New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-02


tHzshrih Bradshsw ................. flGrs Burke
Martha Bradshaw ................ Louise Randolph
Elijah Bradshaw ................ Emmett Currigsn
Res Birmingham smollet ........ Arnold Lucy
Rev jams Gleason ....-....... Aiphonse Lthier
OTTO ..........-............ William J. Phinney
TIE Womsn ........................ Juis Arthur
JUICE Bsscolnh ................... BarrY Haiwood
Blanche DamOnd .................. Lncile Watson
ban Burke .......................E z. NJ Dresser
Virtue didn't have much OF chance
at the Forty-eighth Street Theatre
last night. Along with honesty. it un-
dertook to have bit of go with
vice, but a drsmatst from Cleveland
was sitting in the judges stand. In
stead of scratching the precious pair,
Mr.. Robert II. Mclaughlin permitted
them to enter the race and then
showed them up. They began to fag
at the quarter quarter to nine. IN
this instance and from that time vice
had everything its own way. The
track was fast, and so were the dra-
mats persona.
"The Eternal Magdslene" is frank
oh, how frank!-plea for vice. 1t
is net a plea in the sense Of appeal.
however; the author states his case
boldly and a bit impudeutly. and then
inquiries what society intends TO do
about it. His theme is the fact that
vice can never die, and he pounds away
at il persistently and often effectively
from the rise to the drop of the cur
tain.
The entire action passes in the Ii
brary of the home of Elijah Bradshaw,
in "a city in the middle West" Brad
shaw is the head of the city's religious
element. and has been instrumental in
bringing to town the Rev. Jimmy
Gleason-Billy Sunday, once more-to
conduct revivsls. The goal of the re-
formers is the elimination of the seq
regated district, and one learns during
Act I that this end is about to be
achieved.
The family Of Bradshaw troops Of,
to the tabernacle. and the head Of tn
house falls asleep. He dreams. The
Woman appears to him. She explains
that his crusade has driven her into
the streets. Bradshaw sees in her a
likeness to woman whom he had
known, and deserted. in Montreal, an
he takes her into his house as a ser
want.
Thereupon things happen rapidly
even for a dream. Bradshaw's son
steals from the bank where he is en-
ployed, and the Woman reveals the
fact that he has stolen for Magda'
lene Of his own The daughter Of the
house goes TO Montreal-again Mon
treal-with an attractive bond sales
man. There the bond salesman leavel
her. and she finds her way home-but
unmarried. And Bradshaw's wife die.
but that occurred between the seconc
AMI third acts, and one never did lear
exactly what killed her.
Then Jimmy Gleason and the neigh
bors learn that Bradshaw is harborina
a woman of the streets, and they storm
the house in numbers and prepare 20
stone her. But Bradshaw faces tn
crowd and delivers the celebrated line
concerning the absence of sin and the
first stone, and there is silence. Last
right, in fact, there was not even g.
much as 'arf brick heaved from tn!
auditorium, but it must be remembered
that it was a first night audience.
The Woman, her mission accom-
plsihed, reveals herself as the Eternal
Magdalene and departs. The family OF
Bradshaw returns from the tabernacle
the dreamer awakes, and one gathers
that his experiences have charged his
viewpoint. He declines to give to the
newspapers statement condemning
the inmates of the segregated district.
Throughout the three acts Mr.. Nc
Laughlin never ceases to drive home
his point of the eternalness of vice.
The Eternal Maedalene has been every
where at all times and always will be.
She knows all people and all things.
Character after character recognizes
her vaguely.
Considerable red FIRE had precede
the play into New York, and this tend
ed to dwarf the fact that Julia Arthur
was returning to the stage after al
absence of years and years. Last
nights audience was intensely interest
ed in the play. but found time to wei
come Miss Arthur effusively. Miss Ar
thurs famed beauty is still all there,
but it is hard to see why she wanted TO
play the role Of the Magdalene. The
part calls for performance in one
key-a depressed and rather monoto-
nous one-throughout the evening
and Miss Arthur had no opportunity 10
demonstrate her acting ability.
Returning to the play, Mr.. McLaugh-
lin has written q drama the very dar-
ing Of which will probably make it popu-
lar. Certainly IL is the daringest OF
them all. A second act conversation,
in which a woman Of the underworld
spoke of her "historic calling" and re-
cited long list of women who have
followed it. caused even first nighters
to hold their breaths.
As a plav Mr.. McLaughlin's drama
suffers bit from lack Of suspense.
That, however. is a fault that it is
particularly difficult to overcome in
dream plays. Mr.. Mclaughlin has
kept nothing back; early in the
second act one has sensed the re-
mainder Of the play. The dream is
rather irritating, and one is anxious
TO have it over with in order to find
out IL anything is to follow il.
Emmett Corrigan was Elijah Brad
shaw, and gave the fine performance
for which he may always be depended
upon. But the acting honors went to
Lucille Watson, who, as the proprietor
of a house in the segregated district,
was a sheer delight in the one scene
given her. Miss Watson scored as en-
phatically as did Hsidee Wright in
1.-THE Two Virtues"
Arnold Lucy was capital as a pious
preacher. Being virtuous. he was. of
course. one OF the villains. Alphonse
Either, however. did not quite satisfy
as the evangelist. The reference In
Mr.. McLaughlin's play was so obviously
TO Mr.. Sunday that a man more nearly
the Sunday type should have been Sc
lected.
Lowell Sherman was a realistic news
paper man. who was in effect the hero
Of the play. Harry Harwood contrib
uted a good Characterization, and the
M the