New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-29
By HECTOR TURNBULL.

IL is always a dangerous practice Tor
an author 70 attach the word clever
to the title of his play. even when 1t IS
placed there in a spirit OF sarcasm.
The audience has such a disconcerting
habit of looking for evidences OF clev-
erness in the play. In Alfred Sutro's
"The Clever Ones" presented for the
first time in this country last night at
the little Punch and Judy Playhouse.
the only cleverness recognizable was
the deft arrangement Of time-worn ma
terial that formed the fabric Of the
piece. Here and there perhaps one
could laugh at the various but rapidly
feeting bits of humor evolved by the
actors in their desperate struggle to
enliven the lines, but with the latter
part Of the first act the average the
atregoer must have resigned himself to
a patient attitude of waiting until the
author took his time in reaching the
familiar end in mis- own roundabout
fashion.
The comedy aims 20 be a satire on
The snobbery of the British middle and
lower classes. IL aims, too, we imagine,
10 out-Shaw Shaw on his own familiar
field. We are probably mistaken IN
this. however, as there are such slight
grounds for so presumptuous a sugges-
tion. At any rate II begins with a
Young son OF a wealthy brewer VINO
falls in love with the clever daughter
of a clever mother. They are clever
in the superficial sense, having put
learned 10 spout lines from the various
philosophers of note and 10 make their
nome hideous with the new idea IN
decoration. The young man, to wln
his suit. pretends 20 be an anarchist
and a free thinker, and adds al! the
frills that might aid him IN capturing
the silly girl. When ne has won the glrii
ne takes her father. hard, practIoai
business man, into his confidence ana
the two contrive to give the girl real
taste of what poverty and the thought
ful life is in actual practice. during
the course of this adventure III the
sIums the young man meets again q
GIRL he has thrown over Tor the cieg-
orr one. and. to make Mr.. Sutro's tale
= hit shorter. it all ends happily, win
the youth and his real love togeCneIi
cain and the "clever" one going oach
TO her former flame.
Such material in such set OIL ePl'
sodes is rather played out. Inc wealthy
vounc man in disguise and the college
GIRL who is a silly fool Just because
She has been in college may have peer
all right years ago or may do now iof
a story i'm a second-rate magazine, put
a niavwripht of Alfred Sutro's caliore
sbouId he above using them without
taking the trouble to furblsh them
trihe. -, oct
The plav. in the main, was well act
cd Edward Emery gave pleasing ana
canable performance of the ouslhGsS
lilo father of the "cleyer" family. Mrs'
Honkins was delightful to see AS Rose Rose
Efick. and played with unaffected ease
and consistency. Louise CLOSER ha i
",ado the sister-in-law a splendid STUDY
and Annie Hughes was equally pleas-
no, % the wife. Herbert Iost repeat
Cd his good performance OF the pre-
ced;ro nlav as the dilettante author'
puss Whvtal played the pseudo anal
hist with his usual ability, ana pea
80 prentice gave semDlance OF
oan,,iction as the advanced coiiegc
c .;,I The comedy character parts
66I I, by Vera Pale, John Rogers n,sIa sI1
SG ia Hampden, were particularly
well done and very amusing. c..,os
"e The director of the theatre, Charles T'i
uonEire' plaved the young man, WI,
~ nug an. and while his performance lacked
a ease and and grace it was fairly work work;
cas- Snn,; Ie1 conception of the authors
i mann II is a pity, however. that ne
s e have allowed the foreign pro a,,
5nction of "The Clever Ones to lnn i
e eu his selection Of a second play lor
his admirable theatre.