New-York tribune., 1911-03-15
THE DRAMA
AS A MAN THINKS.
Nsr PLAY BY Augustus Thomas.


s-a,,stis, uses for the benefit Of his
,eavs nothing open to debate. Pow
-, os Nr Augustus Thomass arguments
- q, his newest play. arguments present
-, his principal character cultured,
,,..,izad ami unorthodox Jew-and clearly
,.s.ad and dramatically employed "a
.ssv are they viii not convince every one
"a, ,hs case fcr the persistence OF the He
80, race and religion Is completely COW
..,5 nor ths' the last word has been spok-
:, >, the moral law which regulates, u ~
...s rot entirely guide. the relations be
.uo.r mn and women. Mr. Thomas's or
.,-,e--s are powerful because they are
s,,,. IN truth and produce upon the audi
-, -hs effect which ne intends, but that
.se,. contain all the truth. and that they
iii satisfy All ethical requirements as thev
.,Ier The present dramatic needs many
-.;,6s as serious and searching as his own
vii doub'
.rhe belief m one God is trust given
.. ,be lev saws Dr Seelig q famous
..,s-ous. prosperous and lovable physician
-. r-incinsl person in Mr.. Thomss's new
.,,v As Man Thinks" play which had
&c first New York performance at tn.
-T-f1N
,,,h, TIE theological argument here i'm
lied. or smploved. need not he traversed
,o- rs influence upon history elucidated
"a. sHAct uron The lives Of the characters in
~ plsy IS the main thing Jewish man.
BENJAMIN Dc Lota. loves a Christian
--o--sn. Ms CLAYTON. or makes love to
he- 4 Chrs,ian man. Julian Burrill loves
Jewish cir Vedah SeeliE The traditions
=, race and Of religion perform their usual
o-Fcs ne Lota. who was Mrs Clayton's
sy;.or before her marriage and who was
-sisctsd because he is a Jew, becomes
eight wears later the almost successful
liver o. The neglected wife. 2 lady of rare
charm bur a. that time. somewhat deh-
-,sn- in --i sense. A. the time Of the
rr.sent complication he is betrothed 70 See
Wss daughter Burrill . fine Young fell
~ is loved by The girl and liked by the
PARENTS 1-. not favored by the latter be
,,use he 8 not of their faith Vedah and
'rlian solve this little difficulty by elope-
rent ani marriage. as thousands have
done before them and as thousands will do
hereafter Love laughs not only a. lock-
srths bu- - family trees and stern creeds
Yrs CLAYTON defying her husband a man
-ho prefe-s numerous liaisons 70 one love
unisrtaSss 70 prove that the liberty allowed
p, nan should he also the right Of woman
she doesn't mean II. She doesn't love De
lls am ne does not possess her. She IS
angry Vifh Clayton and indiscreet with ne
Ioa B-- she = accused OF the sin which
=. Clsytons OF this life claim a. the divine
rgh, of man and II rs Clayton. the hus-
and Vho accuses her. He makes old
0ssa Ike q vsrt' by accusing his wife Of
inddelirv through years and declaring lit
IL Dick clayton. a boy Of eight. 20 be De
Loias son.
Now. % curse. BY all the rules Of TIE
dramatic game Mrs. Clayton-the sweet
ST. dearest, purest Of women and won-
sn o. high spirit--knuckles under. but not
efore size has told her husband. In ?
splendid burst o, righteous anger. what
sle thinks % him. A man insulted by
another man as Clayton insults his wife
would have stranCled or shot the accuser.
Mrs Clayton goes on loving her big brute
q d husband. She doesn't shoot. or in
arr way take the aggressive or the de-
ffnslve course. After an angry speech
Sic leaves the house az his command and
goes 70 ter Jewish friends, the Seesgs.
After some weeks Dr. Seelig. physician OF
minds as well as o. bodies. philosopher-in-
1-imary % al souls, prevents Nivorce
,ut and reu1,tes the sundered pair. first
taring proved 10 Clayton that De Lota
vas in prison IL France for whole year
before The boy Dick was born. We are
asked 10 believe that Claytou's nature
changes. that he believes IN all beautiful
- Nrf- g,
tcrgivirg What We really believe. after
re PLAY Is that his conversion goes as
"a as the proofs given by De Lota'
Prison papers Il hasn't GOT into the soul
O. him. only into HIS mind YET Or. Seelig
rls him thar Mrs. Clayton rs not bad
woman ard urges him 70 make her char
i''ar beautiful and noble one This
"inds sU-p.-ious'v Ike cant. The wild
.mp-ooab,,y Of q man Ike Clayton max
rE beautiful and noble character in any
oeoy should re- apparent. Besides. Mrs.
l.ayton does-- need him for any such
flrpose. 81, Cor the purpose Of the dram
ats 'he effect aimed AZ IS produced.
.he erdl1- has the conventional halo
'nic- is ,o~et,nes seen IN life and al
os, Invariably o. the stage. Let us
rave Truth say the "realists'' ana the
>mooiists' and. presumab bly,. the from
''hiS's' hut bless their hearts. no play
gong public wants the truth OF life; all
gong and other publics want 20 see
1n' TO read and 20 hear what they think
lne truth as they think the truth ought
10 b. Nothing else seems so false 20 a
c'o0d a. truth does
E''e IS difficulty og plays with q pur-
tse''re or preaching of the instrIcting
.a"a'iS's Nevertheless. you may ike
'eh plays lr~ Thomas indulges his
-"Ia1'ers n .o, 80 fine msn-talk about
.'''.er"9oa. And of course. women can
ah 'g' manly phrases about mother
somebody in the play says. The
"'ec' between mother and child IS
P subtle. more enduring. than any
0-d- 20 ta9t effect Sow. that
f p. f1e cases 90 which II applies,
must ae untrue in millions of cases
"oTa o.er as hardly an one Of ma
yeats .s uracqIaintcd with Instances
H iof. s.' understanding between
"''her and child are non-existent. But
MAJ oe one ~ the truths upon which
ai'sts car1 not risk themselves A.
"-+ play must succeed 81 II n 10
1.h anything. If II fails. it disappears
~ sois vanish with it All the
"'' men ar Ear more likely 20 indulge
ray about motherhood than about
'Ncof ON the latter subject The
lalfarrc preserve . discreet silence.
10y, are o. little likely. IN these days. Z"
vince al women on the ore theme as
a. 10 convince Themselves on ne
VI.er theme. Mr Thomas. being the most