New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-11
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.

one can pay to dramatst is to pause
irresolute between tears and laughter,
then "The Unchastened Woman" is the
best play which has been produced in
New York this season. Louis X. An
spacher must have worn seven-league
boots when he took this stride beyond
his previous play, "Our Children" In
that drama he dealt pleasantly with
homely virtues, but now he has inter
ested himself in polSe vices.
Since drama is concerned with people
who do things, there is cause to believe
that the wicked are much better ma
terial for the theatre than the virtuous.
After all, morality Is largely matter
Tanquerary among the most vital fig
ures in the theatre are those charac-
tiers who have eliminated the "nots."
Caroline Knolys, the unchastened
woman, is as mean a person as we
have had the pleasure OF meeting on
any stage. But 1t was a pleasure. Ne
remember hearing Billy Sunday preach
sermon once about the devil, and
from the lips of the evangelist we
learned that this evil person was
tremendous fighter, who never gave up.
lie was, according to the preacher, an
: individual of extraordinary consistency.
The devil, it seems, took a certain
stand some years ago, and has been
sticking 10 it ever since. We came out
of the tabernacle with an enormous
respect for this devil about whom Mr.
Sunday had talked.
Our feeling for Mrs. KNOWS WAS
similar. She was so adept and clever
in having her own way that by and by
We wanted her 10 have IT, Her courage
was unquestioned and her efrontery
enormous Only once during the play
did we feel that the author was about
70 displease US. and that was at a time
when it seemed % # his magnificent
unchastened character was TO be 81 D.
dued and disciplined after all
The plot put her in hole. and 1t
looked very much as If she would have
to apologize abjectly to good woman
for whom we personally had not the
least regard. Caroline Knolys made the
hpOlOSy ItBhb eloHsH' put /. ""S ''
humble one. and Immediately after
ward she undid her work with two cat
like verbal thrusts and marched out of
the play with full military honors.
We do not mean 20 suggest that the
chief character in Mr.. Anspscher's play
is a study in abnormality. Caroline
KNOWS does not need the brain Of a
dramatist for existence. First of all,
she is consummately selfish. Secondly,
she uses her marriage as a shield for
/ the greatest possible liberty Of con-
! duct. To philander is her one object
| in life, and, as her husband explains,
/ she is fond of "depredating the next
generation" Her prudence, however, Is
/ equal to her courage. and her husband
/ il forced TO sit by and let her have her
way. since, according to the ietter OF
/ the law, she is faithful wife
The play centres around the clash
between Mrs. Knolys and Hildegarde
I Sanbury, a sort of a Candida person,
b who is welded to one OF those useless
Young artists. The unchastened woman
/ makes the young chap dance attendance
/ upon her and takes delight IN taunt-
/ ing his wife upon her success.
/ In the end, though, Hildegarde wins
/ back her Larry, or rather she taxes MN
I back. because the realization has been
forced home that he is after all
child who cannot possibly get along
without her.
The two women Of opposing types
are splendidly played. Emily Stevens
I is the unchastened woman. She IS
/ hard. brilliant, ingeniously malicious,
/ but human just the same. The author
/ cleverly gives her one brief scene of
! weakness TO emphasize the fact that
/ she is not devoid of feeling.
Christine Norman rs the wife OF the
artist. The work of Miss Norman in
/ terested us enormously because or ITS
restraint We have always objected 10
/ the theory of play writing and acting
which provides that whenever a woman
/ is put under any emotional stress she
! Immediately takes 10 her hind legs and
/ hollers. Strong or weak, the general
rule of the stage is that woman has no
mower Of emotional resistance. Hide
! rarde Sanbury is drawn by the dram
/ atist as one of those delightfully."-
/ self-reliant women of the age of suf-
frage. In that spirit Miss Norman
/ played the part.
She kept rein on her emotions.
/ When Mrs. Sanbury was harried or
hurt she tried 10 cover II up. And,
bless you, the audience knew what she
was suffering, even if she didn't
beat ner neau against Nooic Va ny"
down a door. The time came when she
/ had to give way and cry, and that made
/ the power Of the scene in the third act
I all the greater.
"The Unchastened Woman" is sin
gularly fine play for many reasons.
/ One that struck US most OF all was the
/ fact that il contains no wasted char-
/ acters. II employs no one 10 announce
carriage or dust the furniture. IL is
a cooperative play. in which each per-
son belongs and each does his part:
There is no minor role. K. Hassard
/ short is the artist, and IT Is an excel
+ ient niece of work The charwoman,
nlaved by Jennie Lamont. Is another
: distinctive piece of acting, and MISS
/ Isabel Richards, II. Reeves-Smlth,
Willette Kershaw and Louis Bennison
are admirably provided with dramatic
opportunities. .L
Every person who goes to the theatre
/ il a critic. and 10 each one there comes
some moment in most plays IN winch
he is forced 70 exclalm: "Oh, come now.
{ That girl wouldn't have said That, and
{ I'm blamed if think her father would
/ have acted that way anyhow
/ For us there were no such moments
] In "The Unchastened Woman. To us
/ lis logic Of character and action was
unimpeaehable. .,
Persons who like 10 see vice triumph