New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-07
THE DRAMA
"Our World" by Walter HaCkett,
at GarriCk Theatre.

al GdrrlCk lnedlre.
play writer who presumes TO preach
about heredity and other far from simple
subjects should at least know more about
them than a schoolboy can learn by skim
ming over a mornings envelope OF press
clippings on these controversial themes.
Perhaps Mr.. Walter Hackett knows heaps
more" about heredty than he suggests TO
the patient sitters at his play, but through
on: the four acts he conceas his knowledge
quite as effectively as he conceals his talent,
supposng him TO have the talent. for play
mailing Scarcely any other play of the
winter has been received as coolly az our
World" which on Monday night began
what is likely 10 be a very brief season at
the Garrick Theatre. The idea OF the piece
IS unpleasant enough, but in the mind Of
Pirero IL could be worked cut with brilliant
and convincing result. Mr.. Hackctt's play
is stodgy The public IS invited to see a
lovely girl taken from her attractive home
In the country and pushed down the tobog-
gan slide Of pleasure" till she comes TO
the very edge CT ruin and looks over the
brink And all this to CRAFTY the whim OF
an eminent medical man. who thinks that
six months OF life" In New York will prove
whether or not the girl. Hope Sommers, In
herits her mothers faint" Her mother.
Of course. has a past OF which the beauti-
full Hope IL the present reminder. The emil
nent medical man has an antiquary's In
terest in the past and a scientific interest
in the future. His son is in love with Hope.
The eminent NJ. D. prescribes six months
in town for the youth and the lass. The
lass almost falls" the youth takes 10
drink.
Now the dramatist PUSHES at once from
his country idyl 70 and through the perils
cf the town. At the close Of the first act
his characters are out OF town. Al the be-
ginning Of the second act they have been
five months in New York, and the girl has
already slid far along the road 10 dalliance,
and the lad, troubled by her frivolity and
her tendency 10 fraity. looks upon the
wine when il is yellow and sparkling. The
} girl deceives her mother. lies like Old Sam
Fill, and runs of late AT night TO sup ar
the rooms Of a man who seems TO be re-
ncwned even among roues. She returns
intoxicated, but much too soon for the
dramatist 10 convince his audience The
girls mother says things, and the girl in
dgnanty leaves her and returns 10 the
man.
The playwright's error up 10 this point
Is that ne has not exhibited 10 his audience
am Of the influences which play upon the
girl 10 bring her 70 the state Of wilfulness,
o. what you will, in which the second act
reveals her. He surprises and offends his
audience by an all too sudden change in
the girl from a state Of innocence. or, II
you prefer, ignorance. 70 a con1.ti-n OF reck-
"a 81 yvb Nqrr
nearly loses the sympathy Of the spectators.
He has ingenious even strong. ideas. has
this play writer but he cannot hold them
in; they run away with the bit in their
teeth. Thus. in the third act, the girls
mother goes 10 the apartments Of the supper
giving villain and. by pretending 70 arrange
a liaison on her own account, endeavors TO
rescue her daughter. who happily rescues
herself. Then. as might be expected, the
agreeable villain in the dress suit, surprised
to find that the girl Is the daughter OF his
former flame. rounds on" the mother by
telling Miss Hope something about that I'M
/ fortunate past
But all comes right at tile end, in spite
Of heredity ana other forces. The story IS
told on the stage with a good deal Of ba-
thos and naIvete. As far a. the dramatist
He almost reaches certain effects that he
aims at, but in play a miss is as good as
forty miles And so he leaves the impress
sion that his chief object has been 70 play
with a mighty unpleasant subject in a
mighty unpleasant way. using heredity as
cloak for pretended preachment. There
are some good lines But is It praise to say
that play contains some good lines. or OF
pudding that it contains sons plums?
Some plums, quite q number OF plums
FOR the actors, are in this play Miss
Doris Keane has most Of these. as il her
due. Miss Doris Keane. newly returned
from London. where all the critics hailed
her as comedienne Of quite remarkable
gifts, enters New York once more as an
emotional actress. And she plays this
part. Hope sommers. wonderfully well;
nrst as the pretty and capricious girl in
the country. and thereafter as the beauty
whose head is turned by the lures Of the
town. Who Shall describe her exquisite
dresses or her extraordinary and alluring
loveliness? Her acting. admirable as IL
is perfectly suited 10 the part and EN-
bodying her thoughtful conception Of IT,
cannot save this play. Miss Amelia Card
ner does wonders for the film Of a mother
The character as the playwright leaves &c
is only a film. Miss Gardner makes the
film a living and lovable woman. But why
will managers not give Miss Gardner the
kind OF part she can play best. the kind OF
part she can play better than any other
woman on our stage? Do they know what
IL Is? Campbell Gollan. wrenched from his
he's W villains. is asked to play the emf
n.nt. intellectual" kindly. muddlesome
NJ d. who doesn't know" until the end.
whether he believes IN God or in heredity.'
Curious NJ D. Curious playwright. How
ever Mr. Gollan is given this part, for res-
sens most obscure. And Vincent Serrano
is again condemned 20 be ar alleged person
OF wealth and fashion and no conscience.
Capitaly he plays but there are other
things he can play even better. Herbert
Budd as Hutchins. rascally and epigram-
rrstic butler, gave a performance az which
the SPECTATORS could and did chucke with
content. MIR. Malcolm Duncan was, IN all
-espects. a most unhappy lover. There
were times when he seemed to be- driving
the beauteous Hope TO the fatal cup. Miss
Alice Putnam. as quite a model serving
ma i'd. was very good indeed. and Miss
( Olive Murray, as a serving maid corrupted
and corrupting played quite appropriately.
| Rut in spite Of all the playing the play
/ itself does not hang together II Is more
UNPLEASANT than interesting: II Is crudelN
unconvincing. and f. put together with far
/ TOO little skill Somehow the folks reSpon-
! sibla for plays Of this character appear I'M
J able 10 detect at rehearsal the difference
b.tpeen pathos and bathos, between ilfe
in the world and life OF the stage Good