Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-22
Moving Play and Movies
Rival Attractions Here
"MilestOnes," at the Newark,
Shows Lies Myriad Inter-
esting Phases.
WITH EXQUISITE CHARM
IT CONVEYS DEEP TRUTHS
Carries Spectators Through
Three Generations, Like Va
riations on Same Theme.

'Milestones," by Arnold Bennett
and Edward Knoblauch, at the
Newark, is a profoundly philosophi-
cal play. But the word philosophical
should not mislead. There is nothing
austere, forbidding or beyond the
about the play. 1t is philosophical in
the sense that it clearly mirrors
llfe's most significant phases. And,
like life itself, it is blending of
much that is sweet and bitter, grand,
petty, sublime, ridiculous; an ex-
quisitely charming medley of keen
humor and deep pathos.
1t involves, to use musical phrase
ology, variations on the same theme.
For the "Milestones" are three gen.
erations and three times it is the
selfsame thing that happens in the
play; yet under so great a variety of
circumstance that 1t is really as If
each milestone" was a separate play
in itself.
And the play teaches a great and
grave lesson which is summed up by
one of the characters, Gertrude
Rhead: ITO escape trouble we de-
liberately make a mistake. The
trouble would have passed within IA
month; the effeetS of the mistake last
all through lifer
Throughout three acts the scene is
laid in the drawing room of a Lon
don residence, the first act deal
ing with events in 1860; the second,
0n bA hi nd Of 1919 Tn
solar as furnishing is concerned.
the main distinctions to indicate the
passage of time consist merely of
differences in the lighting arrange.
ments, oil being the illuminant in the
first act; gas in the second; cleo
tricity in the third.
In Act 1. we find John Rhead,
young iron master, in love with Rose
Sibley, sister of one of his partners.
He has an idea that iron is going to
displace wood for ships, and, accord
ingly, with this object in view, he
wants his firm to enter into an
agreement with a ship-building con-
Germ.
Samuel Sibley, his sweethearts
brother. objects on the grounds that
iron ships are q fantastical folly,
whereupon John declares the part
nership dissolved. Samuel retail
ates by vetoing the marriage ar
rangements between John and Rose.
But Rose assures John that she loves
and will be true to him.
So headstrong and meanly does
Samuel show himself on this occasion
that Rose Rhead, Johns sister, to
whom Samuel is engaged, returns the
engagement ring, although the act
wrings her heart.
Act II. has added 25 years to the
| lives of the actors. John Rhead and
Rose are married and have daugh-
ter, Emily, aged %, who is in love
with Arthur Preece, a young inventor
in Johns employ. Preece is an esti-
mable fellow, a genius; but John,
who is about to receive a baronetcy,
has a higher match than Preece in
view for Emily. He wants her to wed
Lord MonShurst and, in obedience to
her parents' wishes, Emily sacrifices
her own heart and gives up Preece.
She is warned by Gertrude Rhead
not ito do SO. For ii was Gertrude
who, after returning the engage
ment ring to Samuel Sibley, discov-
cred that it is unwise ito make
mistake just to get away from some
trouble" But ths warning Is un-
needed.
Act III. carries US forward another
27 years, to 1912. John, Rose and
Gertrude are very old and feeble;
Emily. the widow of Lord Monkhurst
has a grownup son and daughter.
THE daughter Muriel, loves Richard
Sibley Cupid once more appears,
but Emily disapproves of the match.
and is backed up by her father and
brother Her mother and Aunt
Gertrude, however, favor the match,
and Gertrude cautions Emily not to
interfere with Muriels happiness.
Its the same old trouble" she
SAYS. another generation has
reached manageable age"
But Muriel is defiant. She is
suffragist and has views of her own.
The opposition of mother and grand
mother merely serves to provoke her
to a declaration of rebellion. But
when her mother weeps and says she
can't bear the thought of separation,
Muriel softens and promises never
to leave her,
Once more Aunt Gertrude utters
the warning against making a de-
liberate mistake.
The act ends happily; oppositions
vanish; love reigns supreme. And
as. John Rhead and Rose sit by the
hearth. in the darl<ened room, at the
end of the day of their golden we'd
ding, Gertrude's still sweet voice is
heard from the adjoining room, in the
song she had sung when they all
were young
And John is heard saying:
"Ah, the women of today are not
like those of the days of our youth.
They lack charm: they are unsexed."
Poor old John! Not woman; not
the world; it is he that has changed!
The acting was unexceptionable. 1t
would be almost unjust to attempt
to indicate degrees of excellence in
the different performers where each
performed his or her part to perfec-
ton.