The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-30
OTIS SKINNER IN NEW
PLAY AT THE LIBERTY
The Silent Voice." by j. T..
Goodman, Founded on story
by GOuvcrneur Morris.
STORY OF NEW YORK LIFE
"The silent Noice''-M the Liberty
Theatre.

Otis skinner who has not always been
20 fortunate in recent years rs he was in
Edward Knoblauch's "Kismet." came for
ward last night at the Liberty Theatre
charles Frohman has selected for him
MAY of contcmporaneous life In this city
So IL was not as a romantic actor that Mr.
Sklnner's admirers witnessed him last
night The character he represented. how
ever in the play founded by Jules Eckert
Goodman on story by Gouverneur Nor
ris was to a certain degree out OF the
ordinary. lie was a musician. amateur
hut perseverings and at one time
yrtuoso Of some attachments.
IL WAS seen early in the course OF this
four act play that the audience learned
the reason OF the musicians loss OF skill.
lie was growing deaf. The fact was not
10 be concealed. but that IL might not
altogether ruin his happiness he followed
the counsel of a friend and married the
Young girl he loved. She was much
Younger, and II was out of pity rather
han love that she married him. Her
heart beats much more warmly for the
Young nephew of this middle aged mis-
gnthrope whom she must call her hus-
hAnd. II is the revelation of this truth
mat robs him of all the happiness I'm life.
Il is the spiritual salvation OF this hero
with which the rest of the play deals. II
seems i'm his bitterness as II there were no
further opportunity for happiness for him.
But he discovers that he is not the only
PERSON who has been tricked out of hap
piness just as IL seemed in his hands.
Others have been robbed OF their happl-
ress by powers higher than themselves.
30 he will see what his iniluuce for good
Ia -, IA trNFr IN
AS II lies in the power of amy human
eng the mistakes of the power that has
brought so much evil into his life.
Many are brought to happiness through
his fundamentally. So his wife, as young
wives have a habit of doing when their
middle aged husbands are the heroes or
plays, falls in love with him. The happi-
uess he has brought TO others is thus
brought in tho aud Ia him rs we'll
After witnessing MIR Goodman's play
me is led t. ask II deafness In a middle
aged man is theme to interest the
public. Ii is altogether conceivable that
deafness may be made absorbing
Drama may flash about a deaf man as
lgh,ning about the peak of a mountain.
THE silent Voice" is however. destitute
Il any dramatic skill in It's Development
There WAS, To begin with. no evident
reason why the young woman who mar
ed Tho hero should have r"pcntcd il 50
soon, even n tNrTe " rs q ''llN 'tSlNlpli III
he second act rs to her uuwilliugncss to
nave children because the deafness iu his
'snily was hereditary. That however,
vas but one incident IN the seneri IN
-. ness OF Mr.. Goodmans use OF Mr..
Norriss idea.
Tho audience saw the deserted hus-
naud watching Central Park through his
7eld g.asses--his sense Of sight had pre-
sImAblv been developed dCutoly as he
st another power--and acting Il spe-
e. ot benevolent Buddha for the vari-
ogs unfurtUNdtcs in Central PARK which
The familiar device OF the transparency
revealed To- MIN. There were young per-
sons and Old and they were all equally
embarrassing to the audience, which
watched them only as the Instruments by
which the benign hero revealed the trans
formation IN his character. Cndoubt-
eddy the effect of these sccncs would
have been stronger had the hero per-
formed his brands of mercy in person.
Vet he preferred to w,uch from his win
low o. his perch on the roof and send
mis- valet 10 carry out ms plans. lie
yhuckled charitably whenever the trans
parency faded and he was In view of the
audience.
or course there was not the sl - est
fusion of reality about this deaf man
regulatng the unhapplncss of lie by
means OF such powerful field glasses that
ne could translate the language OF the
lips at such Il distance. There was not
even interest during most OF his viCarious
achievements and the regularity with
which the lights died out and the trans
uarency took the centre OF the stage was
almost AS mechanical as the herJs use
~ his field glasses. What a playwright,
POO ght have accomplished with the material
Is not possible 10 SAY. But Mr.. Good
man. although there were occasional pic
'uresqueness and force in his speeches, is
not a playwright.
Tiresome Job for Hero.
Otis skinner is one OF the few really fine
romantic ACTORS on our stage. lie pos
sesses, as almost no other among his con-
.rmporaries does, the forid and grandiose
style Of the costume actor. Why he should
ho johudrewed into acting such role as
- WAS compelled to play last night 1t is
not easy to say. He is altogether remote
DO appearance, in technical style and in
.ympathy from the part OF middle aged
man growing deaf. Then the actor of his
lge IN sympathetic part, suffering from
lie sights OF the love unrcquited by a
tnuDg girl, has grown tircsomc ngure