New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-11

Horace +. Billing ......... Frederick Burton
Sergeant CoIgan. r. l. c.. Richard Sullivan
Constable Moriarity. r. l. C.John VI. O'Brien
Tom Kerrigan. j. Rice Cassidy
Rev Father Mccormack. Oliver Doud Byron
Lord Alfred Blakeney ....... Lionel Pape
Mrs De Courcy. ........... Alice O'Dea
Mrs. Gregg ......... .'' '.'.'.. Jessie Abolt
Mary Ellen. ................... Marie O'Nelll
General John Regain" a whimsical
satire on various types and aspects Ct
Irish life, was presented at the Hudson
Theatre last night. The piece, which was
written under the pen name OF George
A. Birmingham" by a well known Irish
churchman. Canon James o. Hannay, has
already been successfully played in Lon
don. where II was first produced last De
cember.
The humors OF the play all flow from
the building and elaborate unveiling Of
the statue OF an Irish hero who never
existed. Three acts, filled with gentle
but penetrating satire. are carried on this
slender thread of action. It is a delight
full thing to read and II may be equally
delightful played, but the fun is quiet
and often what is known as intellect
ual," and the playing should be quiet,
too; absolutely naive, or apparently so,
and absolutely in earnest. as the Irish
Players. for instance, play. tall the
actors In last nights performance seemed
aware of this fact and something
was lost in consequence. yet Mr.. Arnold
DAILY. who carried the principal burden,
acquitted himself admirably, and the
evening on the whole was thoroughly
entertaining
The author which this amusing satire
introduces is OF "A type not often encoun-
tered In our theatre. A Trinity College
man. OF the class of 81. he Is now canon
OF St Patrick's Cathedral. Dublin: tall,
vigorous. slightly quizzical appearing
gentleman. excellently combining the ath-
lete and the scholar. lie has written a
book about the spirit and origin Of Chris
tian monasticism and novels with such
titles as "Lalage's Lovers" and Spanish
Gold" And then he had another play.
"Eleanor's Enterprise" produced in
Dublin in 1911.
Or. Hannays point Of view in General
John Regain is somewhat like that OF
Mr.. Shaw in John Bulls other Island"
with an American instead OF an English
man contrasted with the Irishmen. AT
least this is the point OF view which the
Irishmen in the play must take I'm the
earlier scenes. unless the fun is TO be
missed. For some reason indecipherahe
the actor intrustcd with the part last
night insisted on tipping the audience the
wink continually to show that he at any
rate was not fooled, so that the whole
snap was given away. and the fun which
might have been brought ont IN the APP
parent contrast between the Americans
windy sentimentality and the Irishmen's
realistic keenness and skepticlsm was lost
completely.
The American. Mr.. Horace p. Billing. a
wealthy tourist arrives in his opulent
appearing motor In the sleepy little vii
laRc Of RallymOy and announces 20 the
astonished natives that he wants 10 see
the statue Of General John Regain. lie is
engaged. he explains. in writing the first
complete life of that soldIer-statesman.
the immortal founder Of the liberties OF
the republic OF Bolivia"
None OF the villagers ever heard OF the
general but with their guileless Irish
craft they contrive To conceal that fact.
until OGrady. the dispensary doctor. ar
riyes. Or. O'Grady is an Irishman OF the
. thoroughly Shavan kind. match for
any one. always ready TO prick the sem
] tlmental windbag with amusing and thor
Ourhly logical touches Of realism and
ready TO whack any stupidity conventional
head. no matter whose it is.
The doctor promptly takes in the shu-
| ton. decides that If there isn't any Cen
eral Regan there ought TO he. AT any rate.
| that rich and credulous American who
wants a statue oughtn't 10 be allowed to
escape until they have done their best to
get him one.
| These American tourists are all the
same" SAYS he. 10 the editor Of the local
paper. who doesn't see how he IL going
| TO write about man he never heard OF
and doesn't believe exists. so are the
| English. They come over here hungry Ia
| be told lies about ireland, and the more
J ,ou tell them the better they're pleased.
I This Is the basis OF an elaborate
! scheme. which includes before IL is over
uniting the Lord Lieutenant down to
| mako an address. and the district in
/ snector's wife 10 present a bouquet to
| tho Lord Ijeutenant's wife and the resi-
dent magistrates wife TO present an IL
Illuminated address OF welcome to the
Lord Lieutenant and so on. all carried
off nv the marvellous OGrady with I'M
perturablc effrontery and involving SATIRE
| OF everybody and everything concerned
! from the uselessness of statues ana lord
! ifeutenants generally TO the equal ap-
I surditv of much of England efforts 10
! r,otIifv Ireland and much of traditional
| trioh .Ioouence in regard to Home Rule.
In the end il appears that the American
w.s not as credulous as he looked, ana
that he himself invented General kesan'
Some object to his frankness on the ground
! that an American mas no right 10 deiafne
q hero the people of Ireland are deter
+ mined TO honor. and Mr.. Billings RESPONDS
! thu, no has 10 doub- the doctor VIII
nro,,o the existence of the general-he
! could nroyA anything-and the day he
doos Mr. BILLINGS will be charmed to give
the people OF Ballymoy the money they
want for a new pier and thought the
| lord lieutenant was going 10 give them
Loud cheers and down goes the curtain
The part of the imperturbable and ever
readv OGrady falls perfectly in Mr..
Arnold Days natural vcin ana ne
nIavad II with excellent verve and charm.
A. tho puzzled young English aide-de-
camp. who came down to explain why
the Lord Lieutenant couldn't be There