The Washington herald., 1911-11-07
LAST NIGHT. AT THE PLAYHOUSES
THE BELASCO.
"The Deem PurpIe.n


There have been plays which glorified
the criminal. like Alias Jimmy Valen-
tine" and others which exalted the de-
tective. like Sherlock Holiness" but such
a realistic negative of crime as THE Deep
Purple" which opened at the Belasco
last EVENING" negative faithful in de-
tail, and thereby sorlid, mean, and
somewhat depressipg-has not frequently
been seen on the stage.
The artificial cunning of the stage
craftsman, which has sentimentalized
crime in such dramas as "Rafies," which
gives a strong undertow of love inter-
est and sympathy as a narcotic against
the basis Of the play ITSELF is entirely
lacking in THE Deep Purple It is
true, there is love interest in the play,
which was written by Paul Armstrong
and Wilson Miner, but it is entirely
subordinate. What "The Deep Purple"
suffers from more than anything else
is the lack of a strong, compelling,
gripping interest in any one direction.
There is no strong central sympathy. Its
purpose seems to be almost entirely real
istic and Photographic and no one ever
disputed the ability of Messrs. Armstrong
and Mizner to give an authoritative YER
sion of certain phases of the underworld
TO the stage.
As an exposition of the badger game,
the honor that is among thieves, and the
ethics of reformed crooks, THE Deep
Purple" is excellent. It is, indeed, a play
which IS cleVerly written and brilliantly
acted. 1t is distinctly of New York New
Yorky, and is of immediate interest TO
the denizens of Broadway, albeit the
road cannot be expected to take such
deep interest in what transpires in
the west Fortles" or the fashionable
hostelries Of FNfth avenue. The play is
not the product of cynics, nor is It melo-
dramatic as meledrama is commonly
understood, but 1t Possesses all the i'm
personality OF the reportorial style in
dwelling upon crime, graft, betrayal OF
friends, and the politer and more So
phisticated forms of fllching the pockets
of the stranger within the gates of New
York.
There are two feminine characters in
the piece who give the most effective
aid in establishing a bond with the audi
ence-Doris Moore, a young girl led to
New York through the wiles of a cheap
young crook, and Kate Fallon, alias
" Frisco Kate whose determined ef
forts to be decent and respectable"
form the most human and logical ele-
ment in the play. The latter role is
played by Ada Dwyer with her charac-
IeTlSIlC llnlSn ana dllSntlOH 10 ueld4l'
and with one or two scenes which are
inCisively, sharply, and brilliantly done.
The role OF the ingenue is played by
Miss Violet Heming. adequately and
made the one appealing figure Of the
play.
The character part which stood out
above all the rest was that OF Pop"
Clarke, played bySthat sterling actor Of
the old school, w. J. Ferguson. 1t was
complete Characterization. with minu-
tiae in the matter of gesture and infiec-
ton which were memorable. The acting
of the part raised 1t to an Importance far
beyond what 1t rightly deserves in the
action of the piece. Sydney Booth made
an admirable William Lake, the man
in the play who is beyond the odoriferous
pale OF the crime element, aud Robert
Cain played the youthful Broadway crook.
Harry Leland. in a skillful manner. His
denotement OF the oily suavity and We
neer Of social grace of the rogue was one
OF the best bits OF work in the play.
There is much good acting to be seen
in The Deep Purple" and much clever,
we1l-balanced projection OF metropolitan
crime for those who desire to study it.
AS a piece OF theatrical craftsmanship, It
is very interesting. A. NJ. J.