New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-05
LONDON DRAMA
Pinero's Comic pIay-Iames's
Chest Story.
Lord1n. Jsngary q

and as an indication cf The mant@rs -
the dav il 81 perhaps 90 signiacsrts,
the reversion from auction q brldreS-
baccarat I'm Preserving ST. d..
mure." at the Comedy Theatrc. Tho rs
tic. az the Peace kisecs his rrn da.ys.
ter's governess, and IS gle E grateful
10 his pious wife and has scrup.e,
against Irregular Irritation p deal d,
mischief is caused. When Mrs. Pan.
mure's aunt and sister suspect TIA,
something scandaloUs has happened. tte
| prevaricating governess D. caught In 4
web of discrimination. but VII not tel
who has kissed her. GUILTY Mr. Pan.
mure makes a pretence ~ investigating
! the case. when all tho men IN the com
/ try house know that he Is the clllpri'.
! A member Of Parliament, Mr.. Stulkeley
befriends her. and his private secretary
saws that ne kissed her. The white liz
does not carry the girl with IT, NJ.
! Stulkeley. with the help 81 his senti.
mental sister. wins her after drawing
lots twice with the Private Secretary
III bare outline the plot seems vacuouS
| but when Sir Arthur PInero tells tho
story in four acts Il becomes at once
well constructed drama and excellent
fooling. At the outset there is a com.
plete exposition Of the Panmure house
hold at the Clewers. There Is the sane.
timonious and credulous wife. who has
reformed her worldly, cornwall husband
and befriended the viyacious governess
and made her the most attractive mem
her Of the family. There are her preco.
lcious daughter, speaking in polysyllables:
her suspicious sister, with tancee in
training: her fussy aunt, plumng herself
on her sagacity; her pompous servants,
and her impressionable, unregeneran
husband who finds IL easier 10 revive
"reminiscences Of gay bachelor life than
10 manage the sermonette al the BIZ
weekly prayer meeting. There are ths
guests. two members ~ Parliament, tia
private secretary and duh country
squire. who are drawn into the gov
ernesss corner at ten time. while the
other ladies are neglected. Every char
acter has been revealed when, at the
end Of the act, Nr. Panmure, grateful
: for help in padding ont the sermonetts.
embraces the governess and is angrily
repealed by the innocent girl
The process Of preserving Mr. Pan.
mure resolves itself into thoughtleSs
n mendacity carried through tho remain
h ing three acts. When the women's sus'
q picions are excited and the soverne~
: has declared that her assailant was not
Mr.. Panmure. he IS commissioned by MS
wife to find the man. His victim Is
silent; his guests angrily resent his IN
y ouiries when they arc assured that n
" himself is guilty. and the girl harasseo
by the women, invades the den where
: Mr.. Stukeley is debating a tarin re-
e form speech on cocoa % his secretary,
c and begs one or the other 70 save ms
= situation by confessing TO the kiss. Be-
e fore she can effect her escape from ths
: hack closet the whole company mas a.
, sembled. the private secretary has so'-
/, emily declared that he IS the cupnN
AZ ! ana lIe sDllS has s.'AaAA't'NN 80
prayers. She energies at the last NO.
ment. when Mr.. Panmure has taken
flask from a secret hiding place. anu
e snatching the serinonette on - roy
= carp from his hand, burns il before Us
II startled eyes In the end Mr.. Pannurs.
Is EXPOSED by a servant and urnamen'ea
y with his wife's badge of the Gulia u
y Fine Souls, takes his household to LoA'
don 10 witness his confession. ana @''
Stulkeley, aided by his kind-hearted SIS
ter. wins the pretty soverness IN mar
I'd riage. t-.
~ This is gossamer material for drsiha'S
at Use. but with what deXteritv a.
in manipulated by a master hand. h0,
ne easily is the veteran piayso'r loo'''
l when the govcrness dries her petu00s'
:, and lets down her hair by Mr.. S'ulhe'e'
~ fire and only energies from her COM
81 promising plight iu the back room "
We burn the hyDocrite's serm tie. uo'
IT. simple are the means employ tH TOT INV
IT, ing laughter such as the blot ~ "hite %
- the child's nose, the private se'le ''i'
!, band caught IN thu vase and inc oause'
on Of the Child Of Fine Souls. and now cVH,
in ,inuous is the merriment prooVcet1. :,
as sparkling dialogue and NagarleS u ~
lie con.jc spirit How perfectly mo''0,''
&c tho acting when Sir Arthur Pinero hs'
., selected the players and trained lnei" y.
70 their work, Miss Marie Lohr has al"H''
en- acted with freshness ana charm ~,
nj never with such rapid alterations }.
I'M mood such fine play Of gesture ana nv
VI ulation. such genuine powell rs sue %
-, plavs as the volatile. pathetic l't''c o.
. erness Mr.. Arthur Playfair coh'e''-
ON Mr. Panmure into an unpleasant iooh'n -
a satvr bur his acting is delightfully o'v..
ay Impersonations equally effective are =.
M Milwards we'll starchcd member Oh 49,.
- lament. Miss Braithwaitcs p'ouS -
- Panmurc. Mr.. Boucicaults nervous -.
Ms yatc secretary and Miss Iris IiaNA'",
r. infant terrible Even the seI''n'S "
on finished thumbnail sketches. 80
3D. Mr.. Henry James's one-act play AZ -,
a. Little Theatre is an ancestral 80
III story. one or Byron's morbid tth-'s =
m youth WAS a shiverln5 dread t. s'e'P'.'
rs III Annersley. lest Mary Chi"o -.
M cestors should swoop down i'0l" ~,
IS. picture frames and take V'ngeah'e -.
,iu him for a murdrrods duel ioush' =! a..
" maddest of the owners OF Ne"s''a"
ney I'm "The Saloon the giosuS =,
nj c.s,,r If q white fea,hered scn'i'ner's''
he ist Furnishes him Tor his scruples NJ 80 80,
a. doning military career. 10 WHICH
he called bv the traditions OF his oN" "a "a,
H. ilv and by those IF his he'rotaTi - I,
~ 'rhe,e is much Introductory ta'"' :.