Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-13

~ N 5 WARE, whose abil'
IVI ity as an actress has long beer
recognized, never before, per
haps, demonstrated that ability Sc
forcibly and indellbly as last night in
her new play, 1.-The Price" by George
Broadhurst. She carried by storm
every person in the Newark Theatre,
and she deserves to be ranked among
the theatrical stars of the first magni-
ttude. Miss Ware Is a master of ex-
preston, of emotion, and lives the
role she essays so genuinely that she
Is not for a moment regarded as any
one but the person whom the %imagina-
ton of the playwright has created.
Mr.. ~Broadhurst, the author of THE
Price," Is not unknown to American
theatre-goers, neither is he a novice in
his profession. Thai he is a thinker
Is evidenced by the themes he chooses
for his plays. In his most recent effort,
however. though he selected q subject
that is as vital as life itself, and one
that is being dealt with every day,
he did not succeed In creating a brain
child that is anatomically perfect.
''The Price has brain, but its body
is not constructed so that IL can with
stand a critical physical examination.
Built in three sections, it does not
show signs of greatness until the third
act Is reached. Then, however. It
towers in it's strength and stands be-
fore its audience wildly, belligerently.
crying aloud hat that which 1t repre-
sents Is real, part of society, and must
be reckoned with.
II s- fAa ho1 fhof Mr. Rrna Hhircf
has permitted the first two acts to
drag, and 1t is to be regretted hat he
permitted so many things that are old
in theatredom to creep into these two
acts.
1.-THE Price" tells the story of an
artist who is %unhappily married and
his private secretary, with whom he
falls in love. At first his love is re-
turned and the woman gives herself to
him.
She finds later that she was mis-
taken and that it is another man she
loves. She does not wish to tell the
artist the true state of her mind and
does not dare tell the nan to whom
she is engaged of her relations with
the artist.
CIb Is lDICCd ~ iph Z" tiSohi 0ASoSS
of it, however, and tells her former
lover just where she stands. Having a
weak heart, this kills him. She then
marries the other man.
Her life for a time is perfectly happy,
but when The widow of the artist be-
comes housekeeper for the happy pair
their life is changed. The widow, by a
ruse, exposes the young wife's relations
with her dead husband, and succeeds In
%revenging herself upon her one-time
rival.
When the wife makes explanations,
her husband, who was the artists ply
stefan, learns that his friend waS killed
because of the shock of being told that
his secretary no longer loved him.
This is more than he c.. forgive.
shock would kill the artist. He ac-
cuses her of murder Ind leaves the
house.
The play ends suddenly and abruptly
and the future of either husband or
wife, or both, is left entirely to the i'm
agination.
Miss Ware, as the private secretary,
stands prominently above her associ-
ates. She is, indeed, the star of the
production. Jessie Ralph, however,
who plays Mrs. Dole, the artists wife,
Is perfectly suited to the part and plays
1t admirably.
Warner GLAND, as the artist, is UNI
happily cast, and Harrison Hunter, who
plays DR.. Bristol. carries his asceticism
too far and is too rigid in his demeanor.
Margaret McDade makes a good
Susan, George W. Barnum an accept
able Professor Damaroff, Gertrude
Dalton is not strong enough for her
role, and r. II. Hudson does not make
the most of his.
There are two scenes in the play and
both are perfectly staged.