New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-10
PRINCESS THEATRE
'Opens Its Second Season with
QuintupIe Bill.
'gL ACK MASK'W0RTH WHILE
Two Playlets from Paris and
Two American Comedies
of Poor Quality.

After a false start, Holbrook Blinn and
the Princess Players opened their second
season at the Princess Theatre last night
with Ave playlets Of which only one, The
BLACK Mask" tragedy OF Northern
England by F. Tennyson Jesse and II. VI.
Harwood, calls for serious consideration.
IL is genuine thriller but II is also
an exceptionally able bit OF dramatic con-
structiot and writing. The horror of 1t
belongs to the field OF legitimate drama,
not 70 that of sensation at any cost. That
il is morbid. grewsome nightmare likely
TO haunt the memory Of sensitive souls,
does not alter this fact. A miner In the
English coal country has returned home
from the hospital after an accident. dis
figured TO such an extent that his face Is
no longer human. He. must wear a black
mask for the rest OF his days. That omi-
nous cloth, with it's one eyehole. has begun
to prey upon the imagination. the nerves
of his wife. She does not know what II
hides. she drelis the mystery-and she
cannot bear the thought OF living with 1t.
So she turns for consolation. affection and
counsel 10 her husbands cousin. who re-
sembes him in figure and voice. Al night
in the dimly lighted cottage. the man
with the mask surprises the two, and
the lover kills him. so they think. The
murderer is unnerved by fear, utterly
crushed, but abe woman rises TO the oc-
casion They must throw the body into
an abandoned shaft. and. until they can
leave the country, her lover must imper-
senate his victim by wearing mask.
She goes to her room TO fetch one. In
her absence the husband. who has only
been stunned, revives and kills his rival.
whose face hs coyers with the mask his
wife throws into the dark room. She
knows nothing OF what has happened.
Not until after they have returned from
the shaft and her companion tears on
his mask does she learn the truth. This
narrowing climax takes place on stage.
II is the final proof OF the authors in
stinct 70. the theatre. The play IS superb
" acted by Emelie Polini and Holbrook
Rlnn, who PLAYS the parts Of both hus-
band and lover.
As for the rest OF the programme. re
lice" from the French ~ Hernaz Be
cerra. is drama" OF the Latin quarter
Its ineptituIe and futility are colossal.
"A Pair OF White Gloves" is another
French drama. General Gregoh, who has
killed revolutionaries until Russia has be-
come unsafe for him. Is entertaining a
young English typist In private supper
room I'm a London hotel The girl Plies
him with drink until ne Is helplcss-then
reveals herself as the wife OF one Of rs
victims and strangles him with her long
white gloves This far from original play
let by Andre de Lorde and Pierre Ch1ine
is well written. but the part Of the wom-
an is immeasursbly beyond Willette kcr-
shaw's present theatrical experience and
grasp. The role OF the Russian aristocrlt
Is filled with great distinction and power
BY Mr. Blinn.
There remain two American playleis.
The scene Of THE Bride" by William
Hurlbut, is laid In France. IN the begin
ming OF the last century. Clarice iAd-
biac has been a bride for a month. Her
husband * going away for three days, 30
she makes appointments with three for
mer lovers OF hers. one for each day. Tn~
three. however. all appear OF the ArSt
evening. and are hidden one from The
other, under the bed and In II box couch.
and the last one In "A clothes closet, when
her husband suddenly returns. lie dis
covers the three visitors. Burglars
shouts his wife. and Police" The police
arrive and prepare 10 take the burglars
away Search them" says the lady,
thus securing the presents they mad
brought, but had not yet given her. THIS
IL an expurgated version. Miss Po'Ini
Ia utterly miscast In this original COM
edy." In EN- Deshabile." by Edward
Goodman. a gentleman goes 10 bed III 4
country house. Enter lady, who ~ but
mildly surprised at finding him there
After fifteen minutes Of near-clever mag
azine story dialogue she discovers that he
is her husband from whom she has been
separated for some time. He has grown
a beard, and she concludes that she !kes
hin, better thus A mutual friend-a wpm-
an-has invented this delicate way OF
bringing them together again.
This disheartening, wearisome stun Is
apparently the best that can be found a
its own peculiar sort. There is no art In
II. no wit. no entertainment; no novelty
where novelty is the very thing promised.
The grewsome BLACK Mask is the only
plav on the programme that is worth
while.