New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-07
Z, HECTOR TURNRULL.

81. Basil Mcdonald Hastings, the
English playwright. who provided US
wth an interesting. If talky. play in
cine New SIN presented here some
seasons ago. has evidently striven SO
earnestly 20 build a fitting vehicle for
,r, emotional talents OF Nine. Nazi-
NOVA that h.s sense Of dramatic con
s,uctiou has utterly deserted him. In
-Trat Sort" which opened last night
III. the Harris Theatre. artifciality was
bc dominant note. and the we'll known
-ecrl,ar,ucs Of Nazimova's manner of
r.sv.rc. no matter how skilfully APP
rl.e8. only succeeded in driving home
The irs.ncerity or the authors work.
This is. OF course. q great pity. One
rould like nothing better. on occasion,
shan t1 see Nazimova in hitting role
and rere .n her weird and exotic por-
.rats of ladies in dire straits. One
would Ike. TOO. on less frequent occa-
,,ors. to see play wherein the love Of
mother for her child was presented
.r telling dramatic form and in fash
ION chat would offer a convincing peg
r--r which 90 fasten the ready sympa-
tho. that this theme is bound 10 arouse
when properly presented. Mr. Hast
.-r.'- exposition Of the delicate sub
.,c. does quite the reverse. His hear
ms find fculty in following even the
PREMISE Of his argument with any
thing lse sympathy.
Toy instance his mother" is discov-
cred after th,rteen-odd years of de-
hatchery and dissipation about to com
nit suicide in a hotel room. 1t de
te.ou-. after much talk. that she Is
thus depressed because she yearns for
che s.cht OF her daughter, now young
woman. who was given into her hus-
bands care when he divorced her for
ufdaI.y. Since that divorce she has
.uel 90 fight the yearnlng for her
daughters love by the various pleas
IRE. Of the flesh offered in the capitals
OF Europe. and only succeeded in be-
coming notorious woman, whose
name sends O dramatic hush over the
stage whenever il is mentioned. The
doctor who finds her on the verge OF
suicide hetrieuds her, promises that
she shall see her child, and after a
months time restores her shattered
r.-as 90 what might i'm the case OF
.tress like Nazimova) be called
norma. state.
She next invades the home Of her
former band. and by force Of her
desperate determination, succeeds in
per,lalrg him TO allow her 10 act as
corerness 90 his little boy, and is
so Installed I'M the household with the
llI knowledge and sanction Of the
former husband and his present VIE.
She known as a respectable married
woman 90 her daughter and Is loved
greatly bv the girl for no other rea-
son than that she is kind and sympa-
rtUc The cir. is 10 marry young
Millionaire. and when the pseudo gov
errcss claps eyes upon him for the
frs. time. she is appalled, and horn
tcG to ind that the young man had
once been her lover, and Us, more
over. desperate rake INTO the bar
gau. The WretcheG woman can save
her daughter by no other means, IL
appears. than by confessing all, when
she does -traightway, while the daugh-
rI - of the stage. The chagrlned
lover. thus thwarted, threatens IN turn
-o expose the woman and her presence
r tte highly respectable British
household Therefore the curtain De
sends upon Nazimora departing
broter-ltarted. but cherishlng the
thought that her supreme sacrifice
Ia. saved her beloved daughter from
horrible fate.
Obviously planned TO afford Nazim-
ovs with scope for ner effective postum
ing and her undoubted ability to sug,
gcst i1 exaggerated form many. and
various phases of emotion, the dialogue
and incident of the succeeding scenes
arc deliberately perverted from any
suggestion Of realism into a WeD o.
theatrical artihce. Nazimova. plays
earnestly. sincerely, and no doubt with
us much evidence of skill as she has
over displayed. but it does not Tighten
.tc load put apon the credulty OF the
audience Othcr players in the cast
and p.rtrr- of proven ability, such as
Vincent Serrauo. Charles Bryant and
Wur.f Scagram. do their best in the
same cause. but with Ike erect.
Those of us who care TO see NazlmoYa
must journey to the Harris for the
sake ~ hor vivid portraits alone and
not hope for au interesting play.