New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-14
1.-THE MARRIAGE.NOT"
Noels Comedy Heard at Maxine
Elliott's Theatre.

GllOLL 3 1QcaLre,
Nietzsche and the divorce evil were both
disposed Of last night at the Maxine Elliott
Theatre during the three thrilling acts of a
comedy playfuly called THE Marriage
Not" by Joseph Noel. whose first drama
this was.
The plot. which tried TO follow the mental
man9uvres OF several quite sane looking)
people, revealed young wife. OF a type
which sophisticated city people rejoice In
calling suburban. who. having found her
sterling young Wall Street husband neg
lectIng her for his business affairs, decided,
quite as a matter OF course. upon divorce.
Along with the decree comes the an
nouncement Of her decision 10 marry a
free-love-long & haired poet-violInist fol-
lower, We are told. OF Nietzsche Qast night
pronounced NeecheeD. Where this do
mestlcated little wife met the poet the au-
dience may surm!se for itself, as neither
the closest friend OF the family nor eN-
husband had met him before the first act.
although both had heard OF him. Perhaps
he was famous. At all events, he was
eccentric. Though rich. he had lived I'm a
dat In Tho Bronx. apparently not from
choice and with Stella OF the Rialto,"
whom he had not bothered to marry and
whom he now wished to lose.
Through a series OF extraordinary scenes
and situations II transpires that the d-
vorced husband Will not give up his wife.
Hs Is helped out by his best friend, and
together they show the real callbre OF the
poet by convicting him OF Neecheeism be-
fore the very eyes Of the ex-uifs and low
ing woman that wss. Then came the final
chord Of reviving harmony I'm the an
nouncement that the husband had Just been
ruined In Wall street. The wife flies to his
arms. the threads that once had formed
the marriage knot were knit together again
and the curtain fell on a stage from which
the moving men had already cleared tho
entailed furniture OF the Wall Street ruined
but happy husband.
What the moral may be would form a
pleasant guessing contest at the after the
atre supper party. Whether Wall Street
should be abolished or Neechee III he acre
not already out OF harms vay) burned at
the stake 1t would be hard 10 decide. But
divorce should not be smiled upon-merely
n
present day convention in that respect.
There we're passages OF frank" discus
sion that made several hairs in tro audi
ence stand on end. Perhaps the playwright
took courage from Strindberg In this mat
ter. but It may bs added that when our
good people shuddcr at Strindbcrg Il is not
al tho naTyete Of the wording.
Another thing. In passing. that s.. nmed 10
he hardly in good taste was ,ha mention
Ivy name Of a contemporary poetnss as one
who might be quoted ms the lowbrow's god
dess Of philosophy.
The actors found themselves rather over
whelmcd by the situations in which they
were involved. and the lines which were
furnished them BY means OF which to ex-
trlcate themselves from these situations
hardly constituted a way out ora Wal
crop. a. the child wife. who behaved as no
we'll balanced child OF ten ever would was
quite amusing. What few sparks OF pos
s!biiity there We're In the part she put IN,
and where there were none she fell back
on being charming Robert DrOuet. az the
husband. had "a fist clenching shoulders
back part with few lines to relieve the
situation Few husbands have ever
been IN such q fix. He had the whole SYM
pathy OF the audience. Fritz Williams. as
the helpful friend OF tho family. was bright
and CHEEKY In his nice. quiet way. while
Albert Howson. as the follower Of Neechee.
VAS Al regular meller-dramer Villain. with
shlfty eyes. long strides and all. Stella OF
tho Rialto was a curious part. Why she was
"of the Rialto" was a puzzle simply be-
cause che had been persuaded by a mas
torfu! man" that free low. was the best
way? She was played not very convincing
~ By Sybilla Pope Miss Pope was natur-
ally enough at a loss. She spoke as
coarsely AZ the lines seemed 10 demand.
but looked like quite n nice girl after all
CAST or "THD MARRGAGE-SOT."
DayIi Phillips. O. Wall Street. Robert Drou,t
Margaret Phillips. Of the home. ora Wai!rop
Felix Morton, 81 the human species
Fritz Williams
Roher; CARBON. of lis own world Albert Howson
stella. a. IA" RiaIto.. S!hilla Fope
Slta Trent Of Salt Lake City, hyctte Perry
Mr. Jacobs. ~ the lar. .......... John Eirnonds
schmidt, OF the union. ..... Alexander Lettwich
Jenny. OF the pantry ........... charlotte carter
GwendOlyn, Of tho Kitchen. selma Maynard