New-York tribune., 1911-01-15
THE PLAYGOER
Henry Arthur Jones and the New
York Public.

2 Cortnjeht's run. The author should
be proud Of his failure. Inferior work
has one great success; is successful
row. Every season poor stuff is seen
winning the support of the public.
There is no use in quarrelling with
the public when IL declines TO recognize
and support good work Everybody loses
in SuCh a CaSc-author, actors, managers
and the public. too. The public loses
also when il pays literally for medioc-
rity. And this IL too often does. 1t is
then the only loser. If il were not, half
the theatres would be tenantless, and
the actors calling even more precarious
than IT is. Unhappily for the art Of act
ing plays and the art OF writing them,
the public has its obtuse periods. in which
work of real merit is neglected, while
some trivial affair will capture the gen
eral admiration.
Ar, author who was summoned 10 the
footsichts a month ago acknowledged
the applause with this reminder TO his
audience: Never call dramatist
hspuv man until after the last act"
american audiences need this reminder.
They are dnmonstrative, often ridiculous
ly demonstTative, at the end Of the act
before the last. They seldom applaud
much after the last act. II does not
occur to them that that is the proper
time. After the second act Of Henry
Arthur Jones's play there was every
demonstration that the experienced asso-
cfate with success. The applause was
enthusiastic and sustained. There had
been two unusually effective because
they were unusually searching and true)
nscenes in that act-the scene between
LADY Carnforth and Mrs. Engaine and
the scene between Mrs. Engaine and Sir
Ralph Newell. II is not too much 10 say
that for power and beauty the latter
scene is not surpassed in modern Eng
.lish-spoXen drama. But its power is not
the power Of noise, and its beauty is too
fine and elusive to make much appeal 10
audiences fattened on farce, musical
comedy, yellow drama and the usual run
Of the theatrical mill
Miss Katherine Kaclred's E,Yadne En-
game will be remembered long by the
appreciative few who continue TO escape
the delusion that acting is of small ac-
count unless the suffering lady shrieks
and means, strides over the stage and
waves her arms. The tenderness and
patience in Miss Kaelred's smile We're
sweet beyond words and could not be
matched, | think, certainly not sur
rassed. by the facial expression Of any
other actress Of the day. II was quite
wonderful in its way. And her eyes.
and the subdued music of her voice. and
the gentle, dehcately eloquent motions
Of her hands. told 10 spectators who do
not require to see movements and mo-
tives labelled, as in the Old-fashioned
cartoons, that Mrs. Engaine's heart was
filled with sorrow and exalted love and
longing.
Our local audiences, however, care
more for labels than for acting. And
they care more for the story than for
the playing that tells the story. For
acting as acting they have but the Slight
est appreciation. Characterization counts
5or little with them, and perhaps for the
reason that they see so little Of 1t that
nIpreciatinn is dulled through lack of
exs<cise. Mrs Engaine apparently was
NOT q wtHnan that Broadway audiences
rould understand. She had what rushed
reporters and industrious novelists call
"a. past. but she did not scream about
81. nor advertise it, nor reproach the
memory Of the man. "I loved him and
Rlor4ed In It" she said. She was good
avoman as well as a beautiful one.
broadway could not understand that.
lsIs,ere is much that Broadway does not
understand.
You haNenNs.asked-me any questions"
said Ep<ldne Engaine TO Sir Ralph
.,Se,veil. who was pleading with her TO
Soecnme his wife.
Sir R---What questions?
Mrs Elf had loved another man.
Sir Rim not going to ask you now
,1auch love you gave TO him, or tPem.
'Y'Tn only going 10 ask you how much
love you've got TO give nieY
Mrs E.--Oceans! oceans! Oceans! All
that my heart has 20 give!
Noattempted description of Miss Kael-
reds delivery of that last line can even
indicate the rapturous tenderness she i'm
.parted TO the words and the moment.
lust as Newell said I'm only going 20
ask YOU how much love you've got to
sfue me" she turned toward him and
1nuyrnured her reply. "Oceansl oceans!
OCEANS. All that my heart has TO give"
Theme was acting. But II was too fine,
200 tender. too true for Broadway, You
must shout at Broadway If you wish to
oonvince il with such a character as
Mrs Bnsane. But in that case you
AsnuId not have Mrs. Engaine, whose
mastery of herself has nothing to do
with the shnuters of this world. She is
OF the true historic fibre, as her ten
year silence proved.
How much Of the tone aud temper Of
Mss Kaelred's getting was due TO Henry
Arthur Jones do not know, nor is the
,point essential TO the consideration OF
the present theme. The acting was Miss
KaoIreds. The dramatist testified that
Miss Kaelred represented 10 perfection
the woman ne had drawn in his play.
That testimony is conclusive.
But New York did not care much for
the acting, and il cared less for the play.
This may, If you choose, be taken as
New York's testimony 10 its own taste
The play was a serious play, and II was
not "presented" 20 exploit star. A
star3ess serious play is, indeed, Sc
l. IA, In, Naa