The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-01
last Nights Play at Comedy
Theatre by Anthony p.
Wharton Of Dublin.
WOMNN'S RIGHTS PREVAIL


TIE Measure OF seeing Marie Tempest
g., d. .ru,rbrf of plays in her repertoire was
rr.u.scd to New York before she ar
,y.I 10 this country Last night this
was ulnu,d by the Shubcrts who brought
onward the popular actress in AT the
a,rr." one 81 the comedies in which she
has found success at the Prince of Wales
Theatre in London.
'rh, new play at the Comedy Theatre
last night is the work OF Anthony i.
Wharton. Il young Irish dramatist who
has been for several years member OF
the faculty at the Catholic University at
Dublin MI Wharton's previous effort
q, "a playwright was Irene Wycherley,'
which he wrote FOR Lena Ashwell.
Nr Wharton Is not in the least akin
90 som. OF the other modern playwrights
OF ireland. least OF all Is he IN sympa-
thy with the school that Lady Gregory
tas been developing at the Abbey inca
,re Irene Wycherry" was acted here
several years ago without making q pro-
found impression.
In AT the Barn" Miss Tempest dis
turhs trio OF more or less determined
women hdtcrs who have sought asylum
IN "a country home free from all tho at
fractions OF feminine decoration. They
happen to he workers in the field OF one
art or another and they propose to con-
,inu. their work without feminine inter-
ruption.
But into their Eden enters the serpent
rot liliih exactly. but very attractive
young woman who succeeds in making
herself altogether at home IN The Barn.
sh,. even accomplished her expressed pur-
pose u staying there 80 long as she
Likes.
Mr. Whartou's harmless little anecdcte
vs. 'oll in three short acts. 1t canno. be
cad that they always seemed short. but as
a matter OF fact they were. The intruder
~ Ina. I'D Of A Il : -
turned out 10 be simple actress in
English musical comedy. She was trying
t. escape "A wicked earl VINO had been
acting rs sponsor Tor her artistic prog
ress with an acute sense of the fdVors 10
come She did not escape him altogether
After several scenes IN which she did
as she WAS expected TO by beautifyiug The
house darning tn, socks and generally
c.vilizing the three hosts who had so
r,luctautly taken her In, she married the
mos !mportun. OF them. He locked ner
pursuing lord In the coach house while ne
proposed To her
IL seemed almost at any minute as If
The play might come tu AN end altogether.
One wondered whence il derived the force
10 20 ON SO long Is h. did. There was
always tine excuse Of Miss Tempests de-
NGItsul acting. but Mir Wharton had
supplied little stimulus. The only dramatic
action OF tho evening was supplied by a
pigeon which abandoned the cote In a
'ur.y scene of English country and flew
into 'he faces OF the audience. Il was
evidently not prompted by prcjudc CO
asau-t On, play. for III" bird stayed ia
flv t.,t.c.
Nu,nrG So utterly iunocuous as this
comedy has come cut u London for Ions
tm, We have seen ELIZA Comes "a
Stay and more than one 81 the Vaughan
plays and have not succeeded .n forget
TINS ,.rm htg- Their SIN Al the Barn
rs spread more thuy over three acts than
an ~ its British prrlec, ~sors
Marie Tempest never acted with greater
charm or variety. She has TO show heI
efforts at times when she Is put to the
task Of making bricks without straw. But
he -pontaneiiy and Vivacity never flag
Hcr sacial expression H. in itself unique
achievement OF tine actors art At the enc
o. the first act she played a scene In pan
tomme which revealed perfectly heI
frame Of mind Al entering the strange
house hvy doubt and apprehension. There
1, q constant sniff and play of expression
over her features which dramatic every
thing which her associates say aud do
There Is no other actress on the Engiisf
stage WHO is her superior In the art of lis
to- .ur. which is 50 rarely seen to-day. liel
acting I'm this dull aud trivial play VA
h.C. comedy Of the finest type.
Graham Browne, \ u. Arson, again
trc irresistible middle aged lover. FRANKLIN
Ival, Guy NeVdll ana Hrrberi Ross wer,
some Of the actors In the excellent per
fnrnauec which was SO much better thar
re play deserved. OF course IL is not II
'ho least necessary To think of al tn,
Barn" al an. liut We shudder to thlul
wht, II might have been in less skllfu
hands.