The Washington herald., 1910-02-01
THE NATIONAL.
..The Harvest Moon


a large audience took advantage of
Washington's first opportunity to witness
the new play by Augustus Thomas, THE
Harvest Moon." which came TO US rich
in promise OF new ideas and new emo
tions. That there was none who suffer
ed disappointment as the story develop
ed. was evident by the applause and the
attentive interest which was accorded
the play and the actors
Mr.. Thomas has been lat it again. so
TO speak. He performs IN this latest play
OF his a new variation on the subject of
mental suggestion, and undoubtedly with
more FEASIBILITY than he did in ''The
Witching Hour" Only once does he
cause the characters TO make q visual ex-
hibition of this psychic force. and this
single episode IS used merely as an Illus
tration of its power.
The idea of Mr.. Thomas thesis Is that
an individual may be made to be what he
or she is not by continual suggestion con-
trary to natural instincts. For example.
he presents his heroine. Dora Fullerton.
as the daughter OF a supposedly unstable
and guilty mother. It is purely a Pigment
of the New England conscience, this
weakness Of the mothers, but that is
mere detail Of plot.
The upshot is that on account OF It be-
ing perpetually dinned into her ears that
she is born for no good, being her mothers
daughter, she becomes possessed Of the
fear that she will do something disgrace
ful. Her adopted fathe: is very kind to
her He knows her origin, but does not
know that his divorced wife was legally
married to DOTa's father Neither does
Dora's Aunt Cornelia-living embodiment
Of the New England conscience.
But Monsieur Vavin, Frenchman and
scholar. chevalier Of the Legion OF Honor.
does know. for he is Dors's father He
understands Dora. though in honor he
may not speak of his parentase, and he
tries 10 aid her. When her desire TO be-
come an actress is attributed 10 inherited
proclivites and sign Of moral weakness,
Monsieur Vavin helps her to make the
proper decision, and he helps in her love
affair with the struggling young play
wright, whom he also helps along from
the depths Of his own mature art
In fact. Monsieur Vavin comes pretty
close to being the whole of The Har-
vest Moon" with his dissertations on
mental suggestion, his revelations Of the
influence Of color on the emotions, and
his theories about the effect of the har-
vest moon on love. And in the end he
is permitted to speak Of his own relation
TO Dora and enfOlds her TO his breast as
his acknowledged and legitimate daugh-
ter. so that self-restralnt and generosity.
along with some other virtues, are re-
warded In the good old-fashioned way.
Even mental suggestion and kindred new
thought cannot rob the play of its heart
interest Mr., Thomas is far too good
dramatist for that
The play is immensely interesting
Those who persist in comparing 1t with
THE Witching Hour ought 10 be told
that the old play would seem almost
clap-trappy, with its gun play and its
heroics. beside this newer and more pol
ished and extremely literary drama.
The Harvest Moon" has no mechanical
Climaxes and no intense situations but
II draws its power from its naturalness
and its clear, concise exposition Of ideas
that are more than theories II is a
play for intelligent people 10 enjoy and
to discuss afterward. It is a play that
nurtures fne-grained thought, and will
interest those who have passed beyond
the point in their dramatic education
where they viii fall victims TO false
sentiment and knock-down heroics.
The Harvest Moon" is interpreted by
a most capable company. The scene in
which Monsieur Vavin rehearses Dora and
her dramatist lover in a scene from his
ST frsf Mo
moods OF color, in subtle endeavOr 10
bring the two together. the acting O.
Mr.. Nash as Vavin, Miss Nowak a..
Dora. and Mr.. Stokes as Holcomb was
admirable. Especially clever was the ex-
aggerated emphasis with which they gave
the lines Of the play within a play. and
then reassumed their characters.
Mr. Nash was at all times a delight
We have seen the volatile, impulsive. and
comic Frenchmen Of the George Beban
type and latterly the senile French roue
in the person Of Charles Cartwright Mr.
Nash gives still a third type, that Of a
polished gentleman Of the old regime. the
scion Of generations of residents OF the
Faubourg st. German. His accent was
never annoying, and his department. at all
times within the character. His lines
too, were well delivered with deftness
and an appreciation of the authors mean
ing that was admirable
The cast of Thomas play is generally
chosen with great care. One can imagine
no greater artistic calamity than the in.
depreciation OF Mr. Thomas subtleties by
people having no idea OF their meaning
Miss Nowak was a charming Dora. Her
vice IS constantly a reminder Of Fthe
Barrymore. whom she does not physically
resemble, being fair and slight She has
an intellectual face and a spirited method
and has no difncuIty in holding the atten.
ton of her audience.
The author has created some good
characters in this play. Judge Elliott I:
strongly reminiscent OF a similar Judge il
THE Witching Hour" The part was vel
played by John Saville, whose engage
ment scene with Jennie Eustace, as Mrs
Winthrop fairly dazzled with it's bright
lines and its crisp acting. Thomas Rus
sell Graham Winthrop, StepheT
Wright as Prof. Fullerton. and Margare
Sayres as Aunt COrnelia were all good.
WILLIAM OSBORN
THE GAYETY.