New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-22

BY HAYWOOD BROUN.

better than his Euclid. The unities of
Husband and Wife" are steadfastly
maintained. but its triangle is not &C
cording TO the rules.
The new play which was produced
at the Forty-eighth Street Theatre last
night is a decidedly interesting drama
admirably acted by Robert Edeson and
q strong supporting company, but we felt
that the author showed much more
skill at getting his characters in a
mess than in taking them out.
COMMERCIALLY the play did not meet
our fancy. It's triangle was Platonic
rather than Euclidean. A scholar once
informed us that Plato mad nothing to
do with the love which has been named
after him, but for the sake of conven-
fence we will blame him, as usual.
The issue between Plato and Charles
Kenyon on the one side and us on the
other was raised in the third act. Rich
ard Baker. the hero of the play, has
squandered his fortune to keep his
butterfly wife awing and has even been
tempted into stealing from his bank.
But in catering only to the creature
comforts of his mora" he has en-
dangered her love and, driven desperate
by his seeming materialism, she plans
TO elope with a lover. The elopement
begins on the very night that the de-
tectives come TO arrest Baker tof MS
defalcations. Mrs. Baker and her lover
have left the house before the police
arrive. but by an entirely logical chain
of circumstances they are headed OIL
and return TO the home OF Baker TO
find him in his difficulties.
The love of Doris Baker for her hus-
band foods back when she learns OF
his trouble and realizes that she IS at
bottom responsible for IT. And then
"a dry her tears the lover draws a
check for something more than S25,OOO
and saves Baker from jail
II is true that the quixotic act OF the
lover comes only after an effective plea
hv an eloquently sentimental old man:
If is also true that the irrationality OF
The lover is plainly indicated by making
him Irish. But with all that prepara-
ton we did not believe it.
There was no fault in the acting OF
the episode. Each side OF the triangle
was sound. Robert Edeson was tire.
mendously appealing as the HUSBAND
and Montagu Love gave US fine, manly
Patrick Alliston. Olive Tell was WIN
some wife. We are not even inclined 10
treat platonic love with cynlclsm. mere
NAV be such a thing, but nobody could
feel II for Doris Baker. A brainless lit
tie butterfly she. and Pat Alllston
vearned for her, we believe, in a man
ncr wholly carnal.
Pat was a wealthy man, but no mat
ter how much he had, we doubt If he
would have lessened his capital by
penny to give freedom to a man whom
he did not like in order TO deprive him.
self Of a woman whom he did. Pats re-
ward was the thought that he had
brought TO the woman he loved her true
happiness He was the souarest NY
potenuse who ever graced triangle.
Quitting controversial ground, II may
be said with safety that the second act
will grip every one who has a feeling
for drama. In that act splendid scene
is PLAYED, in which the husband tai
to wife and lover, well knowing the
elopement which they have plotted
and. better yet, the audience knows
that he knows. They have seen HIM put
the pistol in the drawer OF the desk,
and we for one tingled when he asked
the lover TO have cigar and then hesl-
tated at the open drawer, saying; m
wondering what KIND oil smoAe "
give YOU
homes that his wife will escape his
scandal. and after the two have gone
he crumples against the door, shaken
yyitb sohs he cannot wholly swallow.
Give MS for dramatic purposes the
grief of man every time. A SOD IS
worth three foot pounds of weeping.
Mr.. Edeson did his whole part, Tor that
matter. He was direct, restrained ana
wholly convincing.
Miss Tell did well and looked even
better. but we thought the author had
not been very kind to her. Her point
of view was indicated rightly enough
but for the most part an overly large
share of the sympathy went TO the
husband. This is a rather radical fauIt
in the play.
The wife we liked the best never
reached the stage. She was the better
half of the eXpressman. and we had u
directly from him that she could tell
"the compound interest on cent LOT
sixty seconds -,
The dialogue of Husband and Wife
is cr;sp throughout, and the good lines
are moi held out for the husband or the
wife hut apportioned with just hand.
Allan Atwell did exceedingly well as
Kamura. a japanese butler. To HIM
wont the clever curtain line. William
{. LYONS was an amusing detective, ana
Mabel Reed a neatly drawn and acted
German governess. Nick Long was the
cxpressman. and Dion Titheradge and
Dodson Mitchell were others IN most
effective cast. Husband and WIFE 49,
on the whole, a decidedly interesting
Y1ox