New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-17
"FANN'S FIRST PLAY"
produCed at Comedy Theatre
Last Night.
hIlDIENCE SEEMS PLEASED
Bernard Shaw's Piece We'll
Acted-Wit and Satire
Abound.

There Is little 70 say about ShaW play
,..orse Shaw himself has said so much.
,,.A.,eve- view YOU take Of the thing one
,,s critic-characters Will have eX-
.,sed it before YOU. It is no praise OF
s,,w 70 say that he is witty. that he IS
s,,rical These things We expect him to
- ~ forever hold his peace.
~ &c not so much wittier than some
..sr writer's for the stage. nor so much
s,arerer. he is more audacious, that is
- and he finds 10Y in poking fun az his
.,,,. snd despising America. Desplsing
,roerica IS part Of his game, just as ths
.,-a,rtiop" o. "Fanpys First Play and
,hs .piloeue thereto are parts OF his game.
10 has his fun with the critics. IL ia
-,oa sport. lie was himself a critic, and
: o,,n one But his great game is to
aavsr,jse Shaw. and that Is the principal
S,.,ress Of his induction blessed word
"a enIloeue. especially of the epiiogue.
v,,rnv and the young folks I'm hey play
- ,sspoctahility a Jolt "RespectabilitY'
q living according 80 your upbringinS,
nd N fear Of your neigh5or. Bobby Gil
nov ana Margaret Knox, in an hour Of
,,snlration. or they don't know what
call n excess OF spirits-depart from the
~ssnoc,a5Ie paths Of Denmark Hill, make
ouea- aclua.ntances. assault the police
,pd 20 10 Jail coming forth fortnight
or month later trumpeting their ad-
ventures vainglOriousiy. TO the terror OF
their families.
The butler Of the Gilbey family turns
M; 10 be q dukes son. Denmark Hill rs
shocked by such fall but overwhelmed
by his condescension. The noble butler
rsrries the tradesman's daughter. o.
PROMISES 10 do so, and inpresses the al
,4edy perturbed middle class family by
nj, reverent conversion to belief in the
Motherhood Of man Probably tire pub
lie takes this while Shaw is laughing in
his inkpot Anyhow, shaw gives an
amusing evening. There is laughter
enough for two plays \ large part OF
this laughter IS caused by Dora Delaney.
Darling Dora "a daughter Of Joy,
over whom nobody need pull a long face,
no matter what you think of her.
The piece was favorabiy received.
Everybody has heard about Il read
about Il and talked about il. II ran two
years or so IN London II IS well acted
here, but would be better done Il the Mar
garet Knox did not swallow her words.
There is an advantage ia being able 20
understand what an actress says
According 20 a formula for playmaking
highly respected in Broadway, "Fanny's
First Play has no action. excepting
when Margaret wallops Bobby on the
dining table Shaw comedies this much
% the lovers Of amusement. All the rest
Of the piece is what certain disdaiuful
minds call talk" But it 81 amusing talk
oecsuse IL is Shaws. The audience
thought So Its laughter was almost con-
tsuOuS. It's own fOibles were hit by the
Shsyisn shafts. hut its u1irSh was greatly
surred. il came away saying that here
vas really a play. even II nobody did
things" and even II there was no punch
save Margaret's. OF course, the news
VIII distress some stout minds Of the
a;Fedom. And, Of course, others who
were present viii say Shaw is irroverent
That opinion is unlikely 10 be shaken
Nothing is 70 be gained by quarrelline
hear him you must have a sense OF
humor. or you will have ft. As for his
probabilities well. His characters In /
this piece are most human when they
are stodgiest. Mrs. Gilbcy, Tor instance |
Mr.. Knox and Mr.. Gilby. HIS cleverest /
people are not necessarily his funniest /
nor the most Ike taxpayers Last night
acting, while very good on the whole, !
might have been better In certain parts !
Duvallet was the usual stage Frenchman I
without the accent Darling Dora" was
capitally done. although some Of our
sulleless spectators may not know where /
10 place her. Whether this Shaw play |
VIII run a. long IN New York as II ran /
IN London Is In some circles considered 2 !
question quite as important as the !
result Of the Presidential election. !
No one can doubt Shaw's opinion on I
That subject His play was two I
years getting here. The wonder is Y got /
here al all so great-in prints tho |
sasrian horror OF our barbara land But
having arrived II is likely 10 remain. II
is amusing enough. And in any case
shaw would see 10 it that his plav did !
not lack attention 1t is something diff |
fefent" Count upon 6. y. s. for that. |
IL this rude civilization does not accept |
him ar philosopher it regards him as
an amoosin' cuss 4. w.
CAST or "FANNY'S FIRST PLAY
THB INDUCTION.