New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-10
Stanley Houghton's Play Pre-
sented at the Maxine Elliott.
DRAMA OF HIGH ETHICS
Acted for All It Is Worth by a
Strong Cast Of English
Players.


ley Houghtons "Hndle Wakes to this
country, where IT was put on trial last
night for the first time at the Maxine
Elliott Theatre.
Those who. having heard the story Of
the play and the excitement il provoked
in London. expected from II a frank dis
custom of sex relationships. will not be
disappointed The fact that Fanny Haw-
thorn. the weavers daughter. and Alan
Jeffcote, son OF the weavers wealthy
employer went off to Handudno for
week end together is discussed from
every angle and by every member OF
both their families throughout the entire
four acts of the play. Fanny's mother,
petrifed by ignorance. hard work and
conventional environment into an atti-
tude OF righteousness. demands that
Fanny be made IAN honest woman by
her seducer Fanny's father, broken
hearted but forgvins. also hopes that
marriage may be arranged Alans
father. outraged AT his son, declares that
the boy must marry Fanny or suffer disin-
hertance Alan's mother ambitious for
her sons social standing argues that
marriage between Fanny and Alan would
be an absurd throwing away OF the boy
career. Alan, who is in love with Bea-
trlce Farrar. is sullen at the relentless
morality OF his father and refuses 10
give Beatrice up. Beatrlce's father. who
has recently celebrated Hindle Wakes IN
the same way that Alan has. calls the
whole discussion a prudish mess. until he
learns that Alan will be disnherited II
he fails to marry Fanny. Beatrice who
loves Alan and Is engaged 20 marry him.
discusses the whole Llandudno episode
with him until she has made him analyze
all the emotions that dominated him to
his dishonor. Then she throws him over
as a duty she owes 10 "the girl who has
better right to him.
The only persons up to the end of the
play who do not offer their views on
the case are Ada, the Jeffcotes' maid.
and Fanny herself Finally everything
has been satisfactorily arranged. Alan.
thrown over by Beatrice. has consented
TO make an honest woman Of Fanny: the
girls parents are satisfied; the boys
father is appeased, the boys mother ST.
fenced All the relatives are gathered In
the JeHCOltS DTtdhAdsN iOohi ''oN' ~
sign agreements and shake hands over a
bad bargain, when Alan. who has been
watching Fanny's face attentiveiy, sug-
gests that every one has acquiesced to the
settlement excepting Fanny.
II was just beginning to wonder where
came in on all Of this" said the girl,
with bighting irony.
Fanny's views follow. She gives them
in part 10 the motley assembly and in
mart to Alan privately. The sum OF them
IS that she regards the boy as nice
enough TO lark with. but not man enough
10 marry. The honest woman" theory
she plays battledore and shuttlecock with
IL Alan is BLACKBOARD FOR gong OH
with her-and both her mother and his
father have called him so-why should
marriage with him improve her social
standing? Besides. she is as independent
as he and as able to stand on her own
feet While there's a mill in Lancashire
sbe can earn her % bob a week, and that
Is enough for her.
Fanny and Alan part with sporting
bar,shalx. and a Good luck TO you.
Fanny goes her way with her head up
and Alan is presumably taken BACK oy
Beatrice.
The play is said to represent the Lam
"a shire mill people with Photographic ac-
curacy; their thick, throaty speech tnen
brutaIlv direct manners. their peasant
like lack OF fneness. Like other manu-
featuring communities in places not SO
far away. their talk is always OF money
business before pleasure and their
glorious rise TO eminence from sordid be
otpn,nes The piece is well written In the
discursive STYLE now coming into popu-
larity in England. and 1t Is cumulati'cS
dramatic. As for the four acts OF talk'
talk talk about what Fanny ana Alan
have done that il merely part oil the
nIay's truth 10 life. People are nearly
strarg,inr themselves every day with
talk over the same topic-a topic tha'
never seems to approach a settlement III
Anglo-Saxon circles.
perhaps II is one of the most interest
t,o things that come up in connection
with This play. which in its theme is mere
Ia a federation and no novelty tha''
whereas In every other developed coih-
munity i'm the world the relation OF men
and women and the place OF women III
49,, CHAIRS are settled matters, the Eng
I,sh speaking people first and the North
ern Europeans next regard these thihgs
"a problem. There IL an increasing
.,ro,n Of drama. literature and speech
r,okipe ON the subject. Something OF
course. is evolving out of 1t all, whether
:, 60 a greater personal freedom or license
for women. or less amount for men, OF
something else which has not Yet iooineo
IN view. Many think that tine eterna'
subject" shows merely lack OF lmasi-
nation and a paucity of subjects among
rlavwrlghts, or playing to the love Oh
sa,aatiou. Nothing however. could keep
ono subject perpetually going except
aoon rooted public interest. and nothing
could excite continued public interes, eN-
cent the subconscious hearing OF some
thing knocking at the door.
pvbateyer the ultimate value OF the
NAV lust at present Fannys straight
forward sporting attitude has the same
clearing effect as the rising OF the morn
inc mists. There Is no advanced
,houaht' in the point made by the play
7, & merely abreast OF the feeling OF peo-
r,a to-day who have no great leisure for
,hought But that Is so unusual In plays
that in the world Of drama "Hindle
wakes is decidedly advanced. And this
10 evidently its claim to distinction. Al
though neatly and cleverly written as to
situation and character. it is not great
niece OF work. for it is written entirely
from the intellect and not for a moment
From, the heart.