The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-06
CONTRASTS IN TWO new PLAYS
DIFFERENCES ~ THE N0iEL-
TIES or THE PtsT WEEk.



Use vr n Famoa~ French Vaudeville
Two Of the PLAYS new To the local siags
last week offered contrasts IN material
ind form. William Gillette. who wrote
-fteciricity- for Marie Doro. kept to a
familiar nlikeu. The home Of rich
bur <1lxhsfewt stock jobber appeared 20
hs tte soate Of two Acts in the new play
AZ thu LycsuI,. while third passed in a
poor but horset engineers cottage in tho
vague region known The Bronx Only
In this scenc ia taere any departure from
,ha comfortable ssslospher. Of elegance
that prevailed IN tie Nom. OF the unhappy
fathsr.who proves 70 incapable Of reach
ins hin dau ghter's figh standards oi
buSfness morality
OF the two scenes u, which the audiences
sees the heroine. she ir,s.lOi.s her prefer
encs for the HON. OF the wang man she
has mistaken for her betrothed she
s-npi;fas this iSlicai,sx OF h.r choice
By a speech which might eventually be
ns-useful to stage managers a. Hd mtsfs
advice 20 the players She seems TO
think the rooms Of the wealthy much over
decorated with objects that represent
rather the expenditure Of money in large
amounts than the exercise OF taste and
The. traits OF cultivation. To her dis
eliminating eyes the living room Of this
railroad engine<st seems very much moro
like. The real thing
Perhaps thus ernancipated parlor 40
cialist vas right. though the drawing
room Of the dishonest millionaire seemed
10 us In uncommonly good taste for q
Bccsis ON the stage. rather freer than
usual from ihs vulgar and bizarre e6eots
sta,$ DAnagcrs irnpart TO most scenes
OF social fife. But the prpachy daughter
OF the millionaire probably liked The
Bronx drawing room better because .it
was so different from anything else she
hadfevef ssen before The audience
wuafd have <ympathized more deeply
wisE Hsr arthsssiasm had the rest OF
ELECTRICITY been a little pit different
from its ordinary experiences in the play
house But the comedy moved-when
il may be said to have moved at all along
familiar lines
fhompsou,B Buchanan s farcical satire Of
vehdetta life. The Cub delights its
audiences an the other hand more through
the novelty of its scenes than the finish
oft composition. although the structure
Of the work seems expert enough for it's
purpose. Its title Is the least happy
feaApre Of the play now AT the Comedy
and ~ soon TO be expelled. That the
author has chosen IN treat his subject
in the spirit Of farce IL not 10 his discredit.
There is discernible element OF humor
in the Kentucky mountain vendettas TO
those ynAo WAN them from sufficient
diitaQecx Then th. material is left un-
toAch1aHo this dramatist who may want
20 sound the more serious note Of these
primitive social conditions.
In using the comic features Of such a
fead Mr.. Buchanan has the president
OF no less celebrated writer VI farce
than Blackstone. whose rattling old play
Humping Legacy delighted hun
dreds Of spectators Of the mld-Victorian
period. In that sturdy old piece IN.
Enklishman. introduced into the atInos-
ph5re sf Corsica, found himself the heir
10 b vendetta as we'll a. - the estates Of
hisdepar'ed relative. The authors humor
Ii concerned with the difficulties Of this
stuAaoan ifseS Treating himself from the
pesfls 81 a Situation 10 which thos. about
hirh srs entirely accustomed. Strong a.
IL was in its prime. the f,ir seemed 10 faG.,
from this situation when the TWO Paul
todWinada an operettS out Of " for Francis
wtAsan- -Peghaps Il had in reality en-
joyed the proverblal span Of life and had
ceased To- tee interesting. A. all events
New Workers had littl. patience with
the aBbece in this latest incarnation
phe reporter hero - the Kentucky
vdhdetta finds himself compelled 10 take
sides with one family or be- Immediately
e3a1fhtnased by bullets from the gun
barrsls' tha~ yawn IInde- hi- nos. His
identification with one party ~ fighters
berouies 30 complete thar he - regarded
a. a natural enemy 81 the other tribe
so what il more natural Than that ne should
faAl in love with daughter ~ the enemy
Nothing else could happen IN a well regu-
lated. play. and Mr.. Buchanan's play ID
e:4lf1ntly well regulated
H. IN tho freshness Of his mountain
atehb4yshef~, the crude pleasures and
elemental hates OF these rough folk that
thk young Kentucky author has con
trtbuted 50 much more Of value 10 the
contemporary stage than hts more
sHIssrieuced colleague has done in
thu altogether mecis.nical Electricity.
w4fsh has accomplished Its utnos, IN
providing Marie nro- fraii beauty
with An appropriate background That her
rather negative qualities shall he thrown
into sufficiently high relief Mr Gillette
hse to refine her surroundings until the
quality Of the play grows very appar-
euxfy attenuated There are indeed
miHnfes Ia the second act when the fabric
beapDes 80 thin that one may almost
sseSAAylight. if not electric light. through
ths patches There ar. health and viRor
about The Cub that come with the fresh
ness OF breath or air after the y-rr,rne,,
artificiality Of the principal scenes from
ELECTRICITY
Mr.. Gillette knows hoW 10 build no
engaging little epIsodes Of a kind 10 dis
play his actors TO advantag. with a certI-
sans snd skill that none OF his rivals
cmn excel. In that particular ne Is Of
course vastly more experienced than
che author of The cub Honors ar.
easy however. a. 10 the question Of the
originality shown in tho theme Of both
plays. II the incorporating college youth
WHO borrows she jacket and cap Of the