New-York tribune., 1910-01-26
DRAMA
"The Inferior Sea- at Daly's
Theatre.


The play in which Miss Maxine Elliott
makes her appearance in New York this
season is called a farce-comedv. It is a
play of life. and 1t seems to have been
written by a landlubber It is more a
travesty than a farce or a comedy People
who do not care when A play is not like
anything on earth or the waters under the
earth will find much rnerrinent in it,
People who prefer that their dramatic en-
tertainments shall bear some resemblance
TO life will be forced to laugh in spite of
themselves. But II is melancholy business
this laughing, when actors who are very
capable take three hours of their expensive
time over a dish that is neither one thing
nor another. but little of all.
The first act is good comedy and a
promising. The second slips along toward
farce with glimpse of melodrama, and
the third is whatever you choose to call it.
If you call it preposterous nonsense YOU
do it no injury Charles Winslow, an Eng
lishman, woman hater apd boor, goes on
a long yachting cruise. You behold him
In his cabin aboard the Firef1y 300 tons.
British register. Here is an effective stage
setting. The yachts fog horn is ALLOWING.
the yacht owners valet is larnenting. He
has the qualms of the landsman afioat-
He admits you to the secret of his masters
deep intent. Winslow is writing a book
on THE Inferior Sex and he goes to sea
for the purpose. There. as the action
shows, the yacht in the fog picks up a
small boat. The small boat contains a.
lovely and unconscious lady, who has
been blown seaward by what prove TO be
fortunate tempests. The fair one is con-
veyed aboard the Firefiy. to the dismay OF
the woman hating, woman fleeing Wins
low, the only man in the world who would
resent the presence of such beauty on his
craft. But Winslow is such boor that
he will not make for port and restore the
lady, who has been saved from drown
ing, TO her home and friends. He insists
that his plans shall not be altered The
lady must go on the cruise. Land will
not be sighted for two months. The rules
OF the maritime game are with him. He
can do he pleases, and he pleaSes TO
be rude as human capacity permits.
The rescued lady bribes the crew to a
mock mutiny, which she will pretend to
qUel, thinking that she can then exact
from her unwilling host the condition that
she shall be put ashore. But the mutiny
proves to be serious, and there is a fight, IN
which the boor turns hero and is
wounded. Then the lady falls in love
with him and he in love with the lady.
And so an ending, after the fair one has
proved her superiority by taking command
of the craft and tanning aer rude lord, who
knows nothing Of seamanship.
Had the author. Frank Stayton, contin-
ued the play as he began it. within the
realm Of probabili and in the vein of true
comedy, his play would have been a very
satisfactory and creditable piece of work.
But the engines of his errant fancy raced
and shook his design into queer bits. His
yacht owner gives orders TO his captain
through his valet Need more be said?
And yet there is much more to the same
purpose.
But the piece is well acted. Miss Elliott
was never more delightful than she Is in
this play. Her comedy is delicious and
worthy of a play which would not travesty
nine out of ten of the conditions with which
il deals. Mr.. Arthur Byron as the boor
Winslow. gives as good a performance as
man can with ridiculously impossible
part; and Mr.. o. B. Clarence is to the tips
of his fingers a valet OF a familiar and al
ways amusing type. All the parts are well
taken. The house was filed on the second
evening and the audience thoroughly en-
joyed the affair. Miss Elliott cannot fail
to please her public with her acting in this
piece. But there would be greater pleasure
if she would permit her beauty and con-
siderable talents to grace a real comedy.
Perhaps she will ask where such a comedy
is to be found. And perhaps the answer
will be left to the echoes since the drama
fists are hard pressed 70 supply even
small portion of the current demand for
work that is worth while. AS the case
stands, any one who seeks d. pleasant even
ing without considering too closely the
merits of a play will find enjoyment in the
acting of Miss Elliott and her company.
a ".
CAST OF THE INFERIOR sen"
Eve Addison ....-......M Mis- Maxine Elliott