The Detroit times., 1913-04-22
GARRICk.

~ Is duOul ~ cars SliAN' - -
thur Wing pinero gave the world
something new to talk about In The
Second Mrs. Tanqueray, and stu
the discussion goes on whenever inc
play II read or seen. Twenty years
ago. Bernard Shaw. turning from the
criticism of pictures 10 the drama.
said that Pinero really ought TO do
something better than this; but as
he never did, he was knighted by
grateful sovereign. Twenty years
ago someone invented the term
problem play" TO apply 10 this and
series of other dramas that dealt
with people who hadn't always done
as the guardians OF our morals
thought they ought. Nowadays the
problem is: What problem can any
body see In 1.-The Second Mrs.
Tanqueray
Perhaps there is problem In the
play for those OF us who nnd the
world simple enough To be divided
into two unequal sections, one very
small, containing little besides ones.
SELF. and labeled good, ana the
other immense. and terrifying and
depraved They are fond OF quoting
St. Paul. who announced In mo-
ment OF defiance OF the rules OF gram
mar that the wages OF SIN is
death.
Now if there is one thing that
Pinero's play shows conclusively, II Is
that il amt the wages of sin tto be 40
ungrammatical as possible, following
our modeD that is death, but the
wages OF virtue. II Paula had con-
tinUed 10 live with one man after
another, spending her time al riviera
hotels and OH Mediterranean yachts,
and had never allowed herself 10 be
persuaded by Tanqueray that she
ought 10 be good. she would probably
have been ~ happy as most people
and have achieved an old age in
which her mental qualities would
SIN have attracted when her physical
beauty had all but vanished. But
she made the mistake of trying 70 be
| god and within Il year she had made
mess OF her own life and her bus
! bands and the lives of several other
! people
Having reached this shocking con
| clusion. must We not accept the YER
! dict that the play is immoral? We
are told that lots of us do think I.
so. And II is--in the same sense that
many OF the Greek tragedies were i'm
moral II hits too close TO life. which
In tho opinion of q great many OF Ms,
I IL so immoral that we're afraid OF ",
and feel that We must scold all of II
but our own little section (which Is
quite sanitary. OF course). II we VIC.
late an edict OF the gods. We get hurt;
! Z, ~ -
rule is established By Zeus. or
! Jehovah. or a Christian society that
can't comprehend Christianitv-We
! get hurt just the same, and receive
our harm In The same spirit OF rebel.
| lion and impotence.
! Those VINO are shocked by The
/ Second Mrs. Taroueray" into think
! ing il salacious might figure out their
! feelings II Mrs. Cortelyon and Ellean
| had received Paula with tears OF joy
had pinned a young peoples aid so
c1ety babe on her. and had made her
secretary OF the foreign mission so
ciety. II would have made a happy
ending. and II would have made the
/ PLAY moral, and sweet. and upright
and untrue and essentially vicious
| Mrs. Leslie Carter must be as good
| az she ever was, for II is impossible
10 imagine better playing than hei
| characterization OF Paula Tanqueray
In such part she Is wonderful IL
every movement and every express
sion. Her scene with Ellesn In the
second act is a triumph OF good act
| Ing. There are those, by confession
who can sit unmoved through tin
comprehensive peorle who no doub'
are touched by the suffering Of horses
and dogs.
The supporting company is excel
| lent. especially Norman Tharp, a
Cayley Drummle; Miss Maude Hama
! ford. az Ellean; Miss Mabel Archdall
as Lady Orreyed, and Miss Corah
Adams as Mrs Cortelyon. r.. J Rat
cliffe plays the dlfiicult role Of Aubrey
| Tanqueray quite adequately. /. is one
OF those parts IN which the actor sits
and thinks and listens a great deal
and he must be very careful II he Is
TO remain interesting.
! The Second Mrs. Tanqueray' viii
/! be repeated In the Garrick theatei
| Thursday and Saturday nights. Fol-
| Tuesday evening and Saturday natl
nee. "Zaza" is announced. IN Wed
nesday. matinee and night, Mrs. Car
ter will play Camille" and on Fri
day night THE Gay Lord Qdex' VIII