New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-03

By HEYWOOD BROWN.

ott wy bdWgCA RRAhNh 'NNNN'D -
the Eltinge Theatre last night because
it hurried. Some of Max Marcin's
ideas were good and some were not,
but he had so many that one or two
we're sure to strike. Seemingly few
went wide of the mark. for the audi
ence gave every indication OF being
amused during the greater part If the
three acts.
Much of the success indicated at the
first night of the farce was due to the
splendid acting of T. Roy Barnes. who
romped through his long part at top
speed and finished without the slight
est sign of tagging energy. The
methods of Barnes were not altogether
suptle, but they were vigorous, ample
and vital, all Of which characteristics
are useful in farce acting.
The fundamental idea Of having
man sham insanity is certainly we'll
worn, but there was so much good
nature in the madness of Barnes that
no one could be offended at his antics
or fail to be amused by them. The
play did take a novel twist when the
hero, seeking to prove himself sane
again, found that it was easier to begin
deception than to end one.
Yet Max MARGIN missed one inno-
walton, and that only by hair, which
would have completely revolutionized
the American drama We refer, Of
course, 20 the old inventor and his
discovery. This time it was a ma
chine for making artificial rubber, and
at the end of the first act the inven-
ton proved worthless.
II Mr.. MARGIN had stopped there he
might be hailed as the most daring
playwright of his day. The American
drama is fairly cluttered with aged
inventors, who have discovered every
thing from airships to window fasten-
ings, and although they are invariably
laughed to scorn in acts two and
three. not once does the invention fail
to make good in the third act.
And so it was again. The machine
neglected to make rubber, il is true, but
il proved a mint at producing paving
blocks. Barnes was Robert Gardner.
a promoter who undertook to finance
the rubber machine and organized a
company TO put its product on the
market. Just before test is to be
made for the rubber trust Gardeners
LAWYER discovers that the machine is
a hoax. IL turns out hard black sub
stance, but the rubber comes from a
secret compartment, where it is placed
before the beginning of an experiment.
In order to escape the consequences
of having put a worthless stock on the
market Gardner at the advice of his
lawyer shams insanity. We neither
need nor can follow him further. Let
it suffice that he is harassed by alien
lists who declare that he is suffering
from "dementia absolute" bounded by
postal inspectors and all but swindled
by his uncle.
The hero regains his freedom in time
TO make a sum ranging between two
and three millions, balk the postal in
spectors and marry the girl he loves,
which is a pretty good piece Of work
for one evening.
Mr.. MARGINS farce is a good farce,
but its value seemed doubly enhanced
last night, coming as closely as IL did
upon the heels of number Of plays
in which the theory has been exploited
that to gain suspense actors have only
to stand still and keep silence. II was
pleasant once again TO see persons
moving about from spot TO spot with
a certain degree of alacrity, to hear
characters speak without a sob or
gurgle, TO miss absolutely for an even
ing big scenes and 70 see play in
which the author and the actors were
content to reach a situation and pass
on TO another without pausing to stran-
gle the poor thing to death.
All in all, we think that there Is
more real life in Mr.. Marcin's farce
than in a number Of straight and seri-
Gus plays we could name.
SO much we may sincerely say in
praise. but as a member Of the Base
ball Writers Association we cannot
give our unqualified support 70 any
play in which joke is made concern
ing Brooklyn and rubber plants, even
il il is done only once.
T. Roy Barnes outshone his asso-
ciates. but John DAILY Murphy was high
~ successful a. DR.. Drew, and Gus c.
Weinburg was excellent as the old In
ventor. Harold Russell was amusing as
Arson Morse. Inez Buck and Msrgot
Williams had little to do. but they did
that well enough TO make the audience
wish 20 seesmore OF them.