New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-30
A NEW De MILE PLAY
"After Five" a Curious Mixture
of Good Fun and Suspense.
UNUSUAL COMEDY THEME
a Hero Who Plans to Die to
Support His Ward and De-
cides to Live for a Wife.


after Five" comedy by William and
Cecil de Mile. The Fulton Theatre.
THE CAST.
Ted Ewing Forrest lIal,s
frank Moore. Joseph Danncr
Bruno Schwartz................Ja james Bradbury
Arnold Bloodgood. Alfred HlGknldn
Copp ''"I 'ntnL
Dlnah Russell ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ssle Raph
Nora HiIdreth. ...................:.lvy Troutman
II appears 10 be the fashion just now
for writer's Of farce or farce comedy u
kick aside the traditions OF the trade
founded upon long and sometimes bitter
experience. and strike out with darinS
into the fields hitherto marked PLAY
wrights. beware" George VI. Conan mas
lately demonstrated how a deft adventure
into these forbidden pastures may De
made with impunity by his popular 'mys-
terry" farce, Seven Keys to Baldpate'
which takes the banned two-act form
and. in the end, makes its biggest iaush
by hoodwinking its audience.
William and Cecil de Mile have trieu
another but equally risky manner of COM
bining novel thrills and amusing sl'ud-
lions by choosing for their theme nero
who wishes to die, and wishes it so nara
and so convncingly that an atmosphere
of impending death hovers about almost
every episode in the play with per-
sistence that comes within an ace OF en-
quilting some of its most laughable scenes
even after the hero himself recants ana
struggles TO become disentangled from his
| self-imposed circumstances
II is only by grace OF the cleverness Vi
the dialogue the skilled and certain man
agement of scenes and incident that the
audience is able TO shake itself out oil ltS
moments Of real apprehension ana give
the laughs adequate attention. Ana 'he
play is full OF them Ted Ewing DrlhSs
out the first, when he opens the hrst act
by arriving at his bachelor apartments III
a state OF rags and tatters after an. en-
counter with an automobile. No, IT was
not an accident Decidedly not Tea
wants TO die. He just simply has to dle'
or his ward. the beautiful Nora, will have
TO starve or work. You see, Ted up ana
lost all his own money and all his ward ;
! bucking "the Street" His conscience hlts
him such a smite that he Immediately IN
sures his life for vast sum and tries 10
get killed. II appears to be very, very
difficult for one to be killed In New YORK
so he gives IL up in gloom and prepares
10 60 on months vacation in the Maine
woods with sentimental aunt and his
ward
First aid TO the world weary comes IN
the shape Of a blackmailer. who has al
I wealth.
! bachelor with death. and repeats MS
threat, only to be accepted with rshet by
Ted. who offers him bonus TO make the
| Job quick. painless and above suspicion.
| Oki, his japanese valet. holds the prom
| ised money. and swears by his ancestors
| honor, his own honor and all that sort oi
thing that he will never give up the
money unless II is to the blackmailer
! upon completion OF the job.
The absolute and unshakable adherence
of ok to his oath causes all the DIM
| Guilty, for II soon develops that Ieo
wants to live and wants TO ever SO much
more fervently than he had desired 70
| die. and ok, now In the Maine woods
where cash is not to be had. refuses To
! deliver the money TO the blackmailer. VINO
| is willing enough to let UP with his pot
shots and poisoned daggers If lie be prop
| erly paid.
! Complication follows complication unt'
at last the once lost fortune Is regained
and a telegram saves the day, the Ne
| Of Ted, an awful contretcmps with IN,
amorous aunt and the ward from an
| emhittered spinstcrhoOd. Forest Winan
! has never given better exhibition OF ms
abilities than his playing last night OF the
! harassed and much misunderstood
bachelor. Ivy Troutman did well with hei
! rather negative role OF the ward Nora
and Jessie Ralph despite the hanCi''b oi
| a husky voice, made the sentimental Mrs
Dinah Russell both highly convincing and
highly amusing. David Burton. as OK
was a 10Y and established a real reason
for the presence Of Japanese Wallets on ne
stage. James Bradbury gave splehdl'
ard finished Performance OF the BLACK
mailing ogre Schwartz, and Alfred HicK
man and Jay Wilson as Bloodsood anI
Copp, two burlesque detectives, added &c
the hurnor OF their lines
This is the first production OF the SCI"
son for Wagenhals & Kemper, and theS
| hove presented it with their usual iei ci'
| ositv rs TO scenes and settings.