The Washington herald., 1914-09-20

The piece had its initial performance a
the Garrick Theater, Philadelphia, las
April. when it was called ''The Piair
Woman" Mr.. Walter himself was ii
charge OF the production. And there YOU
have another OF the playwright's secrets
tof success. Not satisfied with creating
fhis plays, he personally directs their pto,
is without a peer.
: One day last week had q most de-
lightfuI visit from Mr.. Walter. who will
be here all this week during the prodqe-
ton Of The Better Way"
1t was characteristic OF him that he
went directly to the discussion Of the new
play
whether you will like 1t or not depends
entirely upon the premise" he told ma
at tells the story of man and woman
Of the Pittsburgh mills. The Man Is an
American. The Woman is Bavarian
peasant who was brought TO America
when she was a child. She is beautful.
as many peasant children brought up In
this climate become. The Man loathes
the Hunkies who labor through their ten
hour shift and return TO eat and sleep Al
the clearinghouse which is kept for
them by The Man and The Woman.
Through the years Of his young man
hood-nine OF them-The Woman boards
for The Mans future. When the other mill
hands wash the soaring heat Of the merry
furnaces from their parched throats with
cooling draughts of beer The Womer
forces The Man to unvarying self-denial
and continues. to hoard his money for him
until at last when opportunity CONES, and
she shows him the way to the great
- al . asWTs
up craving OF the years is rolled into one
mighty passion, and he goes straight &c
the Devil.
But The woman's love never hinches.
She argues that the extremity Of vice
into which The Man plunges is her fault
the inevitable result of the suppression
which she forced upon him through all
the years of his servitude. She credits his
sobsession to diseased mind, and deter
mines to save him. She is big, hns,
understanding womanhood fighting more
to square The Man with his own con-
science than for her own happiness
The play" ended Mr.. Walter, 'is an
argument for the elimination of the
speedy and nl-considered divorce with
which America is afflicted. And II has
a courtroom scene. which. in my own
estimation. is the best piece Of construc'
tive work I have ever done"
What does she think Of this woman
whom she is visualizing?"
She thinks she is splendid. Certainly
IL affords her the biggest opportunity she
has ever had" he answered me, and as
he talked OF Charlotte Walker, his wife,
who is creating the title part Of his new
melodrama. Mr.. Walters face betrayed
an added enthusiasm for the production
which We are to see for the first time
tomorrow night.
Certainly The Better Way gives
great promise, although just now my
brain will not give up the picture 1t has
so long treasured Of Charlotte Walker as
June, the mountain girl, whom she made
as idyIlic and exquisite a bit Of human
flesh as ever want to see-June, the re-
freshingly natural and poetic heroine Of
The Trail Of the Lonesome Pine"
Another PLAY in serious vein makes
its first Washington bow tomorrow night
at the Belasco 'Theater, after a weeks
tryout in Buffalo. n. Y. Its title is The
Moneymakers" and IL comes from the
prolific pen Of Charles Klein, who has
been responsible for some of the big
gest ''thrillers'' produced in this coun-
try, among which will be remembered
most vividly perhaps, THE Lion and
the Mouse" and The Third Degree"
both Of which created something Of a
made of the folk higher up" and their
Questionable methods Of gaining power.
The theme of the new piece by Mr..
Klein has to do with the unscrupulous
methods with which the main character
in the story acquires his fortune, the
complex web he weaves around his as
sociates and friends, before he suddenly
decides to turn morally and legally hon
est The effects Of this decision are said
TO furnish the chief meat Of play. which
if we are to judge by the past work of
its author-bids fair to be an absorbing
melodrapa
And 50 II would seem that the keynote
of the current dramatic week is melo-
dramatic, but what of II?
Did not Mr.. Walter point out to me
the other day that melodrama is the one
form Of playwriting that is true to Ameri-
can life, declaring that We are all nelo-
dramatic to the core? And If melodrama
is our most familiar language, how bet
ter to bring home the lessons of today
which We need TO learn than in its grip
ping form?
Herbert Dobbins, one OF the best char
acter actors on the stock stage. has been
engaged by Polls Theater to play