New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-29
LONDON PLAYS.
A Successful Repertory Pro-
duction.

cess. each OF the four acts being
warmly applauded and enthusiasm rising
In temperature at the end until il was
necessary for the author, Miss Eliza
beth Baker, to appear among the actors
and to receive a personal welcome She
fully deserved the compliment. for her
play. while a first attempt at stage writ
ing, was not an anateurish perform
ance. but a thoroughly sincere and con-
sistent piece Of work. 1t was drama
dealing with suburban discomfort and
aspirations, and was characterized by
close observation OF life. It's essential
truthfulness as a study of humble and
vulgar society commanded respect for
q story at once pathetic and amusing
Enacted by a company Of accomplished
artists, 1t was one OF the most satisfac-
tory programmes Of the Repertory sea-
son.
The social discomfort Of Hannmersnnith
10 represented by three rebels Wilson.
q clerk with a taste for gardening: ms
lodger, Tenant. who has decided to
chuck his job and go to Queensland.
and his sister-in-law, Maggie Massie.
who has a soul above her surroundings
In the home of a retired plumber OF
Chiswfck. The men are weary OF ONCE
drudrery and district trains and anxious
10 make a fresh start in a new country
where they fancy they will have more
liberty than in overcrowded London
Tenant can go because he has saved
little money and Is unmarried Wilson
is disabled for colonial adventures De-
cause he has a. wife, and when ne tries
to escape from his bonds he has TO face
a weeping wife and the cold. unsympa-
thetic plumbers family in Chiswick- He
decides to break away from home anu
to toin the ship secretly, but at the last
moment his wife whispers in his ear the
tender secret of coming motherhood, anu
he starts for his Office in the city panied
and subdued. The remaining rebel, VINO
has accepted an offer OF marriage from
an elderly sutton in order to escape from
work in a shop. disnlisses her AWKWARD
lover and presumably returns to druos-
cry
The chains worn by these discontented
clerks and the restless shopgiri are 'ne
regular habits and duties OF people III
humble life and decent poverty Ihey
have aspirations for larger indepen-
dence. IiveIier existences and an escape
from conditions which have become
monotonous and irksome- The snopglri
expresses her dissatisfaction more m
telIizibly than the clerks. but not one OF
the three rebels feels the restraint mar
rowness and vulgarity of SUBURBAN NE
and manners. The play is full OF the
of suburban ugliness- There
is, first, the dinner which the dornsstic
drudge, Mrs. Wilson, cooks and serves
for her husband and ledger, and IL IS
realistic little affair, with jokes as cheap
and tawdry as the wallpapers Next
comes a musical evening at the VIII
sons. with comic songs. piano recitals
with choruses, tackneyed compliments
and quotations and a superficial glitter
Of gayety. Finally there is an afternoon
at the retired plumbers. where revolt
gainst regular Jobs and the desertion
of a weeping wife are considered vasa-
ries of human folly. Sordid and vulgar
are these little episodes. and loudly 90
the three rebels lament their fate, but
nor one Of them shrinks from the real
bondage of common ideas and low as
scciations. Their ignorance OF what Is
debasing in their lives makes the 1roni-
cal little comedy almost tragic
The PLAYERS throw themselves into
their work with admirable spirit The
best among them is Mr.. Edmund Gwenn,
who has become one OF the most versa
tile comedians OF the English stage He
= the obstinate, blatant and bullying old
plumber, who represents unquestlOnins
with bed and board. JOB
md companions, and cannot understand
the social unrest of the time That Is
IN admirable character study, and MISS
Florence Hayden supplies companion
piece for it in the fussy wife-a delight
mi old bore. who cannot understand
what is coming over the new generation
Miss Hilda Trevelyan is the overworked.
drudge who advertises for lodg-
.rs when debts are TO be paid in the
clerks household and considers the
musical evening so delightful and the
men so entertaining, and a most
pathetic figure she becomes when she
hears that her husband wants 20 break
,way from her and to enligrate TO
Australia. Mr.. Dennis Eadie is the dis
,ontented clerk who wishes 10 sneak
away from, home and duty. and wildly
ioes he portray the struggles and
,elhshness OF the inconstant husband
Equally effective are Miss Sybil Thorn
like as the rebellious Maggie and Miss
Dorothy Mimic as a giggling. silly girl
Engaged to the plumbers boyish son
Good acting alone would not have
commanded the outbur5t OF enthusiasm
With which this play was received on
he opening night The play itself was
he thing" II fairly pulsated with the
.ommonness Of suburban life Every
character seemed to have been closely
,tudied from a living model. and the
lard dry realism of the treatment had
he urdertone of absolute veracity The
author, who had had experience in a
.ity ONCE. knew the life and the people
bout whom she was writing. and she
yet everything down with precision and
IN air of conviction Balzac could
lardly have furnished a closer study OF
ealism in portraying the narrowness
md selfshness of poverty The piay
had elements at once OF comedy and
tragedy, and this came about naturally.