The Washington herald., 1914-03-24
NATIONAL.
ChanRe.''

The discriminating theatergoer has
learned that a play which comes from
the Booth Theater. or has the name OF
Winthrop Ames anywhere in its pedigree
deserves immediate attention. There Is
no exception in the case OF j. o. Francis
play Change" which Is being presented
by Walter Hast at the National Theater
this week.
Change" belongs to the family of
"Bunty' perhaps, but it recalls the Irish
plays of the Abbey Theater repertory as
well. Still more, il is a type OF the newer
drama SO richly represented by Mile
stones" Rutherford & Son.. Chains.
and most of the works OF John Gals
worthy and Granville Barker. 1t is a
study of character and situation. not
primarily representation OF external
action. Its action is the reaction of peo-
pie to the things that happen to them.
that new conception of drama which
carries with il a new ihterpretative force.
a new morality. new technique, both OF
playwriting and OF acting.
The theme of Change" Is one of the
immortal themes-such as make great
literature because they are universal and
Of all time-the eternal tension between
the old ideas and the new, between
each generation and its children. The
scene is Welsh. the atmosphere the hum
BILE life of people of the mines. with the
narrowness of religious bigotry in
small remote community. and the dis
trubing element of new social doctrine
which upsets the equilibrium between
capital and labor.
An old man and his wife. themselves
unlearned, have stinted and saved to give
their sons the education which the eld-
ers had not. One son they send to col
Iese. that he may become a minister.
rx~x st1T
from his fathers dogmas and makes him
renounce the career laid out for him
The stern and stubborn old man, TO
whom an unbeliever is worse than 4
thief or a murderer. turns this son out
Of doors with curses Another son, an
'idealistic agitator in behalf OF his Tel
low laborers of the mines. comes Hke-
wise under the old mans bitter lntoleI-
ance and finally into unbearable self
torture and morbid self reproach because
his course in the cause of right as ne
saw il, led to his younger brother
death. A..
mothers love, the mothers tragedy IN
the relentless change which leaves her
nothing-not her children. not even her
husband since she cannot forgive him Tor
not forgiving and understanding what ne
has done
true and vital a thing that is being lived
out in nearly all our lives, one way or
another. every day.
The acting in this remarkably play Is
almost as remarkable as the piece itseH-
In its simplicity and repose II is like
that of the Irish players. No purpose
less, foolish crossing and recrossing OF
the stage no visible artifces. no sense
less noise and hustle. Just plain. straight
forward, natural. human behavior, as OF
people in everyday life. and not pup
pets of the stage The one fault that ap-
reared was a striking one because so
foreign to the general method of the ac-
tors The stage director is to be charged
with this. no doubt-namely. the too
ings seemed quite feasible and certainly
would have been more natural
The individual actors were good with
out exception. Miss Lillian Mason. as
the mother. creates a portrait seldom
equaled for verify and fine shading. and
scarcely less is to lie said of John Howell.
as the old father, or of r. A. Hopkins
as the socialist son. 1t is rare and keen
est pleasure to see such intelligent de-
lineation. such ease, such pOise, propor-
ton, and completeness of effect. Miss
Eleanor Daniels. Gareth Hughes. Edmund
Kennedy. Tom owen (who produced the
play), Harold West, Ernest Cove. William
Hopkins, and Doris Owen. were the other
members of this excellent ensemble.
No play OF the season has better de-
served, thoughtful. intelligent apprecia-
ton than this Welsh play Change" 1t
is worth while from every viewpoint