New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-01
THE MODEL"
Augustus Thomas's Comedy
Given at the Harris Theatre.
A FINE DRAMATIC STUDY
Well Balanced Portrayal of
Personal and National
Points of View.

play may always be comfortably sure
And when he calls his work a comedy
as he does I'm this case. there is no dan
ger of It's turning out to be farce. TIE
designation is used, as It is commonly
used among French dramatists. to de-
scribe a critique Of men and manners in
light and colloquial style.
Mr.. Thomas THE Model" Is about
points OF view. And the pith OF the mat
! ter IS that your point Of view entirely de-
Ponds upon how near 10 YOU the subject
Of your thinking comes. With some
dramatists il would be unfair TO boil their
play down to Its pith. But not with Au-
gustus Thomas because he writes from
his central point out and. briefly as words
can be found to express IT, he developes
his chosen theme.
4 prominent young American artist has
accepted rs pupil an unusual young
woman OF poor parents, who feels that
she has something to express through the
, medium Of painting. He finds her clever.
, but without real talent. AS she comes To
him day after day. however, he finds that
il she IS without genius I'm her own work
she acts as a powerful stimulant 10 his.
She Is not only extremely beautiful In
/ face and figure. but expressive OF beauty
10 him In such way that everything he
paints has something of her image I'm II.
I Finally he begins 10 use her as model,
! first for her face. her shoulder. her hand
and, as his enthusiasm grew for her
whole figure. Finally she poses I'm the
nude for his Twilight" a study which
| turned out 10 be his masterpiece.
! Meantime I'm their mutual inspiration 10
| add something ~ tho world Of fine arts.
they fall In love. The young artist is,
| however. already engaged 10 the daughter
/ Of the wealthy but uncultivated Mr.. With
{ crspoon. a man whose hobby is the collec-
/ tion OF fine paintings.
! As an offset to witherspoon is Emile
I Berseret an eminent Frenchman of let
} ters ano member OF the Academy. And
between these two comes the first tusslo
/ I'm points Of view. Wltherspoon represent
! Ing the American and Berger.t the French.
/ over the matter OF the nude In art The
/ American is represented as regarding all
nudity as mere nakedness. while the
! irrcuchman holds Il 10 he spiritual when
/ n IS done with the intent of producing
! beauty.
| The second vital clash In the play
comes when the fact ia disclosed that
/ the girl. Louise. has been the model for
/ the much talked OF "Twught' which
/ hangs in Withcrspoon's collcctiou-with
| n curtain over IT, Louise Is n the time
| serving az governess 10 Bergeret's little
| daughter during the visit OF the Bcr-
/ gerets at the New York home OF the
/ Witherspoons. There is breaking Of
| the engagement between the artist ana
! Miss WitherSpoon and the announce
/ ment OF his betrothaI TO his model This
| IN the appointed time for the points or
View OF Bcrgeret. who wishes 10 know
| IN all sincerity why his friend. this
strange young American artist whom he
regards almost as a son. cannot marry
Miss Witherspoon and still be the lover
OF his inspiring model The whole OF
the French ethical standards customs
/ aud manners IL here thrown up against
the American IN contrast Bergerot
gives himself pains 10 advise against
such mtsaliauce az this between ar
tist and model The man IS Ii man Of
position the woman has none Having
| posed as his model. she has plainly less
than none. The marriage would no
doubt mean happiness for a while, but
after that the two would wake up 10
the fact that they were oxilcs. He
knows about il all himself. lie tried Il.
When he was young he married an opera
! singer. They had had a daughter. too,
and he had lost sight OF her lie was
/ In America looking for her now.
In the midst OF his advising IL is re-
vealed to Bergeret that Louise is his
own lost daughter.
/ Bergeret. a. a father, has at once a
/ different point nj view from the one he
/ embraced as a man 81 the world dealing
/ theoretically with "A stranger.
! Mr. Thomas wrote THE Model before
/ he wrote The Witchlng Hour" but could
/ ind no one who could play Bergeret TO
! suit him As result he held back HIS
/ play until last spring, when he discov-
cred william Courtleigb who before IN n
/ had played many roles but had RENAME
unknown. THE Model" was then pro-
/ duced ia Chicago, more In the nature OF
/ try-out than To make run at the time.
| But the age OF the play. young as II Is.
shows In its national points OF view. I'm
this hercely growing country the feel
| ings against the ilne arts. and more par
I ticularly the expression OF these feelings.
has changed just trl6e. The pork
packer, with his wealth and his naive
prejudlces may still exist. but the period
when he was typical Of the country has
begun 10 pass. Not that America is be-
coming European In It's standards. II
has. in fact. not yet become anything
definite. II has merely passed that point
where II was definitely Puritan.
In this one respect the play seems-to
use G.. -. SIS phrase-"to date"
| It's exposition Of the character OF this
wholly charming. utterly human and. so
far as an American can venture To gay.
genuinely French character. Bergeret, is
n fine piece OF work. The whole dramatic
! action of the play. besides. IL "A study
worthy the attention OF those who want
10 learn the craft Of playwritng. Tho
/ scene between the two children In Act il.
the little French girl and the little Amer
team boy. IS delightful spot in the play.
The company which presented this COM
+ edy is excellent throughout and shows
/ the careful training and masterful direc-
torship of Mr. Thomas himself. William
Courtleigh, az Bergcret, presents genu-
inely fine piece of acting. He Is the buoy
ant, well poised Frenchman, with the
richness of understanding and the COM
Al. 81 L.. La. A..tl