New-York tribune., 1910-11-01
THE DRAMA
Production of "The Gamblers" at
Maxine EIIi0tt'S Theatre.


pigeonholes any more plays as strong.
compact and compelling as Charles klein's
Gamblers" may 1t bring them forth with
ont delayi No managers producing COM
many. or syndicate. nor any manager on
his own account. has produced in this al
ready faticuing season a play half so pow
.rfui as this. nor half so true to life as 1t
is lived in the large cities of this land.
CONGRATULATIONS then to Mr.. Klein first Of
all and next to Miss Jane Cowl. For
nithout the rare quality with which the
personality and skill of this actress illu-
minated the scenes Mr.. Klein's play, grip
piug, veracieus, penetrating though it is.
might he too sharp and thrust too hard TO
gain sympathy at all points, to give from
IFS first to its final scene the enjoyment
which pIaygoers seek. even when their at
tention is held fast Perhaps the express
sion of this opinion is only another way
OF saving that having seen Miss Jane Cowl
as Catherine Darwin il is impossible to
think of any one else playing that part, or
irving to play il; Miss Cowl makes 1t
compIetely her own the play turns around
her Catherine around the woman who is
revealed not by charm alone but by the
insight and uncommon ability of an actress
fIom whom, henceforth. the public will ex-
pect achievements of distinction.
| The gamblers of Mr.. Klen's play are
a group of bank directors. They have sue
cessfulIy established "a chain Of banks
they have sought to extend their opera
tions: their policy is expansion and they
expand by breaking the banking laws They
are reputable citizens, most reputable.
Their President is an exemplary old gentle
man who had won success when banking
was as he puts il. "a gentleman's business
and not a gamblers game" He is not
equal to the game it is played to-day,
and so he leaves the conduct of the busi-
ness TO his associates of whom the chief
Is his own son, Wilbur Emerson. Wilbur
ambitions carry with them the judgment OF
his co-directors, and also their notes or
hand The banking company borrows TO an
extent far beyond the amount of its capital,
the bank inspectors appear at the most in
convenient moment. and steps are taken
toward prosecution by the government
The attorney for the prosecution Is an
old friend of the Emersons. or friend he
would be if he were capable of friendship.
He would prosecute a friend rather more
quickly and unspartngly than he would pur-
sue an enemy. He knows no friends when
business stands in the way. His business
is suspicious of all persons who differ from
his opinions. He has political ambitions,
and these ambitions will be served by
vigorous, relentless prosecution of the
| Emerson group.
Mrs Darwin. the wife of the government
attorney. was before her marriage beloved
| bv Wilbur Emerson. But she feared that
| he loved money. and thought more about
money than he would ever love and think
about a wife She rejected the banker and
| married the lawyer But the lawyers hard.
unsympathetic. Systematically suspicious
and power-seekius mind has nothing In
! common with her outlook on life He knows
| IT. she feels It. and he suspects her of In
| fidelity with Emerson who was once an
acknowledged sutor and who has ever
| since been an honorable, If too ardent.
| admirer. Darwin by bribery has obtained
| the notes and other papers of the bank
directors evidence which will convict all
| the men concerned in the shady, If not
wholly uncommon. financial deals which
| have been referred to. Wilbur Emerson. de-
| ternned to save his father from unmerited
| punishment and disgrace and 10 save HIM
! self if he can, goes at midnight to the at
| torney's house. hoping to find and steal the
! discriminating papers. which have been left
| there He. enters literally like a thief
! in the night. Mrs Darwin discovers him.
| Mr. Darwin also discovers him and in
| stantly suspects his own wife of unfafth-
| fulness The fact of the matter is that she
| has been so faithful that she has protected
his interests by guarding the papers. and
there has been no love making between her
| and the man who really has her heart and
whom she finds in the bitterest trouble
| The husband will not listen. the wife will
not plead, the other man is silenced by cir
| cumstance. She will endure any accusa-
ton no matter how unjust. in order to be
| freed from the virtuous reprobate who
lives continuously intoxicated by his own
righteousness.
| She gives the papers to Emerson, VINO
takes upon himself all responsibility for the
illegal banking operations and who, by
destroying all evidence against them, re-
lieves his father and associates from the
possibility of indictment. while he parts
from her to await his trial and certain i'm
prisOnment. Darwin seeks divorce. HIS
wife will await Emerson's release from
prison and then will marry him.
The tale loses in this kind Of telling. But
the play tells it firmly. quickly, with con-
stant interest The author obtains with
I
the man who has broken the banking laws.
and he guards the man of law against all
svmpathy But he does not do this by any
special pleading: he works it all out
through the action of character upon cir
cumstance His people are intensely HUI
man. His play fixes the attention of intelll-
gent beings and il appeals TO every one.
Justice is done, and done in the right way.
! And the acting is admiral BILE. George Nash
as Wilbur Emerson and Charles Stevenson
| as James Darwin are to be highly com
mended: Mr. Mack and Mr.. Jennings, Mr..
! Backus and Miss Barker and Miss Hay de-
serve special notice But Miss Jane Cowl,
a new actress of remarkable quality. is re-
vealed. In dictiOn. in manner. in motion.
| in facial expression. in the reading of char
! acter, in the expression OF subtle shades of
| meaning she seems quite apart from other
| young women of the stage II is worth
while going again TO this theatre to see this
| actress in this play. A. W.
CAST OF THE GAMBLERS"
! james Darwin ................ Charles stevenson
| George Cowper ......-......... William Il. Mack
! Giles Raymond ........... De Witt G. Jennings
| Ir. derrick Tooker -.---..-.---.. -tecl k1ngstnne
| Iohu Emerson ................. George Backus
TFC mas W llilam Fostance
Hicks. Cnarles burbldge
Bindley Observation-Disclosures. .Georee Wright. jr
! Waiter OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Egbert Munro
| Arthur Pickering .tieorSe w right Jr
Finest Roberts Grant Erwin
I cat ia