New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-25
Githa SoWerby's Play Interests
First Audience at Little Theatre.
NOTABLE ACTING IS SHOWN
Norman McKinnel Displays New
Style in Portrayal of a
Gaunt, Simple Man.

4
Githa Sowerby has made master
builder in John Rutherford She has
hewn him out OF granite, and with his
soIdity OF strength he has built up an
industry. Every step he has taken has
been on the neck Of some one else. for
his ambition has been to rise above others
and be wonderful I'm their eyes. He has
not been a great man, but masteriul
one. There is every difference.
Rutherford has made slaves Of his en-
Moves VINO have Welded him willing de-
votion. and has damned up his family.
whose energies have therefore spent
themselves in trickline and devious
streams that have expressed nothing bnt
! failure and discomfort lie has even
stopped 10 stealing his sons Invention
that he might use IL toward the improve
ment of his factory
Finally the son. on whom Rutherford
has built all his hopes as the inhentor
OF his work and his success. bolts, leav-
ing his wife and baby stranded in Ruther-
ford's house. The wife is scorned.
Rutherford's son has married beneath his
station. but not beneath his intellect. a.
Il turns out She sees Ia her husbands
father a strong man rebellious on the
edge Of defeat. His son is gone and the
work he has spent his life building VIII
die with him She. who has no other
way OF winning q place in the world Tor
her baby, drives bargain with Ruther-
ford
GIVE me she SAYS. "a place In your
home for the boy and myself Give him
the shelter Of your roof. the nonrishment
OF your food. the benefit Of an education
and I'll give him 70 you for your heron
one condition: He is to be mine for ten
years For that time YOU are TO leave
him absolutely 10 my care without
word of interference.
And after that" mutters Rutherford,
leaplng eagerly across tine table, The is
10 be mine TO train, 10 direct
Yes. but in ten years YOU Will be old.
You can't break him then.
Rutherford looks long and keenly At
his sons wife She is the first one in
his life he mas ever respected. I'm "a
monosyllable ne accepts her bargain.
Though the play is one Of family strife
from the first word 10 the last. 10 Is the
only English play OF that kind within
recollection mat is without the ha'or oi
personal bitterness
The remarkable young woman whose
first play this II said TO be has achieved
distinct work % art in Rutherford
and Son" Hardly another contemporary
playwright; I'm the English language. out
side OF the Irish group. who rs not an
invisible person OF the cast Of each oil hi7
plays There is no Miss Sowerby behlhd
the lines Of Rutherford or OF any one
Of his family or servitors. She has I'M
derstood her men and her women. There
is no overbalance Of feeling for either
side Though che has recognized that her
theme and people are universal she mas
done what so few have the insight 10 90
in accounting for their temper-she mas
sought II in the climate Of their country
You can see II outside the high windo"
OF Rutherfords home-the gray, bleak
landscape. the duh. sunless sky.
no sun. how gray it is!" signs the
Young wife as she looks from the window
al the dreary view. She has come from
a different land
II you re lODhlIE lbl tH' S"'' go -
cember," saws Rutherford's old sister,
you'll no be finding IT, YouIl get used 10
il in time.
II there should Dc any complaint
against Miss sowerbys play because IT
solves nothing. gives no answer 10 the
theme It presents, the answer should be
that It does something infinitely better.
II forms a starting place for thought.
In the spirit OF the play is the por-
travail OF John Rutherford by Norman
McKinnel II has the effect OF Won
Lenbach portrait, all strength and SIM
plIcity. with the light thrown only where
II matters most. 10 bring the soul out
through the expression. Mr. Mckinnel
has a new art OF acting-new to Eng
Iand-that is. He has thrown away all
stage traditions. He uses none OF the
articles which actors adopt In order TO
throw their points over the footlights. lie
rather reverses the process and draws the
audience ND over the footlights and on 10
the stage. In this play his art is bare
and gray. pig and simple, and rough. II
is like Stonehenge. only one other player
has been seen here, within the present
writer's recollection, who has the same
understanding and method Of stage art as
MIR. McFinnel. and that is Paul Orlenen,
the great Russian player
The other members OF the cast
Of Rutherford and Son deserve in
dividual attention. All kept them
selves in "A subordinate key as the
MAY demanded. Rutherford was the
master r Cooke Beresford realized the
nifty and terror OF the character Of Mar
tin the man whose soul had been given
IN his master twenty-five years before.
Marie Ault made a brilliant sketch I'm a
few strokes of worthless, garrulous
North Country woman, a drunkard and
o vixen. Agnes Thomas and Edyth Olive.
J. V. Bryant and L. G. Carroll In their
roles of the family OF Rutherford were
an eloguent reflex Of the stone man they
had been beating themselves against our
tho ALI their lives ThyrZa Norman CON
,aved from the first the understanding
ana balance. the mastering sef-control.
which I'M the end won the victory Tor
Young Johns wife. 80,
Little Theatre and presenting II there as
II was written and as II was originally
presented deserves special appreciation.
CAST OF RUTHERFORD AND SON"
John rutherford. ......-.... Norman MchInnel
Iohn OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. }. '. BfSant
Dtnh.r5 .................L l.. q. Carroll
Jauet shis daughter. .....'..... .EdSth owe
lnr his sister .......+.-.. Agnes Ihonlab
MARY young Johns wfe)'' .inyIza norman
Sar,in ...............J Cooke Beresford
a