The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-23
THE song Of SopEs"-N the Eitinge
Theatre

Edward Sheldon's play made from
Herman Sudermann's novel "bas liohe
Lied" called in English The Song OF
Songs reached the metropolitan stage
last night after somewhat cautious APP
preach by means Of the provincial cities
I'm which II has been acted. Mr. sheldon
has transferred the scenes OF the book
to this country. The adventures OF the
heroine OF the play occur In such IA
miliar localities as Atlantic city. Tarry-
town and certain popular restaurant
in West FCrtieth street.
Readers of the novel who thought that
the experiences of the susceptible heroine
were largely the result of the mental at
titude of Germans toward women are
thus proved to be wrong. 1t seems Mr..
Sheldon has concluded that the herone's
too well and not too wise loving might
have happened just as easily In one coun-
try as another.
II Is probable that few persons in the
Eltinge Theatre last night were familiar
with the fiction in the original. so their
judgment was basSt on what was offered
there. The five acts of the drama
showed a shop on the Boardwalk at At
lantic city, the sitting room of coun-
try house on the lIuds n. the herOine's
drawing room in East Fortieth street. a
private dining room in the BeauX Arts
and room in the hcroinc's home in
town A. II. Woods had engaged IN the
Interpretation of the play. which has
become his property. such well known
actors as John Mason, Forrest Wnant.
Cyril keightley. Dorothy ponnelly. Err
nest Glendenning and Thomas A. Wise.
The progress of Lily. the heroine. along
the primrose path proved an interesting
journey for the spectators In the Allan
tic city bazaar she was first pursued by
youthful admirer, then discovered by
an earlier lover who bought her Turkish
IA ia
wooed with success by United States
Senator, who meant matrmony and took
her to his country home for an education
under the tutelage of an unexplained
spnster OF IAN old Rhode Island family"
who was preparing her to bear gracefully
before the world the honors OF a Senator's
bride.
Her old lover followed her there and
the two departed together after the Sena-
tor--warned by the ciCcrone---had come
home early and SURPRISED them together
She was innocent of any evil then, but
there had been a divorce by the time
the third act was reached. Then LIN and
the lover who had compromised her were,
In the classic phrase of good old Paula
TdnquorGTy. keeping house together.
They were keeping house, moreover,
very comfortably and Hospitality. There
were cocktails and tame eats and all the
happy incidents of such a nenagc. They
were celebrating the twenty-iirst birthday
Oh the chatelalhe Wnrh a new ana younger
rover came out OF the West tie was SAID
10 ne poet ana ot course the heroine
departed with him. Her companion in the
establishment was rather ugly about the
business and his parting language to the
lady WAS rough. II may not have been
I too coarse for the situation. but II WAS
rather trying not necessarily to polite but
/ to decent ears. But the act was we'll writ
zen and interesting and, barring the sec
] inn II, Ia. al
| to Judge from its effect ON the audience
The third act brought tho heroine ber
Young lover and his uuclc-also from the
/ West-to , nrivnto room In tho r.g,a,,-
rant The uncle set ont IA ,evo,I a. this
Young man lust what the woman no
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