New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-13
NEW COLLIER PLAY
Talking Comedy Prevails in 3
Acts of Assorted DOingS.
"BUSTER" MAKES DEBUT
Is Now Americas Foremost
Light Young Man"-Paula
MARI Chief Support.

A sense of nonsense is all that is
needed for a Collier evening. The rest
rs taken for granted. Mr.. Collier supplies
both his own faultlessly tailored self and
the nonsense. The enjoyment follows
az 4 matter Of course Last night w. II.
post supplied something to the enter
taiument. for his name was down as col
Iaborator.. What he supplied is mys-
terry. unless it was the plot. No doubt
It WAS the plot Mr. Collier surely could
never devise such a thing. His speciality
IS not to create situations but TO respond
10 them, to answer back at them from an
always accommodating supply of the uneX-
pected. No one knows what William
Collier is going TO say next not even
his fellow PLAYERS often. So the flavor of
the impromptu is dashed across Collier
evening, and this is probably half the
charm.
'Never Say Die" is the name of the
offering this time, 1t is the motto OF
Dionysius Woodbury. who is promised by
his physicians that he will die within
month. Under this delusion he marrles
a young girl in order to leave her his
money, so that she can marry the poor
artist OF her choice And behold at the
end OF the year he still lives He has
tricd al the sure deaths-cigarettes
cocktails and night air-in an effort to
bring about his expected demise. But they
all do him good instead. At the end of
the year ne is so strong, well young and
blooming that his wife openly acknowl-
edges she has married him. Thus ro-
nance creeps under the final curtain Just
as il is descending, and the audience can
go out feeling that everything is well with
the world, forgetting that there are poison
plays and shooting and chopping melo-
dramas going on down the Alley. Besides
they have spent the evening laughing.
Young William Collier, jr., with his
grave face, is responsible for some Of
his laughing. He stands for the theory,
warmly received by the house, that any
man that has as good a disposition as a
dos is some man." With this faith ne
superimposes his dog Herman on his
friend hi" Woodbury. for two years
ease. Buster is a fine light comedian.
He is az the present moment a virtuoso
u the scriO-COmic and Immediately takes
front rank as the leading light young
man OF the American stage. He played
asst night with all the authority and self
lbnegation of a stage director taking
minor part. Let us have more of him.
play written Tor him to star in would
,e amusing, and who can say it would
lot be sensational?
As for the rest, they formed a good
support TO Buster Collier Emily Fitzroy,
IS pleasant mother-in-lsw; Grant Stew
irt as the valet, faithful even unto
wearing off cigarettes and whiskey and
'Oda when his master had to, Paula
harr, as the wife who was not a wife
md then was a wife, were all satisfactory
and pitched in a gentle key Mr.. Collier
himself was inevitably amusing.
Probably no one will call this a "talky'
olay, with no dramatic action in It, be-
'ause-well, for three reasons. First, be-
cause that is what il is; second, because
was intended merely to amusc, and,
third, because no one has any grudge
against Mr.. Collier. He is a popular IA
yorite, and he deserves TO increase his
popularity with his newest gentemanly
comedy
CAST OF NEVER SAY DIE"
4 Servant. ......................J John Adam
Tie Hon. Mrs Stevenson. ..... Emily Fitzroy
W John M0renz NJ D......,... John Clulow
Hector walters. .....,............ John Junior
Violet Stevenson ...................Pa Paula Mari
Virgil Galesby, VI. D.. Charles Dow Clark
Gdggs ....................... Grant Stewart
Don5SiJs Woodbury. ........... William Collier
Nerchesi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Nicholas Judels
"BusteI' .................. William Collier, jr.