New-York tribune., 1911-01-17
THE DRAMA
Miss Lena AshWeI| in Judith
Zaraine" at ASt0r Theatre.


turned to New York Monday night is called
Judith Zaraine" The author Of the play
Is - M. S Mcclellan. a dramatist whose
experience has been sufficient, It might be
supposed, to prevent him from putting for
"a'o work so faulty in construction, so
iuIl OF improbability There is an uprising
OF lsoor at Minetown The steel works
one caught the idea that they were steel
"orKs-have been closed by the greed Of
grasping and dull eyed capital. Labor. led
oy young woman named Judith Zaraine'
Is IN conflict with the authorities The au-
'horitles appear to be represented by Colo
! mel fohttex-presumsbly L. s. A, hnt
! ciearE not or West Point trainng-corn-
nanolhg the troops sent to preserve order
me urdmaust seems to have curious ideas
| u 'he powers and duties Of military OF
ncer mus commissioners. He comNels much
oratory from the colonel who turns out
| TO be hireling Of the interests. and so on.
David Murray. capitalist, OF the grinding
kind, large owner In the mills. and imme-
diately responsible for the disturbed Condi-
tions comes on incog. 10 Minetown from
New York. spends days in the town of
discomfort where only the oratorcal colo
mel recognizes him. and falls in love with
| judith. Besides owning mines and mills
| and kindred treasures, Murray owns news
papers. He comes to Mlnetown pretending
| TO be a correspondent for one Of these
dailies. Imagine this powerful and undis-
| guised person going about day after day
unrecognized at the scene OF labor war
which is attracting the attention OF the
entire country, labor war arising from
his own bold. bad deeds! There Is some
killing OF men-off stage Judith starts
! forth TO kill the colonel. She has in this
intent the sympathies Of discreet specta-
tors of the play. horrible though the
thought may be TO those who have not
seen It, David Murray illustrates the deep.
dark and terrible design by making love to
| the revolutionary lady. He IS quite pre-
pared 10 kill the colonel himself Unfortu-
nately he does not and the army Is left TO
| bear the distressing weight Of this talka-
tive soldier whose ideas OF civil and mill
tary law are quite as slouchy as his gen.
eral appearance. The colonel has we find,
stock in the company. Murray's company.
II was Murray's gift 10 him. The colonel,
10 put It plainly. Is a CRATER. He threat
ems to attack the workmen at o'clock on
the morning OF a certain day. Murray at
attack. He threatens Murray, Murray
threatens him. The colonel surrenders to
the capitalist and the lady. But the lady, !
knowing now the identity OF the wonder
ful newspaper correspondent treats him
with contempt for the loathsome rich man
that he is She thinks. gentle soul, that
he has been making a fool OF her. But, OF
course. all this Is put right in the last
revolutionist. now knifeless. accepts an Of
fer OF marriage from the abandoned capt. !
talist while ne reinstated workmen have
a torchlght parade
The part OF Judith Zaraine offers but
little opportunity for the display Of Miss
Ashwen's special talents. and OF that little
she does not make the most. She is con-
tent with permitting Judith 20 be at all
times monotonously unattractive, hard. a
person quite unlikely 20 lure the mighty
David from his den OF iniquity in Wall
Street. either by her gifts OF intellect or
graces Of person. Miss Ashwell has, doubt
less. good reason for playing the part In
this way, but the effect is less appealing
than can be desired when II crosses the
footlights.
Charles Waldron. as David Murray. was
as effective as his improbable part-one OF
those queer business men" so beloved OF
the stage-would permit him 10 be. a boy |
named Donald Gallaher was well ap-
n,auded for a neat bit OF acting nicely
coated with pathos.
Emmett Corrigan's work was the best ot |
the evening. As an old shoemaker. skilled
at his trade and pat with philosophy as
shoemakers are supposed 10 be, deep and
kindly old soul he warmed the heart oil
the audience. II this amiable person. his |
shoemaker. became rather inconsistent at
the close of the second act. when he !
handed Judith knife with which she
might kill the Colonel you have only TO
remember that It was the Colonel over
whose breast brooded pale Death, and YOU /
will forgive the shoemaker. Mr.. Corrigan's |
acting was all the more remarkable for
being undertaken al short notice. owing 70
the illness Of an actor who has been play |
ing the part on the road, and for the fact
that during the evening he played his regu-
lar part in The Deep Purple at the Lyric
Theatre. He was rewarded with the sin
cere appreciation OF the audience. His
scene on the shOemaker's bench was az re-
fresbing 2 piece of character study as you
could wish 10 see. But for the purposes OF
the play nothing came Of 1.-THE drama
lists omission. not Mr.. Corrigan's. The
part Is drawn into the play for the sake
OF color
OF course the play has some effective
situations and many good lines. But the
lines and situations are arranged Ike
patchwork Mr.. Mcclellan had a strong
idea for his play, but he has not worked it
out with strength and consistency. The
piece is theatrical rather than dramatic; 1t
shows a slice OF the world as it looks TO
theatre folk, not as it looks to the folk
who live in the slice and who toll and
suffer there Would that some dramatist
could write a living play on this living
theme. which so many writer's Of plays fly
nj but do not understand. \. W.
CAST OF JUDITH zARAiNE"
r1ayid Murray. Charles WaldroT
Colonel poptifcy,..............J John z. Eellcrd