The Washington herald., 1912-01-16
THE BEIAsco.
ssThs Ganblers.o

Charles Klein has not lost HIS cunning.
lie has the same clarity OF view re-
ganoing the public as he has complete
mastery Of the subtier elements of drama
turgy. Pure realism. as known TO Pinero
and Galsworthy. cannot tempt him He
is too much Of an artist to be cheap and
banaI In his melodrama; he is too keen
student Of the public to etch the truth.
as he must know the truth. with the
defiant sweep OF the true reallst. He
knows the time is not ripe for that.
These facts and more were duly en-
phasized at the Belssco Thester last
evenipg, where his latest. and possibly
was presented. The traditional Klein
method Of handling our social and indus
trial problems Is here applied 20 Wall
street finance. The result Is an alb
sorhing drama. II Is essentially an in
nictment OF the money -grubbers. tract
IN dramatic form-yet Il is never far
away from the eternal triangle. The
story is trite enough. II is not the mat
ter, but the manner. which counts. Tech
nically, the play is almost flawless; u
grips and thrills; Il pushes logic In the
background while the auditor waits. with
the high anticipation which good stage
craft always arouses, for the punch"
which Inevitably Is coming at the ending
Of the second act-and OF the third. And
the punch" that ultima thule of the
Broadway managerial heart, is there
with a surety and certitude Of propulsion
that carries the play far beyond the
twilight zone and onto the heights of
real success.
Mr. Klein's chronic didacticism in his
dialogue IS the only real flaw to be urged
against THE Gamblers" for the unfold
ment OF the story-improbs BILE as IL would
seem IN cold priut-is made plausible and
convincing. His characters are forever
speaking IN proverbs and parallels. This
artistic sin, however, is so cunningly con-
cealed by stagecraft that II is never glar-
ing. In this respect, as in others. THE
Gamblers" presents q distinct advance
over The Lion and the Mouse and also
over THE Third Degree
Il Is not a reflection on the cast pre-
senting this excellent play at the BeIasco
to say that IL is far more ably written
than II is acted. Miss Jane CowI is a
beautiful woman and a clever actress IN
a limited range. but she is not, as the
phrase has II, an "emotionalist" Her
voice is thrown into throaty and metal
lie register when she essays to swing a
big scene" In her final speech at
the conclusion OF the second act she
was brilliant for half OF the way. Then
laXed. She played Catherine Darwin.
however, in an effective. charming man
ner. To Orme Caldara, the Columbia
Stock Company favorite of two seasons
ago. is due the credit Of playing the
pivotal role OF Wilbur Emerson adequate
ly and cleveriy. He wGs never powerful
or distinguished, and there were periods
when a recurrent monotone spoiled the
effect Of his lines, but he gave a we'll
conceived and well-balanced portrayal.
Charles Stevenson lent all his maturity
and finesse Of method to the role af
James Darwin, and won real success in
a role which satirizes the bloodless, 'nur-
der must OUT type OF reformer brilliant
ly. To make Darwin less OF a fish and
more OF a human being would be to create
one OF the most interesting psychological
studies that the American stage has seen
in many season. George Backus played
John Emerson adequately: Wallace Ers-
kline was excellent as George Cowper, and
the true touch of comedy was lent to the
roles Of Giles Raymond and Frederick
Tooker by De Witt c. Jennings and Fred