New-York tribune., 1912-02-21
THE DRAMA
Cyril Scott in "The Fatted Calf"
at Daly'S Theatre.


Nerves are. without doubt, an up-to-date
topic And any dramatist, who, in the
course of a three-act play-so much the bet
ter If It's a comedy-can show an interested
audience how TO get rid Of these somewhat
universal domestic pets need write no more
plays for money.
Arthur Hopkins eliminates the nerves Of
his heroine in his first play. The Fatted
Calf" which was presented TO New York
last night at DaIy's Theatre Mr. Hopkins
has written for vaudeville, but never before
for tho regular dramatic stage. and the sort
of heavy thinking which thunders through
"'rhe .Fatted Calf" suggests the beginnings
Of dramatic thought. Helen Pemberton's
nerves are brought on by her parents, who
seeing her pale ard sleepess from worry
over a broken engagement, pester her with
anxious devotion till she believes herself as
much a wreck as they tell her she is. Helen
then develops an hallucination that some
one IS trying 10 poison father and mother
this Is the hallmark OF nerves. the sign
by which tho audience learns tho terrible
truth that she has them Having brought
on this sad state OF affairs. father and
mother seek to cure their daughter by
telling her I'm what a dangerous state she
Is They tell her the fear Of poison is a
hallucinatiOn, and they lock all windows
although the time Of the play is June, I'm
New York, so that she may not jump from
them. Now for the Fatted Calf. This is
no other than Roland. the prodigal son.
brother of the candidate for the psyche
pathic ward. lie returns from England,
takes affairs in hand, and by the simple
process Of agreeing with his sister in her
poison theory and opening the windows
cures the nerves in twenty-four hours. He
did not do It quite alone however. He
summoned a specialist. put Helen into
hypnotic sleep on the parlor couch and told
her while she slept 0ights low) that every
thing was all right. and that she was to
be happy. When the next act began, the
opening words assured the audience that
Helen was out motoring. and when the
young lady tripped n-my. what n lovely
change
This, then. is the method Of driving them
away when they are brought on by real
cause like too much affection. II. however,
IL was some ina aginary reason, like living
in this city OF no-speed-lmits. and all that
sort of thing, that brought them on, you
are still IN the dark about what TO do with
them.
As d play this is merely a talkfcst-ln
other words, no play. Theories play all
the parts. medical theories at that which
is not very enlivening. From a medical
point OF view the girls case is drawn with
a complete ignorance OF facts about men
tai maladies Any one who was entirely
-.
Pemberton had (would neither have been
as wholly sane and balanced she vas,
nor could she have been cured merely by
agreeing with her.
Cyril Scott. as Roland. the sympathetic
brother. PLAYED in his usual pleasant tone.
He had little or no character delineation
10 do But he managed his opportune en-
frances. his nimble-witted management Of
affairs in the dstraught household with an
easy lightness that was an acute relief
from the clinical atmosphere provided by
the .thcrs Margaret Greene, who played
Helen, not thinking tho halluCiuation clew
a strong enough one 10 show the audience
her physical state. chalked her face three
quarters Of the way M. dsrkened her eyes
and left her forehead With its ruddy glow
OF health. Effect noteworthy.
Wesleyna Wells. a young woman VINO be-
lioved that she should not marry until she
had prowled through tho birth statistics
and Investigated tho health reports OF sew
ersl generations back OF her future hus-
band. provided an interesting episode for
the mere spectator. The conversations Of
this promoter Of the science of eusenlcs
were listened 10 by the orchestra with
dun, uneasy silence Tho gallery frankly
laughed. The author meant them to be
funny. Miss Shepl"y, who played the part,
looked az though she wished herself in the
wings. Evidently the physical sciences ap-
peal only 20 tho gallery. Perhaps they arc
on more intimate terms with such things
up there.
"The Fattcd Calf' is too lean with dra-
matte material. too fat with unco' taik
CAST or THE FATTED CALF"