New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-19
TIE CAST
By HAYWOOD BROUN.

by HE1 NOOD BhOtN.
"Quinneys'," which was produced at
the Maxine Elliott Theatre last night,
is such a pleasant little play that one
can easily bear with it even when 1t
plods. Horace Annesley Vachell re-
quires four acts to tell a simple story,
but we would not have him accelerate
the pace of his play by the fraction OF
a second while Joseph Quincy is on
the stage.
When an author can conceive such
delightful character he is at liberty 70
no, he is under obligation-to allow
the audience TO see a great deal of him
"Quinneys'" is one-part play, and
that part falls into the hands of Fred
erick Ross. who lives up to his oppor-
tunity in admirable fashion.
The play deals with things as well as
persons. Eight Chippendale chairs, a
table and an old cabinet ought 70 be
included in the cast of characters, since
they are important figures in the devel-
oument of the story.
Itself as fragile as piece OF Chip
pendale, the play is in the hands OF
experts who know how to bring forth
its quaint charms to the best possible
advantage. For our part we did not
laugh once at "Quinneys, but we
smiled a great deal. II did not thrill
us. We never wondered how 1t would
Come out. We were content Just TO
watch it amble along.
1.
The play is not one which fuses the
audience and sets every spectator 10
laughing, weeping or vibrating at the
same time. "Quinneys' is such a
deftly intimate study of small group
of people that il gave us a curious
detached feeling. We felt that it was
our own particular play and we ala
not care much whether there was any 70
body else in the theatre.
More than almost any other play
we have seen "Quinneys inspires \
rare emotion which is one Of the most
delightful known in the theatre
rough it's subtlety it tends to make
each person feel whenever he catches
a point that he is the only one IN thee
theatre who appreciates the nicely OF
the authors or the actors touch. 10
fool Of an audience and above 1t IS
as delightful as a ride in an aeroplane.
Joe Quincy is dealer IN ANTIQUES e ;
who loves things almost as mucn as ne
loves people. More his wife SAID out
he disproved that in the end ior'
though his furniture and his emma are
dear to him, his daughter Is peter
value still IN his eyes. AS mater Oh
fact Peggy Rush, who played rosy,
AX
oratiye object. For our eyes she was
nrettier than all the Chippendale and
china in the place. That was the way
James, Quinney's CHIEF workman, ielS
about it, but the antique dealer had
given his child an expensive educatioh
and no thought she should marry better
than that. He held out against ms
daughter and her lover for three acts,
but capitulated with grace ana logic III
tho fourth. Quincy is vain, common,
IGNORANT sentimental, obstinate and
MANY other unpleasing things, but
withal delightful in his shrewdness, his
natural humor and his innate good
heartedness.
Fortunately, Quincy is allowed to
canitulate gracefully. IL would not do
10 have him Inundated, for through
all his squabbles with wife and daugh-
ter il was he who held the sympathy OF
the audience. Posy did not get much
of a husband. James is a concerted
Young cad, even if he is an Al
maker Of cabinets. Susan. Qulnney,s
wife. is an agreeable part well
done by Margaret Watson, and the
Sam Tomlin of Arthur Grenville is an
excellent character sketch.
"Quinney,'" we quote from a circu-
lar Of the George II. Doran Company,
took London by storm at the very
time in May, 1915. when Zeppelins were
also trying to take it by storm We
do not think a Zeppelin could disturb
an audience at "Quinneys' much. It's
peacefulness is almost penetrating
enough to make a New York audience
forget that it lives in city where one
is asked to step lively.