Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-09-28
A Problem Play
PIeaSeS Greatly
at the Shubert
"The Natural Law" States Its
Thesis With an Art That
CaptiVates.
THE CAST.

, THE CAST,
Or. Ralph Webster. .. Howard Hall
Jack Bowling. ng........ConradN Nagel
Freddie Donlin. Robert L. Allen
Judge White. e...... William d. Gorbett
Ruth Stanley. y.............. Julie Herne
Della Forbush .,..,.................
............Te Teresa Maxwell -ConoVer
Mrs. Franklin ...................,..
............ Maggie Holloway Fisher
4 Maid. d................C Carolinn wade
Every situation In "The Natural
law" play produced at the Shubert
Theatre last night, is vibrant with a,
purpose. There is hardly a line In the
very interesting piece which does not
directly or indirectly deal with one
of the greatest problems which faces
lie society of today. IT the author
aas not solved that problem he has
at least outlined it clearly and offered
Suggestions that are worthy of care
ful study.
It is the insistent sex question, the
llesh as compared with the spirit, the
relation between love and lust as the
motive in marriage and the ground
tor parenthood. This, in short, is the
very soul of "The Natural Law"
which, although it defies the conven-
ions now rooted very deep In society,
does so with modest logic that COM
pels respect.
Ruth Stanley, young artist and
engaged to marry DR.. Webster, who
is much her senior, is called upon to
paint the likeness of Jack" Bowling,
an athlete about to represent his
country in the great Marathon race
across the water. The doctor is alb
sent at the time, his mother is on the
other side of the continent and she
has no father. Bowling is 1.-THE, hand
some, famous and, above all, very
Youthful Whether it be his fame or
as the play would have us believe,
his youth, he wins the love OF the
artistic girl who confesses to an in
auence which she Cis powerless TO
resist.
On the return of the doctor there
is a conflict for the hand of the girl,
in which youth wins, the elder man
resigning all claim upon her solely
that he may thus conduee to her
happiness.
a little later she entered his office
With the old. old story and a Plea for
lie help which. as a CONSCIENTIOUS
5l1ysician, he cannot give. He does,
however, summon Bowling, and a
magistrate to perform the marriage
ceremony, but Ruth, conscious OF the
fact that the young man is simply
Offering to do what social convention
dictates. refuses to undergo the cere-
mony.
Weeks pass. Ruth, through the
kindly assistance of the DOCTOR ad-
1usts 3splf to the new order. Bowl
ing wins the Marathon and hastens
.ack He has risen to sincere, up-
selfish love for the girl. Immediately
1pon landing he hastens to her home,
and enters while the physician -
there. In one of the most tense
scenes that this writer has Witnessed
fae two men plead their cases. lpe
doctor, convinced at last that cie
Youth is sincere, withdraWs, and the
xirl. knowing that love has trlumphed,
consents to marriage.
OF course. this prosaic outline gives
no real idea of the play itself. IL
simply indicates the trend of its
reaching, which is hardly IN accord
with the popular notions OF the day
No doubt the preference of the un-
xophisticated maiden for youth over
age is entirely logical, but 1t is I'M
nossible to agree with the thesis ina.
in Welding to the physical attractlohs
of the athlete she was 1ustlhed ny
natural law or any other 10 uo
ar pould be practical denial OF those
higher attributes which oliteren'i"'e
man from the beast.
II rras not the "lure OF youth tnat
enmesbed the trusting Rutn--ior
youth may be strong in the very pest
r.harac cteristics that digniry tne
,nn,an soul. It was the appear Oh
salfIsh passion, natural, no douot, put
~ ,,o means so universal as to be
When therefore, the doctor tells
A.. that she has committed no SIM
ne falls into an error that may WORK
vast injury to humanity q,
~, the other hand, Ruth's rerusat
"a MARRY the man who proposes 10 90
.o simply as a matter OF duty ~
snlendif protest against some telS
commonly accepted IDEAS OF lnat
saered relation. Her inslstence upon
real. unselfish love as absointeiy es-
sential to marriage teaches trutn
which, II generally accepted ano acteu @
,,,,n,,' woilld revolutionize society for
+he better. II is the marriage 10
,.ioht a wrong" the marriage of con-
vonience, the marriage for wealth or
nosition. the loveless marriage IN
short that Is the source of the larger
mart Of the vice and unhappiness In
the civilized world.
IT is true that the young foiks are
rvsdded at last, but not In obedience
10 ''the lure of youth, nor YET 10
siva a name to the unborn child. lt
is or,Jv when the unselflsh love In the
heart. of the maid is answered by as
nure a passion in the breast or tne
boy that the lives are united.
The play itself ia admirably con-
Structed. There are delightful com
edy bits artfuily interspersed TO re-
1;eve the tension Of the action. one
alternately laughs and cries as the
nlot develops up to the final climax
and then finds q denouement that is
an absolute surprise. Better yet II
Is interpreted by a company OF play
ers whose art translates II into the
senblance of lite.
Julie Herne brings to her work ma
tural gifts and an artistic distinction
that gives II rank with that OF the
areaer emotional actresses OF the
present day. She doesn't play Ruth
TJanIev. She Is that gentle, artistic
unreasonable soul. In the tense sit
nations, especially the strong scenes
in the second and third acts, she
e,5incee a power and self-restralnt
that deserves tho highest praise.
rev playwriehts have fashioned
finer character than that OF DR.
Ralph webster the man who loves
woman unselfishly enough to condon'
her sin, and finally resign her to
another that she may be happy. II
is a strong, a masterful part. and II
the present case, in good hands. Rob
art L. Allen, Teresa Maxwell-Conover
and Maggie Holloway Fisher, tt
-
whom the comedy falls, projects muci
merriment against the serious BACK
ground of the play, ana Conrad Nagei
William d. Corbett and Caroline
Wade aro reasonably satisfactory.