New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-26
STOP Theft A SUCCESS
Farce by New Author Given at
the GaIety.
SUCCESSION OF LAUGHS
Kleptomaniacs and Professional
Crooks Get Everybody Into
Trouble at Wedding

The Gaiety Theatre bids fair 10 house
another successful farce for some time to
come. stop Thief" il its name, and It
had It's first performance there last night
TO the accompaniment OF laughs even
from the death watch" OF the proverbia'
New York first night audience. Tho au-
thor Is a new man. Carlyle Moore, and he
has done his work so successfully with
the assistance OF an exceptionally good
cast that every essential OF a popular hit
seems to have been met.
1t IS q wonderful mixture OF compiled
tons which this author has provided. He
has taken that ever-useful farce material
thievery. and mixed It up with new COM
pounds These include not only the thief
and his woman accomplish. who enter
house to rob # 'legitImately," but two
kleptomanacs. who add to the confusion
and are mistaken for the real thieves.
The occasion Is the wedding Of the
daughter Of one of these unconscious
thieves" an absentmnded old gentleman
who has fashion Of mislayins things.
or course the rich loot In the shape OF
wedding presents attracts the real burg
gulse Of a lady's maid and the second
her pal and husband-to-be. hy care
fully arranged plan formed between the
two.
The first OF the complications arises when
certain ring. gift OF tho old father TO
his daughter disappears, stolen by tho
maid and is returned by her In such
fashion that tho son-in-law- to-be Is sus-
pected Tho final twist 20 the series OF
nishaps e given when the absent-minAcd
parent IS discovered mlsplacing several
articles and is also thought guilty OF the
thefts.
with this as his base ~ operations. tho
author has woven a web that would only
be spoiled in the telling. To relate how
one after the other. the various occupants
Of tho house are suspected. how things
arc stolen. replaced. put in new places to
be found and. finally. how the whole
household is held by the police as gang
Of robbers. would no 10 rob those who see
tho play az its kcencst pleasures. ~
farce it IL the unexpected which brinNN
tie laughs and In this respect Mr. Moora
has certainly not been found lacking.
What II there arc Inconsistencies IN his
story Who is there that would pick
flaws boz q play when he can laugh up
roarioIslv az it' After all, tho purpos"
OF farce IS lo amusc and n 81 docs so
without proving too entirely impossible
10 has served lts purpose.
In th. cast which Cohau and Harris
have provided 20 give the play one Of the
clcvcrest groups Of farce players seen in
many day has been assembled. Richard
Bennett does delightful piece Of work
az the real thief and Mary Ryan with
less SNOWY part is exceptionally good az
tlc lady's maid In Frank Bacon. the
keptomanlac parent. New York sees an
actor with reputation iu the West
whose presence IS welcome one here.
lie has "a quiet JUNCTION that Is seldom
found Add TO these players Percy Ames.
a capital klcptomauiac prospective son
in-laW. dominating sergeant OF police
by Thomas Fiudlay and slngularly
pleasing personality on tie part Of Will
lam Boyd. and the farce presents an un-
usual equipment Of players. In fairness
10 the others 81 the east 10 IL only justice
to say that u rs alone the fact that they
have less conspicuous opportunities which
prevents them from achieving equally IA
.ulallr notice.