New-York tribune., 1912-02-24
LONDON NOTES
nrama with ConventionS-Some-
thing 0Id-Fashioned- A
Cabaret Theatre.
London. February 10.

,..o,,. exneriuents and more tali-
no, euccesses. but the motives OF
,o,u+iopary playwrights and unfiinch-
.o,ists command respect, for drama
18th ideas for thoughtful piaygoers 's
=, ,,,,portsnt than pleasurable recrea-
,ion. When Alfred sutro came 10 tue
srort q decade ago he put people with
o.s .rd blood into his plays and broke
,,rav from the conventions O. unreaii'S'
,.,,rent1v he has not considered inc
,,,5 earnest drama worth the mid
r.y-t candle. 1t is so much easier 10 re-
-. .,ce the conventions than 1t is 10
80 ,aon,e 70 think about the subtleties
,,arsc+er and the serious problems "f
r,odern life. The stage made play nus
cynical and thoughtless actors as closely
+,a sbantung coats and skirts or the
rpttv colored charmeuse, with IT'S cu'l,
a,s little bodice and belt OF black ana
orange embroideries The characters can
h supplied from the stage stock pot anu
sc = he a play of intrigue, like The f1'e
.s,,roov " II will not be necessary to nave
either a fresh idea or a novel situ7l'o".
oliver Hadden IS the familiar S'deo
.c,an+ist-this time bacterloloslst eN-
narimenting with a hfesaNins serum
rho loves his sensible, trustworthy WIFE,
and is so simple minded that her cousin
.,,o,o can wind him around her tngec'
Mr.. Fisher-White. at the Garrlch' Is a"
rasourceful actor. but while he COMES
and goes during four acts he caIlro' SUI
oaed in making this useful and innocent
r,or interesting Nor is Miss Violet
Vapbrugh more fortunate with the pld'-
trial affectionate wife who percelNes
.n.+ her husband is in danger Of being
D. ainged by a hearIless flTt ana het''S ~
ne protected by fire screen III Tue
shane of a middle aged liberune. ho'
ace Travers is the fire screen ana WIN
Arthur Bourchier 10 impersonate MN
with cynical smile, f1ippant play ol seS''
nra and the nghtest possible touch there
is acting worthy Of a brilliant coiheuE
psrt. Yet how oldfashioned ana stale y
the stage type and how wearlsome II Is
IN follow him from one SITUATION TO an
o+ber until the assignation is deiiber-
atelv planned and the infatuated NUS
hand and Jealous wife are brought IN 10
witness the discontinue OF the IN
trfeuing man hunter.
II will hardly he fair 10 describe
Angela Verrinder as the ordinary stage
adventures She has no conscience en-
snares men from sheer hive Of mischleI'
tortures an honest woman with shallow
lies and is in sympathy with whatever
is base and vile. She is not another
Becky Sharp, for she lacks human
feeling; nor is she another Milady, Aor
she is not wicked on a large scale out
merely petty and insignificant in 1er
outbreaks Of resentment and in her cat
like attempts TO steal a good mans heart
by silly tricks and to break up a happy
home. Miss Kate Cutters impersona-
tion Of this artful little mink is hotn
vivid and clever: and yet when all the
twists and turns are over there is little
TO differentiate her from the grass widow
of farce and the heartless coquette OF
melodrama except her own petty delight
in making trouble for other people and
having men dangling about her and put
ting faith in her when they ought 20
know better. It is an old-fashioned play.
indeed. and both in characters, plot con-
struction and dialogue is unworthy of
the author Of "The Walls Of Jericho" and
Makers Of Men"
A better play than Mr.. Sutro's comedy
Of intrigue is Robert Marshalls ''The
Second in Command, revived at the
PLAYHOUSE after twelve years The
South African campaign was fresh in
the minds of playgoers when # was
first produced at the Haymarket, and
the n1essroorn. barrack and khaki scenes
no longer have poignant realism; but
how wholesome and thoroughly English
It is and how we'll 1t stands the test
Of time, Captain Marshall knew what
life in a crack cavalry regiment was
like, and how the dull but manly OFF,
GERS were in the habit of talking; and
the scenes of his play have retained
their freshness and naturalness. Rob
ertsonianw exclaim some of the critics,
who are contemptuous of everything
that is not written either by Mr.. Shaw
or by Mr.. Galsworthy, and certainly 1t
Is old-fashioned and sentimental. Yet
for the sake of Cyril Maude's admirable
performance as Major Bingham II is to
be hoped that it will be a long time
before this delightful play is laid on the
shelf with ours" Eccentric comedy IS
his best line of stage work, and there is
nothing better in his repertoire than dear
old "Bings." with the heart Of gold and
the unfortunate habit of always coming
out Second best"
The best play, whether new or old. is
likely to be slow and stupid when "Bo-
hemia in Kid Gloves" has its Continental
cabaret, where smart people who have
dined and feel drowsy and bored can
have cigarettes and coffee and enjoy
free and easy" entertainment until the
small hours. 1t is'a venturesome Ameri-
can lody with Greek name who is or
ganizing this cabaret for the relief OF
upper-class Bohemia, and Washington's
Birthday is the date when the doors Will
be opened to all who may be willing to
pay half a guinea for the privilege Of
hooking on at the various lively turns.
listening to the Chansons Bretonnes ad-
: -hrlng a genuine Aubrey Beardsley
dance and exchanging mods and quips
with artists, actresses and the smartest
IaR av. 4 H.,