The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-27
TRIED MEL0DRAMA
AT CORT THEATRE
HTndcr Cover" Handles Tested
Theme With Plenty Of
New Thrills.
U\p Long RUN IN BOSTON
Ingenious Detective Play Has
simultaneous Production
in Chicago.
..ta,I.r Ioyrr''-At the Cort Theatre.

N,r,, Vaughn ............R Ralph Morgan
John Currs little marble temple Of
I've drama "a West Forty-elghth street
o.er,d ia doors last night on new
nay sror rs ionr aud monotonous record
o., success with peg o My Heart"
"r'nI,r Coycr" was the new piece. II is
no newer than its author. Roi Cooper Me-
rrpc. hitherto unknown to fame rs
urtwltist
NJ Nrcr'ic's play has had n long
career uf success In Boston and 1t WAS
sad .a the theatre that simultaneous
production Of the play was made last
night lu chicago II is a bit OF dramatic
wr.'.rg that keeps It's listeners in the
drrk n the unusual ending, which
shows ,Aat the man who has been mis-
taken for Il smuggler is in reality an
N Ger II the law.
Mr. M,gruc has wisely selected for his
play a story which never fails In the
theatre x handled with ordinary skill.
H. heroine hes been hlred-by the silence
Of a revenue Inspector who knows that
her sister has committed crime-to
wa,ch and betray supposed smuggler
witt whom she falls In love. Whether
II be- lu the theatre OF Tom Taylor as
plot and Passion" reveals II or In the
later Fedora Of Victorien Sardou this
tale rarely fails TO interest the public
NJ Megrue had therefore the advantage
Of a main theme Of unfalling value. But
he had some exciting incidents in ad-
di.on.
The four acts OF the play are laid in
the Custom House in New York and In
the drawing room and on the veranda of
n Long Island country home. return
ing American IL suspected OF attempting
20 smuggle into the United States
pearls worth thousands Of dollars. In
order 20 trap him an inspector engages
for the secret service a young girl whose
sister has pawned her jewelry TO pay
bridge debts and then collected the insur-
ance on the ground that they were
stolen.
The young woman meets the suspected
swuggler in the country house of a mutual
friend and decides to steal the jewels
from his room She - confronted there
and her presence is made known through
tho ringing ~ burglar alarm. II Is
explained that she has run Into the ad-
Joining room to escape from. a burglar.
This act, with the appearance OF the spy
IN the room Lct d1eCtlOn TOT the man sHt
Is trying to betray and her fear OF being
found there and the sense OF duty she
owes 10 her sister, proved intensely inter-
estag.
Then there is novel expedient in the
last act. which Is supposed to begin before
IL" close of the act preceding: so the
ringing Of the burglar alarm is heard
and the action once more transferred
bagk TO the previous time. There were
mtny interesting scenic devices. however,
in Nj Megrue's play which possess
however. the inestlmdble value OF keeping
ing It's real climax until the fall OF the
curtain IA the last act.
Their" IS some humor In the characteri-
Mt'u OF the figures In the Custom House.
but II IS ou It's mclodramatlc quality that
ta' TllN must rely for It's success.
During the first two acts Of play
which had been much heralded the spec
taors Al the Cort Theatre last night sat
4n rather astonlshed ennu! The beat OF
the dramatic pulse was slow. The at
trmpts at conversational smartness were,
alas too, too familiar. II had all been
done before and done better. There was
certain d.rrctncss In the opening scene
with is abrupt customs officials, but in
the long second act. with it's interval In
the middle TO mark the passing OF tho
dinner hour, there was frankly nothing
but disappointment There was In add
ton considerable ooscurity. Was the
stranger who had known the heroine In
Paris and talked about the moon In the
Bos de BOulogue a real smuggler or not?
Il WAS necessary therefore to take en-
ioymeat GUY Of the sprightly acting OF
Lucille Watso. who represented a low
ing but worldly wife with all her UNI
usIa! charm OF personality. She reads
lines delightfully."- Some day she may
md something better worth while than
Mr. Morrue supplied in Under Cover"
Iicr husband. played by Wifred Dray-
SOFT, Vas too mechanical with his un-
GuenohaOie thirst, for any illusion of
reality
"a william Courtenay acted with his ac-
! cHs'on"d facility the part OF the enig-
mtucdl hero and Lily Cahilrs natural
ness was ner greatest appeal as the he
rome Both she and MIR. courtenay car
rcd through the long and Intense scene
AZ the close OF the third ac- with a
Nriu'si'y that had much to do with
m" Interest of the audience In this really
eng'o's,ng scene. But they might both
nav PLAYED with greater variety,
I'cn the final act. which revealed the
supposed iurger as an officer of the revenue
department. In search Of the grafterS In
l"e service, fell of but slightly In in
t'-'s' from the scenes which had i'm
med N'".y preceded II.
Under Cover" is frankly tedious from
~" ''s' act until the close of the third
~ ren'nci From that poln, on It's scenes
arc .ntrrcstng-really engrossing But
l"'F DO not begin until after 10. In the
u'"'s of an experienced playwright even
'"' earlier episodes could be made vastly
, H''" interesting than they are. and there
he.I not bee the contrasting dulness dur-
Ht ~" FIRST part Of the play But It's
.l"N enthusiastic admirers could not deny
'"'' ''e atudiwork OF the amateur IL
everywhere visible in Under Cover"
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