New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-17
THE PLAYGOtR
On HaddOn Chambers'S "Pass-
ers-By," at the'CrlterIon.

III eight persons in Mr.. Chambers H0"
play give you the delight when is eA-
pected of them. But Peter WaVertoh'
perfectly played by one Of the cieverest
xoung actors on the American stage,
Richard Bennett is a kind of man one
would prefer to meet at the club than
have about the house. He is too long IN
making up his mind. And, although ne
is not a literary bachelor, he has the
habit of not knowing when he is in love-
Now, these eligible bachelors OF stage
and story who do not know that they are
in love are not only trying to live with
but rather difficult to believe In, ana
when you are asked to believe that they
will, when urged by sudden spasm OF
the philanthropical muscles, invite cab
men, however bluff and hearty ana
tramps. however ragged and unshorn' 10
late suppers in their luxurious apart
ments, you are asked to believe httle
too much. Once admit the Waverton-
ism. then tbs passers-by are bound TO
come in. md tnMgs romantic ana other-
wise, ara bound to happen.
Wavsrton's hour for returning to MS
rooms in Piccadiliy is a. m, which is
fair average for Piccadilly. But he re-
turns one night at 1870 o'clock and dis
covers Pine. his butler. entertaining
Mighty" an agreeable and philosophi-
cal cabman from the rank opposite
Pine is liberal with his masters best
whiskey and cigars. Waverton gives
him notice" The cabman goes back
into the foggy night. Waverton softens'
tells Pine he didn't mean to be harsh
and bids him remain in his service
Pine. OF course. remains. He knows
good thing. Mr.. Waverton is very
good thing in the way OF masters, ana IN
other ways He invites cabby to re-
turn. He hopes for the pleasure OF the
company of Samuel Burns. tramplsh
man who is passing by in the thickening
fog. The tramp, or casual" as London
would call him, condescends. FOOD
drink cigars and sociological discourse
follow. Waverton gets new outlook on
life he thinks, but the chances are that
il is a new amusement. and when his
guests are gone he has a pleasing con-
versation over the telephone with the
girl to whom he is engaged And then
Pine the butler. always interested In the
passers-by ian inconvenient habit in but
lers). informs the hospitable Peter that
a fog stranded young lady is shivering
and coughing in the doorway while walt
ing for a cab or a bus. Peter with
chivalric spirit, brings in the lady, and
wonder of wonders. she is his lost love
whom he has not seen for seven years
She is also. he learns, the mother of an
enchanting son-his son.
1t is easy to understand that Peter had
lost track of the lady of his heart. An
other man, rich, leisured. with the re-
sources of civilization at his finger tips
would have found her long ago But
Peter is Peter, and after the adventure
with Sammy Burns and Mighty" any
thing may be expected of him, or may
not. Through misunderstanding, thor
oughly needless and entirely human,
Margaret Summers (the lady in the TO,
or now out of IT'D and Waverton conceal
from each other the love that still abides
with them. They had never been mar
lied. these two His family had inter
vened. And now it all has to be made
up and the tangle Strengthened, with the
aid Of the trampish man. the cabby, the
butler and the lovely girl to whom Peter
has become afianced.
How Mr.. Chambers tells his story is
worth going to the Criterion for to see.
The play is entertaining, quite as enter
tanning as a play need be, and so we'll
acted that better acting need not be
asked. and cannot fairly be expected IN
a modern comedy. The play is well
written, unusually we'll written, because
Haddon Chambers wrote it, and for the
same reason, lacking no essential Of
construction. characterization and con-
slant interest 1t is in four acts. and II
two Of these seem rather long ii is only
because the three hours traffic Of the
stage needs little quickening which II
will get. no doubt. The characters do
not only what is expected OF them but
a good deal more, because in Haddon
Chambers's hands they acquire an origi-
nality. individuality. that is refreshing.
Ernest Lawfords trampish man is amaz-
ingly well done. A better specimen or
what is called character acting (as II
all acting were not or should be any
thing else than acting Of characterD has
not been seen in New York these many,
many days. And Miss Rosalie Toller,
as Peters betrothed, is as clever as she
is pretty, which is saying n good deal
The butler. Pine. is the only man who
shows much worldly wisdom. and is. of
course. treated with the contempt that
belongs rightly TO the wise, and is in
evitable in the case Of buffers. Julian
Royce acts this part in fashion most
convincing. Miss Louise Rutter is the
lady Of the fog. the rare though not pale
Margaret She is quite beieyable
person. this Margaret. although ii needs
be said that the local stage will welcome
an actress who can play this kind OF
part in a new way. and will rejoice when
dramatlst can lift such a character
from its conventional lines. Miss Rut-
ter does very well and is TO be congrat-
.8llated upon what she does. 1t is not her
fault that she lacks the distinction and
'experiepce Of Irene Yanbrugh. who In
London made the part even more beiev-
able and interesting. Miss Rutter makes
her own place in the picture. and one or
two Of her scenes could not be better
played
PA, what AZ especially worth noting