.
Nobody but the adult pupils of the School
would believe it. and they only because
the weepful lady shouts L love my chill
dTen." and then seeks the haven of her
paramoUr's arms when that solemn vagrant
asks: viii you come TO me tO-nlght"' IN
deed, yes; "a play of mother love" accord
ing to the makers and celebrants of drama
taught by the D. Q. S.
Kyrle BeIIew plays the honest, excellent
and forgiving husband But all the art Of
which he is master cannot make this art
less composition OF Batailles an endurable
play. Perhaps the translator has done in
justice to Bataille. but. since no one thought
it worth while to place the translator
name on the programme, permission may
be granted TO the inference that the play
translated itself on the way over the seas.
The lines have a seIf-made sound. Their
originality is beyond doubt, but also, in
many pages beyond the historic period.
The mother of my child: The father OF
my child; And I loved that man." and
many more such phrases borne down
through generations on the ink Of play
wrights long dead and long forgotten
Artlessness? The play reminds one Of
the schoolboys drawing on the black
lest any one might think it Brooklyn
Bridge by moonlight. The Ferioul lady
looks into her lovers eyes and cries;
You are not a woman" There is much
Of this kind of fine writing" Here is a
play TO make a spectator yawn. But there
was a line that captured applause: In
every one Of Us there is a devil which can
not be exercised by all the priests, or 10
that effect. Kyrle Bellew spoke it. It is a
privilege 10 hear Kyrle Bellew speak any
thing to see him act anything. But he and
his art are thrown away on The Scandal. -
Vincent SerranO did some cOmmendabIe
work for a few moments; Ernest Stallarl
some excellent work in each of his scenes.
Miss Hanson. who played the unfaIthfUl
wife was quite remote from any interest
which might have accompanied an ade-
quate presentation Of the part. The scene
Of the play is France. Only one or two
persons in il seemed 10 be nearer the land
of action than French restaurant in some
side street off Broadway. The stage man
agement seemed barren of suggestion
There was no atmosphere There was
a library without books The barren
interiors made the mind turn with long
ing TO the interiors" in BelascOs latest
production. But il was quite unnecessary
10 yearn so far afield. In all the four acts
of The Scandal there is not so much at
mosphere." so much effectiveness Of presen-
tation as there Is in the first fifteen min
utes of The Little Damozel-" Compare
sons are said TO be odious. These are not
meant TO be So But they are unavoidable
Again, why waste kyrle Bellew? He is
one of the best actors Of our time. Have
the pIaymakers nothing worth his while?
Then why not revive one or more Of his
former successes? They we're plentiful. and
worth the publcs Whhe. 200. \. W.
CAST OF THE SCANDAL"
Maurice Ferioul. - kyrle Beiiew
Artauezzo Observation-Disclosures. Vincent SerrdnO
Teaunetier NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Frank CCnnor
PARROT Ernest Stallard
The Prefect- Frank Westerton
Admiral Ciraviers. Harrison Carter
Castor de Berieux -........... StapletOn Kent
Radvel ..-......- Edgar FRANKLIN
Cruz .-.....-.......... Bernard Fairfax
Chauffeur ..-----.-.-.W Logan
Charlotte Ferioul. Gladys Hanson
Nine. Fertoul Ffolliot Paget
Marthon Ferioul. .... .......-.. Viola Dale
Riquet FertOuI. TrtXie Allen
Margaridou ...--.--.---.-V Virginia Chauvenot
Mile Ranuuette. ...-.--. Carlctta Doty
The Girl with the Blue Hat -. Charlotte Lillard