The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-01
A NEW PLAY BY GILLETTE
MARIE DORO "ELErTRfCITiS'
SOCIALIST HEROINE.

Her Eyes SAN Large Part sr Rrr Equip
meut-The Author Prea~hrs Against
Capstal-% Neatly Wesea bus Wei
Wsrn Plot Des clogs Mesieru story.
Marie Doro came to the Lyc~um Thea
tire last night To act IN a new play, fash
ioned for her use ny William Gii"tte.
who, having mastered the secret of hitting
dramas Ia his own slight gifts, Ia regarded
a. particularly expert In suiting others
just as we'll. For several years he has
been responsible for tn, vehicles that
display Miss Doro tn advantage.
! Miss Doro has eyes They are large
and dark. They are deeply expressive
! in the way Of pathos and a certain haunt
| ing sadness. IL ~ not impossible that
| thos. eyes are more responsive for Miss
Doro's theatrical Importance than any
! other detail OF her rather wistful beauty
without their arknese and their depths
she would probably never have been
advanced to that gifted sisterhood Of
: tine stars among which she uiovcs TO-
day. Even with such eyes. however.
il Is necessary for her 10 have play to
show them ia. IL 10 not enough that she.
merely roll them expressively.
So Electricity Was written for her by
william Gillette. IL ~ q comedy which
deals facetiously with some Of the themes
that have recently inspired drarHatists
to very much weIghtier efforts, The
socialistic daughter Of rich man believes
\ his money tainted. decides to work for
her living and falls in love with an em
nently eligible young man rho introduces
himself as an elect rican and makes the
\ foreman OF q gang OF them change places
I with him temporarily Only when the
helress goes To visit the mot her Of the real
elect rician il there dan ger of the discovery
! Of the fraud.
' The workingman's mother IL distressed
/ 20 learn that he has fallen In love with an
heiress TO the prejudice Of the young
a., woman &c whom he was hetrothed Her
father finds her IN the workingInan ;
house and orders her home IL takes "A
thlrdsact with the mother Of the genuine
electrician and his hetrothed begRIng
the heire-s To release rns young man and
TO persuade her that her lover was fraud
not a workin gman AT all hut had assumed
a well worn device Of the stage. which
derived its present interest from the move
and modern treatment OF the theme.
That was old when The Lady OF Lyons
was a novelty. Certainly the germ Of
thi. episode antedates that early VIC
torian classic
Mr.. Gillette made his rschouFs Of the
familiar ingredients into pleasant com
edy He IL too expert a craftsman To fail
in making good Use Of even the slight
material he employs in Electricity.
IL was quite as much the skilful manner
in which he realized Mi. ideas that excited
the admiration Of the audience as the Use
he made Of them. There wer. times when
the customary Gillette adroifn.ss failed
him. This was especially noticeable in
the first ACT. when he seemed to encounter
unusual difficulty IN getting his character
on and Oh the s,ens Yet in the second
ideas visits the supposed family of her
betrothed. this improbable episode was
very plausibly managed.
But with all hi- e. perieDce the dramatist
could not make the young woman .
economic TRADES anything but a ~eari-
ne-s to the flesh III. thing has been 80
IN UGH better done. IL has been better
done very frequently moreover. and one
need not recall the name Of the lrIshman
who has taken the stage for his pulpit
to suggest some Of the authors who are
very much cle.erer AT that line OF work
than Mr.. Gillette without possessing an
atom Of his skill IN staxecrafr 80 his
public would be much NOR. grateful I'll
him for a good play with none Of the
social dissertations that any sophomore
can excel him At
And there were several minutes IN the
play last night whea the author plainly
intended that his ut'erancss should he
taken seriously With Mr. Gillette COW
erriy preaching and Augustus Thomas
following the complicated psyChplo gica
directions into which his recent plays
have run there will he only the amateurs
left after a while TO devote thei- att.n-
ton To the romance and humor that the
life OF the day 40 abundantiy Offers
Miss i,oros eyes were assuredly nev.r
lovelicr than they we're las night she
! acts with intelligence and has acquired
some good effects of stage routine. Her
physical means are tcebl- ma; II l.
difficult for her tn project her intent
across the fooelights. We have r.ard
} that this process 10 described IA getting
u over" in the really artistic theatrical
teDtr.s. IL Miss IIoro were a little more
effective from this viewpoint her unIqu.
pers onaliiy ought to DOstess n thestric
value. With the necessary artistic means
for instance. what an ideal GiIbsrts N
-Frou-f rou- she might he. Ih- emo,
,ionsi note Is 10y NO rn"ans missing ire m
There was the usual Gillette efficiency
in the acting. Oliver d. Byron was
compelled to snarl and bark continuously
a. the millionaire father and he seemed
to be doing u con amore. Edwin Nj
lander as the young brother who aided
his friends impostures to win his sister
Henry Hall an the ectrician who sud
denly changed places with IN. wealthy
college graduate and Shelley Hull a.
the young lover acted With very agree
able humor and restraint.
r ID McGinn and Mrs Nhippen, Who
was welcomed by more applais" than
any other feature OF the evening brought
out. were natural ~ the parents OF tn.
young workman Then Myrtk. Tanner
Hill as his betrothed. who temporarily
thought herself deserted. was very
attractive member OF this humble house
hold
PfRSfIT or ~ gNTRF DER.