New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-28
By HAYWOOD BROUN.

Julian Eltinge was every inch a lady
at the Cohan Theatre last night in a
play of marked dramatic interest. The
suspense lay in wondering what Mr.
Eltinge would wear next. Though
billed as comedy the piece had a
tragic ending for after appearing in
trock after frock. each more gorgeous
than the other, the star took his final
curtain in trousers.
cousin Lucy" is lust another Of
those Eltinge plays. and ANYBODY who
would criticise an Eltinge play is no
gentleman. jerry Jackson was the
name given TO the star in the play. but
he made his first entrance as Lucette
and Lucette he remained. save to one
or two in tine know, until few min
utcs before the finish. His girlhood
hours were his happiest ones
Something ought to be said about
the costumes, constituting as they did
the real plot of the piece, something
precise and technical. We can only
generaliZe. Gorgeous. iridescent. be-
wilderinC, are the words which come to
cur mind
There really ought to be quite a lot
about crOSsOvers, foulardes, insertions
and so on. but we cant do clothes
when they come so fast. Melville Ellis,
the spendthrift designer of the cos
tunes, scattered them here, there and
everywhere with q lavish hand. When
ever action Jagged along would come
another gown.
But to get back to the plot TIL
action begins simply enough with d
silk shirtwaist, but gradually develops
/ inf l,1o 4 l, D., Il,
ment. The climax is intense.
The sub plot concerns the adventures
of Jerry Jackson, who DISCUSSES himself
as a woman in order to escape his cred
itors. When Julian Eltinge was not
changing his gowns he was singing
! lie also danced artisticaliy and made
love delicately. Those Come Hither
Eyes" and 1.-TWO Heads Are Better
Than One" were the musical bits
which were most favorably received.
The star was closely pressed for his
honors by Jane Oaker. who made
Eltinge an excellent foil in her part as
a tough girl. When Miss Oaker left
the stage in the third and final act the
action of the play was halted for sew
eral minutes by the applause.
Dallas Wexford was extremely anus
ing as Blister, a cockney servant. Il
was a pity that his part was not larger.
Mrs. Stuart Robson did excellently
with small comic bit
Cousin Lucy" is well costumed. It
tuneful in its few musical numbers
and it affords Mr.. Eltinge ample oppor
tunties for the display of his peculiar
talents. Dialogue is not the strongest
point of Cousin Lucy.
81 think | should look chic in that"
remarks one character "Yes," replies
another, quick as a wink, you'd look
sick in that"
This is not the bes. line in Cousin
Lucy" but it is not the wors, either.
Il was later in the evening that Angela
Baldwin asked: "Do you like psychol-
ogy?" and Jerry Jackson answered:
THAT depends on how it's cooked"
The best thing in the play was a spir-
tied party scene in the last act, when
there were good dancing and excellent
color effects from the assembled cos
tunes.
DR.. Johnson, who has no hand in
the play, once said of dogs walking
on his hind legs: at is not done well,
but you are surprised to find it done at
all" Julian Eltinge does his stunt well,
but we, for one, remain surprised.