The Washington herald., 1914-01-20
BEL.Asco.
.rhe Fa.ily csphe.ra."


In "rhs Family Cupboard" at the Be
lasco Theafsr this week. Owen Davis.
playwright. through william A. Brady.
One saaps with astonishment at such
productivity-but one approaches such Q
writer's work with involuntary doubt ~
to Its essential quality, notwithstanding
ones full assurance that II viii reveal Q
practicsd theatrical hand. Barring prodi-
gies. only q factory. and not an artist.
could produce In such Wholesale guam
tity. An intelligently managed factory.
however. guarantees reliable stock In ma
terials.s good workmanship. and q dur
able popular product. 10 the uncritical
observer. such q piece does very well. To
the discriminating. who ask for inspira-
ton, Imagination. distinction. in the max
Ing either Of garments or plays. II bears
plainly . factory label.
So It proves with '"rhe Family Cup
board" II Is far above its authors 3
Bertha. the Sewing Machine Girl" and
the other IA earlier predecessors: and It
distances by far also what Happened
to Mary" the 14sth. which was seen at
the same theater early this season. The
Nelson's were q new-rich New York fam
lily. In which occurred the Tin books and
plays, at least familiar domestic trag-
edy Of the money-getting father and the
society-mad wife, whose mutual neglect
led to disruption of their home and almost
to the ruin Of their pampered son-with
complete reconciliation and wholesale
adjustment In the end. quite In accord
ance with rule. II Is Q good commonplace
play. entirely consistent In its common
placeness. II does not ilumine its Incl
dents or endow its characters with origi-
nality, nor does IL tempt the fancy at any
time with poetic suggestion. 1t simply
pursues its plain. straightforward way
through . sequence Of staple situations
which are arranged by skiliful theatri-
cist into q sure-flre plot with an irre-
proachabls moral lesson.
The sordid st~ry is made more sordid,
yet at the same the becomes a better
piece of dramatic writing. by the intro
duction Of Kitty May, the troublemaker.
and her pal. Dick Le Roy. vaudeville
song and dance artist, of whom both
author and actors make strikingly we'll
drawn and convincing portraits
These two :lso are the means by which
Mr.. Davis, again with a knowing eye
upon the crowd. provides the much ad-
vertised and much enjoyed comedy-busi-
ness Of the play-such very amusing COM
edy, moreover. and 30 skillfully worked
i'm, that IL would require some courage
to assert that 1t does not inhere in the
plot What the play conspicuously
lacks. and what It obviously would lack.
unless a man who has spent all his
best years writing trash thrillers could
perform a miracle of self-redemption, is
truth in its character con-
facts and the development of its situa-
tons 1t Is earnest, and II is well-con-
trived. But II is contrived. and machine
made, a theatrical -uccess rather than
a dramatic one
In the role Of Charles Nelson. the hus-
band. William Morris plays exactly like
a machine. yet achieves a degree Of ef-
fectiveness. join Bowers is admirably
sincere and tudicious in his portrayal of
the dissolute son. Kenneth. q character
with which the author also has taken
more pains than with some of the others
Frank Hatch as Jim Garrity. uncle of
Kitty May. and her chauffeur when 1t
suited her schemes, does an excellent
character bit. To Miss Irene Roman
and Franklyn Ardell. however. 60 the
chief laurels, and Mr.. Ardell playing to
the life his hitherto actual role of vaude-
vile artist. Miss Lisle Leigh and Miss
Felice Morris were fully adequate to the
not particularly life-like roles OF Mrs
Nelson and her daughter, and the
various minor p. Is were also In capable
hands.
The play has been well staged by John
Cromwell.