The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-01-14
TODAY AT NIXON
This EVENING

"Today," fvital and vivid drama
of New York life,' written by George
Broadhurst and Abraham Schooner and
produced by "The Perfect company"
gave thrill at the Oliver last night
entirely out of proportion to the size
of the audience. The comparatively
small number of people present went
away with such mental jolt as is
received at the theatre only at rare
intervals. They had enjoyed play
introducing them to wide range of
characters and circumstances. 1t be-
gins with an idyllic situation, in which
charming old German couple come to
New York to live with their prosper
Gus son and his pretty American wife.
Everybody knows Germans of this
class, cultured, kindly, frugal and af-
fectionate. They make the opening
act delightful picture. When the son
suddenly fails in business, they retain
their serenity, and both of them turn
in to do the work in the cheap fiat to
which reduced circumstances drive the
family The son fights for his financial
life and soon sees better times ahead.
The affection between father and moth
er and son and their efforts to make
cheerful home give about one-half of
the play a wholesome and delightful
flavor. Miss Gale and Mr.. Gerold are
superb as the old people and Mr.. By
ron is strong and manly young Ger
man-American.
| The serpent in this Eden is the
young wife. She married the son when
| they We're both poor. Riches visited
them for a season, only to fly away
after the young woman had tasted
the joys of a Fifth Avenue existence.
She had learned to look upon the good
things of life as hers by right. When
her husband could no longer supply
them, she became morose and unhappy
and sat in idleness while the old peo-
pie did all of the work in the small
fiat. Friends of her prosperous days
called just often enough to fan her de
sire for clothes and jewels and auto
mobiles. Her husband made the usual
plea for sane living within their means
but to no purpoe. Tie mad competi
tion for clothes and surroundings Gas
good as other people have brought or
her moral collapse and finally her de
struction at the hands of ner own hus
band, who had discovered her ap
pointment in a fashionable apartment
and had gone to meet it himself with
terror clutching his heart and murder
curving his fingers. The play is so per
feetly done and potrays so much sani
ty and beauty in domestic life that
this denouement seems doubly fright
full when it arrives. 1t is easy to sec
that the young woman g folly and van
ity and her dislike for the old people
must bring ON catastrophe of some
kind, but the keenest auditor can hard
ly anticipate meeting with her hus
band in a darkened apartment, the dis
covery when the light is flashed on
swift death behind the curtains, anG
the surrender of the wild and dishev
elled man to the officers as the apart
ment fills with terrified throng. It
is a strong and terrible ending, SO
strong that it cannot fail to burn q
lesson into the minds of all young wo
men who are in danger of letting then
thoughts dwell on Injuries beyond the
reach of an honest purse. A more sor
did and lingering death is likely tt
follow the usual yielding to foolish
and vain extravaganza, but it is likely
to be death, just the same. This is the
sermon preached by TINS enyious mix
ture of the idyllie and the tragic in
this play. 1t is uneven in construction
and has numerous glaring faults, but
the audience loses sight of these in its
interest in the story The entire com
pany is well cast and competent. Miss
Bertha Mann does superior work in
the snaky and catty role of the wife.
Miss st. John as the mistress of the
doubtful apartment shows herself to
be an actress of parts. The small audi
ence twas exceedingly demonstrative
and the curtain calls were numerous.
Lincoln (Neb.) State Journal, Jan.
9.
.tTodayp will he at the Nixon oD-