New-York tribune., 1910-03-20
THE LONDON STAGE
Round Table Conferences
DecadeRt Drama
London. March 70

- ~.
Court Theatre was himself Berinnin,
with systematic efforts 70 popularlzs M
shaw's play. bS teaching actors how ),
enact their parts. he ended BY fnAlr.
out that he was himself a pIaywrirhs
He had already assisted Mr.. Laurence
HOusman and another writer IN dramatf,
experiments; but II was not until n.
had been stage managing Mr.. shaw,
works that he produced The Vors.v
Inheritance" displayed marked inat-
viduality and was hailed BY enthl1ui-
asts as the coming man. Having dls-
covered himself he Is now likely 10 Io.s
himself. The vagaries Of his master win
not suffer him % develop his own talers,
BY orderly processes OF evolution. Ha "a
reverting 70 plays Of interminable dis
eussiOn OF morbid subiects-to drama
without form OF narrative interest. Nor
only is he the victim OF his own clever
ness, but he q also Obsessed with a
nnOnOmania for writing dialogue ahous
eek. and there can be no surer sign a.
decadeut drama.
The Madras House. produced by W.
Frohman az the Repertory Theatre, deal,
with middle class ideals respecting
women and marriage. The talk begin.
at Denmark Hill. where Ruskin lived q,
long with his TintOFettO. Turner'S. Coxss
and PrOuts; but not among people with.
either an intellectual or an artistic
strain. The Huxtables. father. mother
and six unmarried daughters lead the
dull. sordid. respectable lives OF wealthy
trades people. The fussy mother has
brought up her daughters 20 an aiInIsss
existence. and with their prim WAYS and
thOUghtless chatter they are marked our
for hopeless old maids. They are not
seen after the first act. but the father
comes in again because he is part owner
OF millinery business IN Peckharn. with
a West End branch known as the Madras
House, which an American wishes 70
purchase. His nephew. Philip Madras
is anxious 20 sell out the business. but
no decision can be reached until the ar
rival OF the father. Constantine Madras.
who has abandoned his family. become a
MahOmetan and established a hareu n
the Euphrates valley.
In the second act Philip Is al the Peck
ham shop holding an inquiry respecting
a shop girl implicated in a scandal and
Is receiving assistance from an elderly
matron responsible for two hundred
young women. who are living tn" m
cidentally suspicious are directed against
a fellow clerk. Brigstock. who has been
kissing naughty Marian. and Mrs. Brig
stock, whose existence has not been
known. Is revealed. Major Thomas. Who
imagines that Philips wife Is running
after him. appeals to the husband for
protection and asks % have the door
closed upon him. especially as he Is him.
self a married man. All these people.
with the exception OF Philip. disappear
from the stage after the close Of this act.
Meanwhile, there has been prOtracted
debate on the dulness Of a respecta5ls
home. the aUdacity Of emancipatsd
youth. the aspirations OF shop assistants,
the effects Of the sleeping in system.
the trend OF education toward immoral
ity. the advantages Oe pOlygamy' us
glamour OF suburban culture and scores
Of other side issues.
In the third act there is a directors
meeting at the Madras House for
authorizing the sale Of the business,
with an amusing diversion in the ex-
hibitiOn Of three maniklns IN wonder
f1l Partisan gowns. close fitting cOrsets
and fascinating hats. When this parade,
under the direction Of Windleshans tas
htter. is ended the serious business
transaction Is approached with pro-
tracted talk on irrelevant quesiions'
The romantic American fnancier' We
Is plotting furious competition WIN
drapers and millineTs on sentiments.
lines. breaks out in ThaPsOdies over
women. quotes Byron with rollins eyes
and tdeallzes the artistic functions OK
decorative dressmakers and millnerss
The renegade Constantine Madras ses
the Orient against the Occident By de-
scTibing the economic advantages es
harem. the perfection OF Maholae'1n
civilization and the decadeEce Of Europe
in comparison with the perennial fres"'
ness Of Asia. When the business hA'
finally been disposed OF there Is fous'n
act. with another long talk between S'a-
stantine and Philip. father and SON. "a
PhilHmOre Gardens. in which the rn-'
Is revealed that he was the shop s''
seducer. After hts departure Tor 'a'
Euphrates Philip discusses the gene'A
situation with his own wife. and they h'
recOucfIed before the hnal fah OF "
curtain.
With the maximum Of talk TOT '''
minimum Of action required by 50 80
der a series OF episodes. there are
chances for effective acting. Mr. ChAls
Maude is amusing as the pompous
affected designer Of women's gowns N''
Arthur Whitby IS spirited as the
mantle American fnancier; Mr.. sy'''
Valentine is a picturesque and sono''
MahOmetan: Mr.. Dennis Eadie's poNe,
OF endurance are equal 20 the pro'f'ss
strain Of Philips harangues on az
OF questions: and the actresses. h''as
Miss Florence Hayden. Miss Mary
rOld and Miss Fay Davis. do wnat ~
can 20 make the play inteFestins
when so much Is said and SO H'Ns
done the performance becomes
some and cannot be redeemed oy o.s
impersonations OF character or eN'e"S
stage management. How can enc n'
eFtory Theatre reinviSOrate the u'os'
stage when IL encourages the prceHsUs
% such plays as The Madras H'"'s