The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-04
THE COLUMBIA.
.Nem york;

New York"
It is with mixed and very probably
tumultuous emotions that the average
spectator viii come away from the latest
drama by William j. Harlbut. which he
has called New York" Presented to a
large audience at the Columbia Theater
last night. it certainly evoked applause
and admiration, but equally as certainly
IL awoke expressions OF disgust. The vul-
garity OF its comedy caused the I'M
thinking 10 laugh the ribaldry of some
of the lines was undoubtedly offensive
20 some; the stark unconventionality Of
most or the situations made many gasp
And yet with all this. what a grip this
play has! Tensely dramatic. even border
ing on tragedy, here are situations
worthy OF a Balzac or a Victor Hugo
and when you admit this. you will come
20 see why II is that the author OF this
piece has not quite succeeded, This is
strong meat this drama. but then Mr..
Hurlbut is so pitiably young! He makes
It so evident that he has been bitten by
the craze OF the age-sO-called realism.
Meeting with half-popular success with
a realistic play. Salvation Nell" which
owed all the esteem II gained TO the
genius of its star. he has evidently tried
10 go himself one better. and TO delve
deeper into that underworld. He has
made a fairly well-done picture of certain
phases Of IL; he has drawn characters,
and they are beautifully played. but
the trouble is not with the playing. not
with the construction. but with the
fundamentaIs-th entire motive is wrong.
base. inartistic.
New York" betrays a dramatist with
a morbid Imagination, grated on to
certain knowledge Of what boys so love
TO call life" with a capital Il" II is
such a terrible mistake TO think that this
such plays as this-are life. There are
undoubtedly such people as Mr.. Hurl-
but causes TO walk across the stage; such
trightful situations as he has conceived
are by no means impossible, not even i'm
probable-the mistake is that these things
should be dragged 10 the glare Of the
footlights. To dwell. gloatingly. in the
name of art, on the evil side Of life is
TO distOrt life-to picture Il not wholly.
but biased. on one side only, and that
the worst side. When We know that life
IS fun Of beauty and clean things. high
thoughts, and noble deeds, why should
we-theatergcers. or readers. or viewers
of paintings. admirers OF art in what
ever fOrm-be asked 10 commend the ig-
noble. the mean, the vicious? Is 1t FOR
the lesson-the supposed moral? Surely
IL were wiser, saner, 10 preach-eyen with
the theater for the pulpit-from more
healthy texts.
So much by way Of protest against the
tendency of all such dramas as this of
Mr. Hurlbuts. In regard to the pre-
sentation OF New York there can be
nothing but praise. ScenieaIly. few
plays have been more fttingly staged:
realism here has said the last word.
even from the solidity of the antique and
beautiful furniture to the welI-fned
bookcases.
AS for the acting. it could not have
been surpassed. Here is a veritable tri-
umph for that strikngly clever actress.
Miss Laura Nelson Hall. Those who re-
member her work in The Easiest Way"
will not need 10 be told OF the great
promise she showed if only a larger op-
portunity came her way. II has come;
she has grasped il, and there will never
be any doubt hereafter as TO the quality
OF her genius. II IS true that the ext
gencies of the part of Nora Nelson re-
Guire her acting throughout 10 be pitched
TO high key; but no matter how high