New-York tribune., 1911-09-21
THE DRAMA
"What the Doctor Ordered" the
New Play at AStOr Theatre.

The doctor ordered an application OF the
ancient prescription. do unto others as
YOU would not have them do unto you
As this prescription did not effect the
recovery, he changed the dose TO sep
sratlon. The heroic method produced the
cure There you have the story Of the
case Of the Cars a couple none too wise.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Carr thought each other
nerfect until. three years after mar
riage, they lost their tempers. Each
was astounded by the others loss
Of the angelic qualities. Each was
alarmed by these, and other, symptoms
that celestial health had become infected
with human weakness. Surely husband
must be ill Surely wife must be ILL., Each
secretly consults the doctor And in fol-
Loving the doctors advice. which IS less
the advice Of a medical man than Of a
roOd-natured-old- d-triend-of-the-family sort
troubles come. One Of the troubles is
former sweetheart Of husbands S, and an
other is a former suitor Of wife's. There
Is a good deal Of noise, and then an en-
phstc silence Husband and wife will not
sneak 70 each other. But the clouds in
their sky and the storms on their little sea
DO not last long. even IL tropical In their
violence They begin, so 70 speak, on
Monday afternoon, and vanish on Friday
evaninr. which Is not a lifetime when you
ror,a 20 think Of II. Between the first ap-
naarsrce Of the storm cloud and the calm
Inr NJ the domestic sea Mr.. Carr's mother
and Mrs. Ca-r's mother have engaged in
deep and dear conspiracy They put their
saracfous maternal heads together IN
friendly zeal to keep the unhappy pair
united and turn their griefs into enduring
bliss There shall be three parts OF wis
dor, 20 one of romance-or words 10 that
effect And when misunderstanding are
a. their worst and hope is defeated by the
blackest squalls. what the doctor ordered
s7d the mothers conspired for bring recon
citation 10 the blown-about young pair, II
not quite I'm the manner expected.
At least this was what Mr. A. r. Thomas,
the author or last nights play at the Astor
Theatre intended 10 convey by his three
sct piece, What the Doctor Ordered"
st least. again. this was his intention, ac-
rordng 10 the advance notices and such
branches OF learning. But he was far from
making the conveyance clear. His play
started weu-very we'll indeed-and the
srst act ended with general satisfaction
snd a promise Of good things 10 come.
They did not come. The succeeding scenes
might have been a series Of vaudeville
turns. the performers coming on TO do their
little acts in unrelated succession. Once
or twice the turn was comedy, then farce.
then burlesque. then the sternest drama,
then whatever you may chose 10 call
it, Ii was a curious farce because
II was funny only IN spots, and
The spots We're isolated by wide
and long stretches Of desert waste-even
sustained interest IN the story was lack
inr Tie piece could he overhauled with
much benefit 20 its prospects. The acting,
however. was very good indeed and the set
ting unusually appropriate and tasteful.
But there was so little for the players 10
ru.ld upon that the slight edfce Of the
playwright feI. fat Next time he will
probably give better attention to the build
ing laws which relate 10 the construction
Of dramatic effort, even II farce. A. w.
CAST or WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED"
John Carr. ................ Fritz Williams
James Fesserden Allan Pollock
T- Edison. ...-...... ....... William MCNev
Daisy carr. ............. Virginia Hammond
y-s samuel Carr Johns mother) .... Kate Meek
Mrs Emery UDa.sys mother ....... Mabel Bert
--"- Fisher. ..................Anne Meredith
Jenny. .................... Katherine Bayard Bell