The Washington herald., 1913-11-23
Repiew of the Week Past
In New York TheaterS
BY JAMES y. sfErCALF,

New York. Nov. 22-The easiest job
know OF Is telling some other fellow how
he ought 10 behave himself. For CEN
turies the task has commanded itself 10
those who. through laziness or incom-
petence, have found It dificuit to make
living In any other way, and some Of
our dramatists seem to have caught the
idea It's an unfortunate thing that the
stage has lately fallen IL the way of
eeaching good behavior instead OF con-
nning itself to its frst and most impor-
tAnt function Of providing amusement.
The most unfortunate thing about this
sudden ambition OF the theater TO teach
morality Is that only one sin seems to be
important in the eyes Of our dramatic
-eacaers.
Rachel Crother., "ourselves."
We had thought that the police action
IN the cases Of The Lure" and THE
Fight had rather put an end to the pro-
duction Of white slave plays But now
comes Rachel Crothers. a perfectly we'll
meaning lady dramatist, with a play
called Ourselves" in which the white
slave traffic is not unduly emphasized,
but in which the public's Shiny interest
in the topic is counted on a drawing
factor. The author uses this interest as
means to impress her belief that males
be judged and permitted to live by only
one standard, that Of absolute sexual
purity
Miss crothers' beliefs and standards are
OF value only as they make drama. In
the case OF Ourselves" what she thinks
leads only TO commonplace results. She
is evidently so intent on her moral lesson
that she has lost sight OF dramatic VAL
ues. Therefore a play that opens bril-
Iiantly with a spirited scene in the psrlor
Of hagdalens' home, with the near
eerated girls raising the devil in the
special way that appeals to each ot,e OF
them. dwindles down in the denouement
OF the play to commonplace return to
unavoidable conditions. Weak as Our
selves Is as a play, II gives Grace FL
VS(ton opportunity for some energetic
and graphic acting in the role Of the girl.
MIR. BIaude's Second Bill.
IIt is a misfortune tha. so finished an
actor as Mr.. Cyril Maude, and one so dis
tinguished in his own country should
make his appearances N America with
insufficient heralding and in such an un-
suitable theater as wallack's. The ine-
ness of his art would be best appreciated
In small and intimate theater, ami in
stead of that, he Is placed In one Of the
barn-like structures that we have nher
ited from preceding generation OF the
atef-DuilderS.
His second bill is made up Of curtain
raiser, called THE Ghost of Jerry Uund-
ler," and the W. w. Jacobs story
dramatized by Mr.. Louis N. ParkP un-
der the title OF Beauty and the Barge"
The first is a grewsome bit which gives
the star a chance to do some thrilling
acting in a serious way. and the second
failed here some years ago with M. Nat
Goodwin in the role now presented by
Mr.. Maude. The play is not much. being
. sketchy comedy, with no very defnite
story. 1t gives the star a chance to de-
pict the characteristics of humorous
captain of a ship which never departs
from the peaceful waters of the Thames,
but enables him to assume all the man
ners, Importance, and sallantry Of the
commander of an ocean liner. This dig
nifty, coupled with an assumption on the.
Skipper's part that he is "a dell among
the weemen." gives M. Maude Oppor-
tunity for an absolutely delightful Liece
Of Characterization that explains why
London holds him and his work in such
affectionate regard. Bis company-has q
chance to show to better advantage in
the second bill. and IL seems likely that
with the further revelations of Mr..
Maude's repertory, New York may come
to appreciate the artistic value Of this ex-
cellent comedy acting.
Henrietta CrOsuan Returns.
In the surfeit of theatrical entertain
ment put before US, in the widely varied