New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-16
Nv HAYWOOD DROUN.

By HAYWOOD DROCN.
Back Home" is q decentralization OF
Irwin Cobb's accent ~ Is rich, rolling
and a delight to the ear. More than
that, the new play, which was produced
at thu Cohan Theatre last night ~ 4
Arst rate melodrama. Bayard Vsiiier
has adapted Cobb's Judge Priest stories
into dramatic form with conSdersDle
degree Of skill. :. J., A.. batavia,
rather than the manner OF It's preseht,,
ment which Is most worthy OF crlticai
attention. Nineteen out OF every twenty
plays produced here are about New
YORK. Sometimes 1t Is called "A cry u,
the Middle West" "a village upstate
or "Ruritania. a small kingdom in the
south of Europe" But IL IS New YORK.
in spite of the best efforts Of the scene
nainter and the costumer. The damned
spot will not out, though the author
brry his stage in hay or dot II with men
in shining armor.
You must travel TO get back nome
Irwin Cobb can make the journey. he
has. Part of Mr.. Cobb was added III
New York. but he is heart and TWO
hundred pounds due south.
Go South. young man, IS pretty goou
advice for the dramatist. IL is dih'eui'
20 write O play except IN terms OF emo.
ton. and there seems TO be some sorI
Of an inverse ratio between LATITUDE
and emotion. Certainly it would be
easier to write a good play about ran
ANA than Greenland.
Veiller and Cobb can make their peo-
nile talk sentimentally without having
10 amend life. The Southerner Is
theatrical. Judge Priest Is true per
son. even if he does now and again
Iapse into the set speech. Down IN
Waynesville it was not necessary 70
make drama; one only had to pick IT.
Mr.. Cobb and Mr.. WELLER have done
their picking we'll. Judge Priest IS
character Of broad appeal, and john
Cone plays the part in splendid fashion
In the case of Jefferson Davis Poindex'
ter. we own to the belief thai niue
more liberty has been taken nth ire
hut Willis p. Sweatnam's impelsonation
of the negro with passion Tor me
clothes is certainly one OF the humorous
hi.s of the season. There are any num-
Der of good character bits TO the play
but they are not hauled in and out
without a certain regard for the story.
The play pauses now and again, put
there is an element of suspense to carry
the interest of the spectator right up
to the final curtain.
A man is killed in the first act after
a thrilling fight which was extremely
well done by Sydney Booth and Robert
Middlemass. Booth plays the part. OF
Robert Carter. a magazine writer. ou,
a hero. The man he struck had kicked
a small factory child, and anyway no
harm would have come If the bully mad
not happened to have q weak heart
The dead man was OF great account,
but sentiment is stirred up against
Carter because he comes from the
North, and in the second act Judge
Priest saves the young writer from a
mob led by brother OF the slain man;
Carter is tried in the last act and
an excellent courtroom scene Is
brought to a brilliant climax, when the
old Judge is allowed to play upon the
sentiments Of jury composed or Con-
federate veterans and at just the right
moment bring out the fact that N!
man from the North, on trial for muir
der, is the grandson of one Of thcit
soldier companions. The fact that
owing TO the judges connivance,
passing band plays Dixie" at just the
right time aids in whooping things ur
TO such an extent that the jury prlhg'
in verdict Of "Not guilty" without
leaving the jury box.
OF course everything ends happily
Carter msrries the judges daughter
and Jefferson Davis Poindex'er ge.'
his masters white vest with the blacA
stripes.
The only point where we found our
self out of sympathy with the play was
when the heroine asked the hero: DO
YOU believe in love at first sightF be
fore we had a chance to shout mega
tive the hero answered Yes. Stlu
there was certain justification for hlm
Miss Phoebe Foster plays Sally Priest
with high degree of spirit and charm
Miriam Doyle was engaging as
Southern fiirt.
Several excellent character parts fall
to old men. Theodore Hamilton, VINO
plays Gideon Gill, is seventy-nine years
old and has been on the stage LOT SKY
wears, and we think that Mr.. mare WIZ
have good reason TO remember n
present part as long as he ives: 81
RuGdv the pinched factory child, ana
picbcrds Hale is a convincingly Viiia
Gus lawyer. l. l. Titled in
.ha erst act. lives to play oroIheI =,
~ daceased with much snap ana 70 ~
tho ivnching scene. All IN az pat 4.
fne - - veil worth seeing, because IL
a. nns Of the sanest, most wholesoI I.e
Is one Humorous NJ plays Of the season Its
natbo, never slops over.
xyAYYCrC