The Detroit times., 1911-08-29

aARRlcN.

ne 4r1t opportunity Mee SNe'
HonSloIIe has had during her engage
nsnf IN Detroit to show Ler talent 70
1moIional acting. IA given her In tn
Test the Jules Eckert Goodman plal
which Was given It's frat Detroit rep
rcsentation, Monday evening. In tn
0arfick.
The play served Blanche Walsh al
last season. Two Of Mr.. Goodmani
plays were made known In the SAINT
playhouse Last winter, In Mother AM
The Man Who Stood Still" OF thu
group. The Test" Is the best, as
mere matter OF drama. II has man!
defects but at best shows that Mr.
Goodman has the stun In him out o
which real dramattsts are made, ant
Il is reasonable to hope, after seeinI
THE Test" that one day, he will write
\ really great play.
In "The Test, he takes mp the etern
Al fact OF the worlds acceptance OF
double standard OF morals and tries te
show that, a. matter OF justice anc
OF fact. the woman who transgresseS
what the world II pleased to call NOR
alify. n really a hundred times more
worthy OF q cAean BIZ. than the average
man q the world, who finds open
sesame IN society despite any amount
Of immortality. This thesis has been
presented by dramatists OF greater
power than Mr.. Goodman and has
rot them nowhere The world Is not
WHIT more disposed to give the fallen
from-grace woman q hghting cnance
than Il ever was. The Test, ASIDE
from IT, moral argument Is the sort
Of q play, however, that Miss Blanene
Walsh. az her public knows her, would
revel On and II offers excellent acting
opportunities for any clever actress.
In ia principal womanfs role OF Erma
Eltyuee, Miss Bonstelle missed none
OF these chances. and really gave q
very interesting and admiration com
pelfing performance.
Emma Ii a product OF the common
people. A a young and attractive
girl loved by q young inventor she
gets chance to go upon the stage
and. IN her love for Dick Tretman,
the, young inventor, she plays upon
Freddie Mcvane the chorus girls de-
light" Tretman Is given employment
BY Mcvane, and eventually Is sent
TO prison for ten years. for stealing
from his employers. On the promise
OF McVane to save Dick from prison,
Emnia sells herself to that precious
young sap-head who naturally falls to
make Kood on his promise and Emma
il left with a furnished reputation and
ten. long years OF suffering, to face.
into her life comes Arthur Thone,
novelist and sociologist who goes
down ON the east side to live among
the people he wishes TO study, finds
Emma and falls IN love with her. The
play deals with Thone's influence for
GOOD over Emma, the re-entry OF Tret-
mand and McVane and the sacrifice
she makes to save Thone's sister,
Peggy, from marrying the "soiled Mr..
Mcvane
The greatest trouble with Mr.. Good
man In handling his characters, seems
10 be that he makes them preach rath-
er than act. The drama Is In four
acts, and the first two are given over
almost entirely 20 preachments and
10 the introduction OF a dozen different
personages and themes, no one OF
which Is 30 clearly defined TO the
spectator that It has any vital bearing
upon the other except as the imagin-
alton might suggest Mr.. Goodman In
tended 10 write q play dealing with
modern life and with living. breathing
people. He misses his aim by many
points and asks good deal or the
average onlooker, In stretch OF mag
nation.
Every member OF the cast was equal
to the demands, however, and IL was
due to their excellent handling that
the play sustained interest at many.
stages OF its progress. Miss Bonstelle
could not have improved upon her
conception and her presentment OF
Emma. and her work viii remain I'm
the minds or her Detroit admirers as
q powerful and appealing piece OF act
ing.
Perhaps the best individual work of
the evening was offered by william III.
Samas, az Dick Tretman. Mr.. Samas
during the Detroit engagement OF the
Bonstelle company has frequently
been singled out In this column for
special praise and he deserves all the
good things that could be said OF HIS
work. He Ii q thoroughly well-equip-
ped and wellitrained actor and he was
one Of the best points about "The
Test"
Mr.. Balsar has the part OF Thone,
the dreamer and gave a satisfying per-
formance. Mr.. Diliman had the good
n somewhat short part OF the Polish
Jew youth, born poet but earning a
living selling suspenders; " L. Gran
Vile was the unpleasant Mr.. Mcvane
and was all that could be asked In the
way Of polished Williams; william II.
Pringie contributed several delightful
toucehs as Herr Brettner; Miss Kings
ton was q winsome Marie Brettner,
and Miss Olive Harper, az charming
and handsome as ever In the role OF
Peggy. The minor parts were as
carefully cast and well acted as Miss
Bonstelle's associates have shown
themselves capable OF throughout the
engagement
The Test viii be played all week