New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-09
THE BRUTE" A THRILLER
I Woman DoWned at Last at the
39th Street Theatre.
PLAY WELL CONSTRUCTED
And Peopled with Brilliant
Manhood and Fair,
False Woman.

in all her pride, arrogance. SNUG supe-
riority, unfaithfulness to home, honor and
ideals. in all her lack of logic and love
OF money. went by the board last night
at the Thirty-ninth Street Theatre. It
took the brute to break her. 1t naturally
would. No ordinary man would have the
nerve to do it or would feel he ought 10
be so rough with a woman. But at last
she got her deserts, and the entire au-
dience including many lady anti-suffra-
gists, could barely refrain from cheering.
A wife goes wrong. No, she does not
really 20. but she is on her way. She and
her husband live in a ffty-dollar fiat in
Harlem. She is young, good looking,
married eight years, the mother Of one,
does her own homework and wears, as
she explains. dollar corsets." The last
item seemed one Of the chief grievances.
Her husband is a fine, manly young Eel
low. who Is working night and day at en-
cheering, and putting all his savings into
a glass factory, 80 that they may be
rich after a while"
The wife is dissatisfied with her fiat
and its monotony. Some one should take
this subject of getting weary OF a Har-
lem fat with its oak woodwork, pink
wall paper and the photograph across the
alley and write alphabetically Of II as
legitimate beginning for life Of sin.
However, Of that another time.
Mrs. Donald Rogers, the wife. has
planned to run away with her husbands
best friend. William West, who is rich
and loving. Just before the wife's escape
her delverer dies in Denver hospital
and leaves his whole estate to her. There
Is no 10Y in the Rogers household at the
news Of the death and will of their friend
and lover, but the money is accepted.
The wife hides her grief, says nothing
about its cause buys a summer home
at New London and begins to love her
husband
Through the gossip of a friend who
talked TO Vests nurse in Denver. the
husband discovers his wife's treachery.
After a scene with his wife he picks up
his little boy and runs out Of the house
with him and away to New York, far off
from the polluted touch Of his mother
and the evil influences Of her tainted
money.
In the final act there is still much sus-
pense. The wifes sister and her mother
"a mother-in-law Of the old school
come in to try to straighten matters out,
but the husband is firm. He will forgive
his wife and take her back IL she will
give all her i'll gotten fortune 10 charity.
The mother calls her son-in-law some
well worn names. The sister is practical,
but has been taught some Of the rudi-
nents of honor by her fiance, so she does
not urge the outraged husband TO give
10 his resolve about the money. At last
the wife enters and pleads forgiveness.
she learns under what conditions she may
come back and associate with her hus-
band and child She loves both and
wants their love, but the sight OF that
Harlem fat makes her declare war. She
will appeal to the law for her child and
will let her husband go.
At this point the final curtain Is actual
ly imminent, and yet the troubled spec
tator does not know from what quarter
Of the heavens the end VIII come.
With the wife's declaration of war the
husband flares up with the quintessence of
fury, and tells her that IF she goes out
Of that door she goes out of his life
forever" you brute!" she cries back at
him. With that the tension snapped.
Very well If I'm a brute, 1 shall act
like oner' he shouted, and plunged tow
ard his wife.
The house sat up. All the delights OF
The Roman arena were in prospect. He
dragged off her velvet hat. Fortunately
It did not seem to be pinned on. He
broke her chain Of pearls. After which
orgy OF forbidden delights he whirled her
around and threw her violently on the
floor. closely confused with a table and
chair There was a pause, during which
he breathed hard and she made an effort
at some broken sobs. She seemed strong
and we'll physically, but when she arose
from the debris II seemed she was not in
fighting trim mentally.
Donald" murmured she, between re-
pentant sobs. Il will never, never leave
you, and never. never''-it trailed off into
complete love and submission.
long pent up wave Of Joy rolled from
the audience.
As Donald replied, There is some
chance for us two" the curtain descended
'auntily.
A play In defence OF man was bound
to come. II is so long since there has
been kind word said for him; so long
since he has been allowed to have
problem" of his own. However, perhaps
II must be admitted that the mans play
Is still 10 come For man TO carry out
NE brute idea is hardly modern enough.
NOW, II II had been the woman who
maed brute and 'Jiu jitsued" her hus-
band. the play would have been up TO
cate! As for the problem, until society Is
''ting with the unfaithfulness OF wives
VINO are cherished by tender, loving,
husbands II is not vital.
What does strike home about the play
Its realistic note OF monotony-m
WY In the lives and interests and sur
''endings Of the $50-a-month family. The
Yves REBELLION against II was a spot OF
nser. II would make a play In itself.
ony the husband should go in for re-
'ellon against It, too. After all. that
Mas what they were both suffering from.
"ny row with each other and turn TO
me primrose path? What they should
ave done would have been to join forces
ana turn on the fat.
me acting OF Frederic Arnold Kum-
mers first play was well done. Ernest
'endinning, as the brute. was splendid