The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-14
NEW PLAY BY CONAN
SEEN AT THE ASTOR
.llit the Trail Holiday"
Brings Fred Niblo to
Broadway as Star.
THINE Is PROHIBITION

George Cohan produced last night at
,he As'ar Theatre a new play more or
less from his pen. called "Hit the Trail
Holiday" There were actors TO inter
pre-, The play and there were mentioned
as ads to Mr.. Conan in the writing of
ton aai Guy Bolton But II was all
Conan whether Il were actors or au-
,ha-s-or for that matter audience.
There were demands. long and cor
dial fa- the appearance OF George OF
Broadway after the third act. He was
t,h,r reluctant or slow In answering.
Bi, from the minute lie started from
the box office to the stage he made a
@truurHaI progress down the aisleS be-
hind :h, box in which other members
Of tlc CONAN family sat e~nthroned. to
i,s,t 80 as Il does only when George
Conan the object Of its adulations. He
deserved all the applause he got.
"ilt lie Tran Holiday proved to be
q .N.F. Hh..4HSsA- AdANf- LNtl Nht llaEl-
Catta.tss were able T. laugh deeply and
sincerely. But nobody else could have
!rl cd laughing structure In the way
:rp. ST.. Cuaan did. lie blithely cast
aside MOST II the things that the average
.t.lE.t would have thought Of pri-
mary IMPORTANCE. Then. in the speech Of
Tie world that Mr.. Cohan 81 we'll inter-
p. .. proceeded - get away with IL.
An. who was there 10 speak a word for
T.g,.g S1rIou, Paul Potter ~ the
res ot shat academic gang that roots
TO- '. wei. made play
lu tHe "rs, act Mr. Cohsn reproduced
VIII DISQUALIFICATION. Belasco-
ral.u 'ha interior Of a barber shop in
the basement Of a small town hotel.
Among those present was the barkeeper
a. d proposed new hotel. imported from
r1 less s8rrosanCt emporium than the
W.f-H.t-AstCria. But owing TO the char
a.''r ut the proprietor OF the new hotel
Or tor some o;her equally unimportant
reason the batkeeper sided with the
proprietor Of a rival and temperance
ho,el
:, the second act found the bar
temperance for some equally unknown
reason. the idol Of the town and IN
demand on all sides as a temperance
lecturer. But he was also interested in
the daughter Of the local clergyman.
whom he had met as the manicure Of
The temperance hotel.
Here enters the advocate OF the well
made play. Develop he would have
said, The character Of this temperance
advocate and l will be interested in
hin so viii the spectators"
But Nr. Conan. with adherence to the
h',s. rule of Broadway dramaturgy,
dtd nothing Of the kind. When the
curtain rose on the second act the bar
keep was already established as a re-
former in The community. He a even
become such a power In the world OF
fts' .'Uce hat he was In demand from
a! cities as a lecturer on abstinence.
He WAS preparing a lecture on the value
o. prohibition. when In his complete ex-
h.lr.ou from the enor to master all
The figures he took a nip from a flask
Of a reformed driuker. who "A volun-
ta-.'v surrendered IL TO be free from
temptation.
Thus Mr.. Conan d!vulged his own
n 8 ~ p!aywri;inr. which was with
g fr-. night audience enormously ef-
:,..1- lie did not worry 10 establish
g.. 70 t-acter q his pseudo reformer,
b. lowed nm 10 be played on OBJ
.'y..y Every character in the play
No. % build him up as What he was
y forced 90 seem. There was
dent 20 loud Laughter at his ad-
',.. But q, Is possible to
go" ...oge,.er the idea that the ex-
pf hts pseudo hero would
l"f much more interestinR-and
&c. g FOR a much longer time 10
there had been some attempt
& % character out OF him.
H- -rl- times. other ways. The
Y r Cphan went along last night.
=. Pho played the hero with strict
Hu 90 the Conan method OF act
IT, H.' he Is a prepussessing person
.- agreeable personality that must
o. MIXERS even when ne would not
b. Fred rs ,ve-yhody in front OF
e ...-"rn's did last night. There was
90. visionary Conan perfection
t"r ma -og, the performance. But Kath-
81. pa sale shOne quite alone In her