New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-27


The sins of the fathers were visited
upon the audience in tne third act at
the Republic Theatre :ast night when
Common Clay ran into a big scene.
The scene was in courtroom and
from beginning to end no speech was
made without sob in the throat or a
catch in the voice.
To achieve his big scene Mr. Kin
kead sold his soul TO coincidence and
teamed two pasts. He gained his scene,
but to our mind. he lost his play.
If that is true, it is a pity for the first
two acts promised excellently. The
happy ending trailed along behind in
an epilogue.
Adultery is the theme Of Common
Clay" and it is handled with a frank
ness which is wholly excusable in the
light of the fact that the author seems
to have written with entire sincerity.
Ellen Neal, played by Jane Cowl, is the
central figure. Seeking to get back to
the path from which she has slipped
just once she gains employment as a
housemaid in the home OF the Fuller
tons, wealthy family of assured social
position. She is tempted back from
rectitude by Hugh Fullerton. the son
of the house, and as the second act be-
gins she is seeking justice for her
child from his father.
The Fullertons fight the case. Rich
ard, the head of the house, calls upon
Judge Samuel Filson to defend his son.
Filson is played by John Mason. The
strength Of the Fullertons' case rests
upon the face that Arthur Coakley, the
original seducer of Ellen Neal. is a
friend of Hugh and promises to testify
in court as to the character of the
housemaid. Unfortunately for him, he
makes this statement in the presence
of the girls counsel, who Immediately
has him arrested, since his client was
under age at the time of the seduction.
Judge Filson defends Coakley in the
courtroom scene, the big scene of the
play. He makes the girl break down,
T but he does not shake her case. Then
he turns his attention to the girls
mother, who is the next witness.
Under the lash Of his tongue he forces
her to confess that she is not the
mother of Ellen Neal. Pressing his
seeming advantage, he compels her TO
reveal the name of the girls mother.
Dolly Montrose," says the witness,
whereupon the judge collapses, for
Dolly was the mistress of his youth,
who committed suicide to save him
from scandal and died without telling
that he was a father. Filson is in
collapse. but so is Ellen, and she de-
cides not to go through with her case,
whereupon the magistrate quashes the
charge.
The Judge reveals himself TO his
new found daughter and takes her
away to make her good woman. The
g g. .
epilogue is dated in the programme
ten years later. In this, the final act,
Ellen comes back to the home Of the
Fullertons a great singer. She no
longer needs a good name, but Hugh,
the son f the house, encumbers her
with matrimony. At any rate there
was a curtain kiss, which doubtless led
to the altar, even though the one Of
the first act few wide of that mark
In the duel of the sexes il is not the
woman, but the audience which pays
and pays and pays.
Kinkead made his bid for success or
failure with the courtroom act, which
was written and played as the big
scene. 1t is fair to say that it caught
number of persons in the audience
yesterday, and perhaps the scene will
make the play a success. At least once
before the public has shown keen en-
joyment in watching the beautiful Jane
Cowl weep. To us the act seemed
wholly false from beginning to end.
We credit the author with having filled
his fountain pen with sincerity, but
there was something wrong with the
flow. Jane Cowl is an actress wholly
lacking in subtlety. She has the ability
to convey one or possibly three phases
Of character with remarkable fidelity,
but it is tiresome to have the same
thing hammered home again and again.
John Mason was extremely effective
in a brief scene with Russ Whytall,