The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-21
Handled Dimcult Subject Well.

Miss Turnbull has handled her difficult
subject delicately and we'll. She has
shown n sense OF dramatic values. has
developed her situations carefully and
effectively and has created at least one
notably we'll drawn character.
The Deadlock comes about over the
vexing question Of civil and religious mar
riage. Before the play opens Felir XII
dcen. tt youth destined for the priesthood,
has run away to Germany with a lovely
southern girl, absorbed in music AS he
himself was. But his conscience troubled
him, and differences arising between them.
the girl. in a temper left him. Just then
he fell desperately i'll, and his father, \
self-centred. hard wiled old bigot, came
over from America to take his boy home.
To him there had been no marriage. since
| no religious ceremony had been per-
formed. and he had no conscience about
| telling both the young husband and wife
| that each was dead. The play opens ten
/ years after these events. when Felir, still
dominated by his father. Is we'll beloved
and influential priest In his native town.
To this town comes the deserted wife.
now successful singer, bringing with her
her little son. of whose existence the
| priest father did not know.
She had suspected a trick against her
and had come to find out the truth. Then
| came the bitter conflict in the heart Of
| the priest. torn between the human love
| for his wife and child and the mystical
| ties of the church.
! Would Permit No Middle Course.
The wife would permit no middle
| course. The family must acknowledge
her and the priest must cease to be a
| priest and become her husband. The
| father. too. standing for the church and
all it represented. demanded that the
woman go away. give up her child and
aid in hushng up the whole thing.
The means Miss Turnbul found to get
| out OF this dilemma, to soften the wills
| arrayed against each other. the part n
little Irish servant girl and her lover
| played in the matter and the artistic II
not wholly logical ending she evolved
served to maintain keen interest In the
play until the very last curtain.
Miss Matthison played Nine. Norma
| with SO much skill and strength and ten
| derness that such Inconsistencies as the
| role possessed were entirely lost. sight OF
in her portrayal of the woman cmbittered
:, with the memories Of wrongs and suffer
ings, but reaching out TO bring back her
lost happiness. Miss Matthison had some
splendid speeches which she read NOV
ingly.
| Frank Iosee as the old father hat
the best acting role in the piece. 1t II
said that it's failure on the road last veal
; was chiefly due to the miscasting OF this
important part. Mr.. Losee made the ole
man as hard as nails. n tyrant bigot
who crushed his family and everything
else to bring about his own ends. ant
who always completely justified himself.
The part OF the priest fell to ThOma
u. Carrigan who failed to realize IL
possibilities. unsympathetic as they were
He was at complete disadvantage II
the big scenes of the play, which h
. might have shared with Miss Matthisol
and Mr. Losee and more than once by hi
lack of personality weakened their effects
, Young Master Norris Wilmington was
/ simple and as natural "a child actor a
| has come along in many day. Mis-
Ethel Wright was clever Irish mai
and T. Morse Koupal her German lover.