New-York tribune., 1910-10-20
THE DRAMA
"Keeping Up Appearances" at
the Comedy Theatre.

lief 1TOIu Iiit NHtdpHcSSt NuleoAAbSf 30
1e. slush. sewage and vainglory so often l
poured upon the local stage this season
His work. as this play exhibits 1t. is good 4
work. honest. seIf-respecting: the play IS .
consistent. sensible. interesting. worthy Of
public support. 1t deserves celebrity If for .
no other reason than that it's fourth. and i
last. act maintains the grip and interest Of 4
the story, an achievement uncommon IN I
many Iatter-day plays, and quite beyond I
the art of a majority of new dramatists |
But there are other reasons: The author
knows something of human nature. and he
has not pursued his studies OF dramatic /
composition in a Correspondence School /
He has not hit upon a plct and then N /
vented characters TO fit the development
Of his tale. He seems first to have found
his characters and then to have let his
story develop under their charge. The only /
moor thing about his play is its title Keep I
ing Up Appearances; IL is the only COM
monplace thing attached to his writing
Mrs. LowelTs husband lives with another
woman This is the first fact that the
spectator of the play understands. But
speedily il is seen that the old story is 10
be told in an uncommon way; that there is
human nature nature in this play and not
mere theat atrical nature Mrs. Lowell is
sweet. fine spirited. deep seeing. honor low
ing. seIf-reIiant. motherly woman Of forty
five She has three children. at or near
their legal majority. two of them daughters
and one of them a son. On the tnfrequent
occasions when the father visits the house
hold the question is; What shall be done
with him? At once you see there VIII
never be any reunion of hearts and lives in
this assembly. But the sternest daily ef-
forts are made 10 keep up appearances
Mrs Lowell keeps them up for her chill
dren's sake. for her husbands sake ana 1or
the sake Of her own dignity The daugh-
ters keep up appearances for thelr own
sakes: they are selfish pieces and must
dress well and angle for husbands The son
helps to keep up appearances for his moth
er's sake He is the only one VINO does
ANYTHING for the mothers sake. He with
draws from college and earns his living for
her sake. because the mother finds il hard,
oven in1possibIe. TO continue under the strain
of debt due to keeping up appearances The
husband finds the expenses of his second
household interfering with his financial
DUTY TO his first He is not unwilling, out
unable. to carry the money burden The
wife owns her home but has consented 10
place three mortgages upon it for the
husbands sake. she receiving a portion or
the proceeds He would sell the place
and divide the excess over the claims
Her son one of the few decent, manly
sons visible of late on the stage, inter
venes and prevents the transaction The
| father departs in anger. refusing to do
ANYTHING more for his legitimate family.
He is not needed The son, with little
capital derived from the sale OF his
mothers jewels, engages in a business
v hich pulls the households finances TO-
sether, at pinch: one of the daughters
marries and the other goes around the
world as the guest of rich girl friend,
having the chance to angle for matrimO-
nial fish. The father is persuaded to do
his part at his daughters wedding. but
lust before starting for the church he
hears of the accidental death of his He
gitimate son. a little boy he dearly loved
Upon his wife now falls the task of sus~
tanning him in his grief. carrying through
the wedding with credit to the family and
sending a sympathetic message TO the
dead boys mother, stranger of whose
existence. of course. she has known for
wears. Presently the two women meet, at
their own wish, and not in the way that
most dramatists of the hour would have
them meet There are no heroics. no re.
1
terview These women understand each
other: sympathize. too. Much might be
written about this fourth act and its mo-
tive There we'll be time enough for that
later. for this play will run in New York
if New York's appreciation Of drama of
real worth is not quite dulled Frederick
Lowell receives the judgeship to which
he has aspired and he wins il because his
wife's sacrifice has spared him the scam
daI which is imminent through his own
conduct. Now there is no need for keep
ing UP appearances. Mrs Lowell will
seek divorce. so that Judge Lowell may
marry the other woman. Appearances
may henCeforth take care Of themselves
No more masks. If Judge Lowell can
keep his judgeship in these circumstances
land in what circumstances cannot an
American judge stick to the benchD all
is well: if he cannot. that will he his af-
fair. His wife has done all she can do
Now she will be free. and so will he.
But deeper than all this IS the meaning Of
what passes between the two women
women of breeding. of love, of loyalty to
love- women of sensibility. of courage. Ask.
II you will, which one has the greater claim
upon the man: but ask also which has the
greater claim upon herself. There are
some who will say that Louise Lowell is
an impossible woman: there are others
with wider experiences of life who Will find
her not only possible but an old ac-
quaintance. and who will comprehend her
when she SAYS that some women are better
mothers than wives. at any rate for some
men. The case is illustrated by the lives
of Frederick and Louise Lowell. Were the
part of Louise Lowell played by any other
actress than Amelia Gardner the character
might not appeal so deeply to an audience
For this part needs just the Interpretation
that Miss Gardner gives II, just her look.
her manner. her voice just the spirit she
imparts just the knowledge she implies.
If anybody could have played this part bet
ter than Miss Gardner IL would have been
Mrs. Kendall dozen years ago. II IS not
easy 10 think of higher praise for Amelia
Gardner nor for any actress now upon our
stage.
Mr.. Benrimo. as the father; Mr. y Hyl-
ton Allen, as the son. were in the picture,
fairly earning the commendation bestowed
upon them by a gratified house. Miss Zelda
Sears was truly funny as a gOssipy. coarse.
hut good hearted dressmaker. Miss Mabel
Moore. as one Of the selfish daughters, was
amusing although she rather Overdid the
nervousness OF the hour before the we'd
ding. Miss Gertrude Dallas. as 1.-The other
woman had a short but thoroughly Well
acted scene. And 50. in most respects. the
acting was in keeping with the merit OF the