The Washington herald., 1915-10-17
Trying to Blot Out ShyIock
Shakespeare Still Survives-Arti-
hciality at Its Highest-No Rela-
ton to Reality-Mysterious Sue
cess - Wonderful American Mil
lionaire-Buys a Princess.

New York. Oct. l3.-It is unusual.
perhaps unprecedented. to hear of a
play with its scene laid in New York
being first produced in London. The
piece just done at the Comedy. under
the title of The Bargain" and from
the pen of Herman SCheffauer. has
that distinction. Over there il was
called "A Modern Shylock." and gain
ed considera bic success due to George
AleNander's playing of the principal
role.
Here Louis Calvert has the part of
the old Jewish money lender who has
a pawnshop on the lower East Side.
and is supposed to voice the author's 5
protest against the injustice done
through the centuries to his Shakes
pearean original In the hands of Mr..
Alexander the protest might possibly
have been effective: as Mr.. Calvert de-
plcts this Simon Lusskin. he is so lit
tie forceful and so little different from
any fairly decent but arbitrary old
parent that we prefer to revert to the
more vindictIVe. hut certainly more
picturesque and moving character of
Shakespeares creation. This Lusskin
hasn't even the virtues that should go
with ms seventies toward his own
flesh and. blood. In the fnaI solution
of the complications of tho play he
reverSeS himself completely in those
tenets of the Jewish faith that he had
been eNpOunding al through the play
and the possession of which, as the
controlling motives of his life. gave
hlm his only claim to interest as a
dramatic Chara aCter Certainly his read
mess to forgive those who had gone
counter to his authority and departed
from the things he had been preaching
- the most important in his religion
and hoa=t"d RACIAL pride. showed this
modern SnNlOFk les adj
''l'~ than his prototype His modern
1fN was host shown. perhaps. by the
Tact that this forgiveness meant in
creased Comfor1 for himself and nnan-
"ia advantage for the daughter who
had committed the unpard"nah bile sin of
marrying d Gentle.
A combination of better character
drawing by the author and better act
ing by Mr.. Calvert might have made
TINS reinstatement Of ShyloCk in the
good opinion of mankind. a really I'M
preSslNe process. As il l.. II looks as
though JeS-!ca : farh-l must stay
where Shakespeare put him until he
finds ADLER advocates. The play was
interesting. though largely on account
of the sympathy gained for the two
women members Of LuSSkin'S family.
we'll pictured by Miss Dorothy Don
nelly and Miss Josephine Victor. But.
all the same. Shyi"ck >tIll remains
ShNloCk
Perhaps the Title Did II.
Contrary to the expectation of every
competent judge Of the stage and Of
every experienced theatrical man who
saw tn" FIRST performance Of Louis
AnSpaCher< The UnchaStensd Wom-
an a the ThIrty-nInth street The
piece has drawn full houses AT the
three performa nceS since. Outside Of
the fact thai tho cast was made up of
good artists. well chosen for what
they had !" do. there seemed nothing
TO recommend the work to EXPERT or
popular liking. FurpnrtiuE to depict
lif" Of our own time. i; showed only
the artinCiality Of the dramatist sat
urated with the artificial atmosphere
of the more decadent plays OF the mod
ern stage.
His story hinged on the character Of
woman who was deviliSh in every
relation of life and devilish without
motive. rhyme or reason. There have
hs"n bad women and plenty. and the
stage has delighted in depicting them.
hut they have been women built up
from some foundation Of frailty. temp
tation. environment or heTedity. and
We're aCtuatsd by some force or motive
other than an authors desire to ere
ate a certain set Of dramatic Condi-