New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-15
NOTABLE AUDIENCE
FOR bR|EUX PLAY
Damaged Goods StirS Crowd
That Filled Fulton from
Pit to Gallery.
OPINIONS OF SPECTATORS
General Belief That Play Is
First Step in New Move
ment for Better
Conditions.

The production Of Eugene Brieux's play
Les Avaries' CDamaged Goods. which
took place at the Fulton Theatre YES
terday afternoon under the auspices of
TIL Medical Review Of Reviews" before
an audience that for once this season
crowded New York theatre TO it's exit
doors. turned out 10 be different sort
Of function from what many even of
It's most interested advocates expected.
The reforming Of vice. while regarded
as q worthy subject for effort. has not
always attracted TO its service type Of
person likely TO make reform popular
I'm fact. there is ground for wondering If
the reformer himself has not been as
great an obstacle as any other in the
vath Of reform. Hence the peculiar in
terest which attached 10 Yesterdays per
formance at the Fulton. IL was not
reform proceeding" in the familiar sense
Of the term. Nor was II any other sort
~ proceeding with which New York is
familiar Taking play and audience in
consideration. the affair was epoch-mak-
Ing IN its novelty.
A. Mr.. BrieuX's play has been in cir
cuiation in this country In George Ber-
nard ShaW's translation for some two
years. the subject Of 1t is becoming gen
orally known. The Rev John Haynes
Holmes in his speech to the audience be-
fore the rise OF the curtain explained
that the theme Of Damaged Goods" was
the relation of syphilis To marriage"
Mr. Holmes then read Shaws own pref
ace TO his translation Of the play. in
which the universal taboo on certain
subjects" and the great conspiracy Of
silence" in the matter of sexual rela-
tionships are referred 70 and criticised
in o. Il. SIS characteristic manner.
RrcrVs breaking of this silence on
matte. which concerns the health Of the
rae. VAS then recommended by the cler-
gyman TO the serious attention Of the
audience.
The generous applause which followed
this Introduction dropped into breath
less silence at the rise Of the first cur
tain. But applause broke out again at
the appearance. in the leading role. OF
Richard Bennett, due to whose efforts the
production of'thc play was made possible.
Wilton Lackaye. who swung on the stage
in his easy decisive manner. drew another
round Of applause, and after that there
was complete silence.
Those who have read Damaged Goods
know the spirit of IT, Those who have
DOT can hardly realize how the theme
with which il deals can be handled with
ont offence. That il r. so handled, how
ever. was the universal Judgment Of yes
terdays audience, as expressed by their
common attitude and in their individual
comment
Many persons have called the play
splendid tract. hut no play because it
lacks dramatic action The DEVELOPMENT
or rounded characters and the calling
vr Of the deepest human emotions, how
ever. may in a possible future renais-
sance Of the drama. again come 10 be re-
carded as the proper sphere OF drama,
ana in that case Les AvarieS' Will be-
generally recognized. as 1t seemed 10 have
been Yesterday al the Fulton. as play
rather than a tract.
The simple story of a man stricken
with "a disease that j. a horror 10 him.
struggling with his physician for per
mission 10 marry. and. being forbidden.
marrying anyway. only 10 pass on his
adnction. and then suffering the remorse
for which there is no cure. seemed 10
make a genuine appeal as drama and a.
human document and as starter of a
movement If anything may be Judged by
IN, results on the audience at the Fulton
.cstorday
Many of the most prominent PEOPLE 10
the city were present numbering repre-
seutatives not only ~ sociological and
medical interests. but members Of society,
leaders iu the world of fashion. Of the
drama and Of education We. known reg
u.ar hrst u!ghters and not few just
I.ain people That II was a democratic
audience was perhaps proven ~ the fact
that there were as many well known
faces .n the top gallery as IN the orches-
'-a chairs.
Besides the stormy app luse that greet
ed all the lines in the play which struck
81 The evils produced by Ignorance and
%, double standard OF moraL as well az
those that advocated new LEGISLATION and
the establishment Of a board Of public
health. there were many Individual eX-
yr,esions Of opinion worthy Of record.
Dr. Abraham jacob. one OF the fore
most physicians Il the country. Who was
not enthusiastic IN support Of the pro
duction Of the play at first. said at the
end ~ the afternoon:
Il hope AT least a hundred thousand
people see the play. IL - medically cor
rect"
D-. Henry NJ. Leipziger supervisor Of
tne system Of public lectures. after ef-
pressing himself as strongly IN favor or
t.e production Of Damaged Goods said
DO would ike 10 see the play offered 10 an
opera House audience.
Marcus Vi. Marks. leading New YORK
merchant who has figured as chairman
~ various service commissions, summed
up his opinion Of the value of BrieuN S
PLAY by describing his use Of u as an
education for his son.
some time ago he said. j read
Freux Damaged Goods and then hand
Oh IL to my eighteen-year-old son, VINO
read IL I'm my presence and discussed 1t
,ltb me II seems 10 zee that there is ~
better clearer exposition of the mora
and rbvslcal dangers of seNua! vice than
- utaN.
Zee Frankel. chief Of the industrial
bureau OF the Metropolitan Life lnsur-
snce Company. said that he thought so
much Of the play and the value OF spread
tng education on the subject OF It's theme
that ne would promise unofiicially that II
come one could be found who would treat
tne same subject properly in book form
his company would publish IL and dis