The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-02-13
GARRIck


Ina these troubious DAYS OF dealing
With the problem OF the lady With a
past. several hopeful hints were
offered In solution, in a play called
The Decent Thing 10 10" presented
Tor the first time on any stage Thurs
day afternoon. in the Garrick The-
alter. The play is the property OF
William A. Brady. and, 90 protect his
producing rights. a public perform
ance or the play had 10 be given
within specified time, hence, the try
out Thursday
which presented "The Family Cup
board in the Garrick last week. re-
NAMED in Detroit this week gave
Mr. Brady chance at readymade
cast for The DecNt Thing To DO,
and 30 several members of The
Family Cupboard company acted the
new play. In the audience. euthusi-
astically encouragipg their fellow
players. were the members Of the
Too Many Cooks" company. another
of Mr.. Bradys companies now playing
In the Garrick. and David Wariield's
The Auctioneer' company. now I'LL
ing an engagement in tho Detroit
opera house. The spectators also
numbered a large proportion OF per
sons genuinely interested I'm the
drama, 10 whom the launching OF a
new play is always matter of mo-
mentuous interest.
In announcing the play 70 have
been written By Charles Kennedy.
Mr.. Brady played q sort Of Bernard
shaw Fanny s-First.Play trick Fol
lowers Of plays. players and play
wrights. naturally assumed that the
name stood for Charles Ram Ken
nedy, author of "The Servant I'm the
House" and the" Kennedy as far
as dramatists go. npto-date. However.
N seems the" Kennedy Is not the
man at all Tile Decent Thing To
Do was written by Charles Ken
nedy. an unknown author whose first
produced play it is.
The central figure in the play is
Grace 1.arkin. whose husband. Ed
ward n. Larl1in. knew almost all
about her past when he married her.
When a high school girl in a small
town. Grace and Frank Yorke had
been classmates and sweethearts. Ma.
ture played her own game with the
youth and maiden and a child was
horn TO Grace. The always-to-be-eX.
pected thing happened. OF course. and
the child mother was turned into the
streets by her relatives. shame and
pride prevented her from making the
young father OF her child edo the de-
cent thing" and she drifted along try
ing &c earn a living for herself and
her child to whom she chung with all
the depth Of feeling of newly-awak.
ened motherhood
wealthy senator in Washington
employed her as secretary. and she
became his mistress in consideration
OF n large sum OF money. securely pro.
viding for her chiId's future. II was
in the senator's home that Edward
l.arkin met her. They fell in love
with each other and married, the
only thing Grace concealed from her
husband being the fact OF her child :
existence Young Larkin is the
junior member Of large family own
ing huge iron and chain works.
This family prides itself upon its Sc
we're and absolute responsibility. It's
financial head is Frank Norke. the
father OF Grace's child Franks wife,
Helen. knowing her husband does not
love her and that their marriage was
entirely one of financial eNpediency,
and finding an old letter Of Graces. in
Jealous distrust and revenge places
private detectives at work 10 learn
the truth Of her husbands early love
affair. When Grace enters the fam
ilv as Edwards bride. Helen exposes
tie truth. and the dramatist builds
his play upon the efforts OF all con
cerned 10 do what they, from their in
dvidual point OF view consider the
decent thing 10 do.
Mr.. Kennedy goes after the double
standard of morality hammer and
longs. He whacks convention. so
called responsibility. the worlds aiti-
tude toward those who belong to the
"lapsed and lost" as Ibsen has IL. and
In general does in his American way,
what Ibsen treats so mastery in The
pillars al Society
Mr. Kennedy handles his theme
with fresh vigor and in a way 10 prove
that he has done his own thinking"
as he makes one OF his characters
sav of Grace. There IS so much good
in the play that what is useless can
he thrown away without shaking the
main structure II would seem that
MI. BIduN Has ulSNONtifu III -his ~
nedy a dramatist worth while and
that The Decent Thing To Do, when
whipped into shape, should prove
good piece OF theatrical property
The actors presenting the play.
Thursday afternoon. are deserving OF
unmeasured praise tor excellent work
under such unusual circumstances as
surrounded the production Of the play
That's Lawton offered q splendid hit
OF work as Grace. and Felice Morris.
daughter of Felix Morris, made the
unpleasant and vindictive Helen so
strong a character as 10 attract more
than usual attention TO herself aid
TO the role she portrayed.
To Frank Hatch. as Uncle jamie,
"the family hereto falls most of the
insurgent dialogue In the play. and he
made every point with force. and gave
an admirable characterization OF the
kindly old man. with an infinite char
itv In his heart no illusions about life
and an immense amount OF common
sense.
Franklin Ardell as Edward iar
kin and John Bowers. as Frank