Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-10

THIS week brought Philadelphia Il
curious assortment of plays-and a
curious assortment of triple corcidences.
There were two dramas from the French,
'"The Hawk" and THE Shadow" Two
detective plays by Harvey j. O'HiSSins
and Harriet Ford, The Dummy" and
"The Argyle Case" and the two most
distinguished rising actors of the Ameri-
can stage, william Faversham and Ethel
Barrymore. Not to mention that eXtraor-
binary bit of piffe at The Little Theatre,
Monsieur Poiret"; its production Is a
coincidence all by itself.
Comparison between the two new
French plays is both natural and inter-
estng. That it rebounds TO the advan'
tage of Mr.. Faversham's vehicle is not
SO much the fault as the misfortune of
Dario Niccodemi, who wrote Miss Barry
more's Perhaps he tried too hard.
At any rate, THE Hawk is a straight
forward, naive drive at a particular
dramatic effect. No act is overcrowded
with action; there is hardly more than
one emotional point In each. But it is
perfectly clear what Francois de Croisset
is trying to do-tell an exciting story
with an ingenious kink in it. and end with
half-piteous, half-heroic touch.
That might also be an outline of "The
Shadow" There is the exciting story,
built upon discovery and confession. The
fact that the feminine victim of the
eternal triangle has been paralytic in
valid adds to the effect just as the fact
that the husband in THE Hawks" tri-
angle is a cardcheat. The deceived
woman in "The Shadow" decides to do
what she can to shade the road that her
husband must take with the woman he
has chosen. The ruined man in THE
Hawk finds the wife he had lost giving
up her lover and returning to help him
build new life.
But the parallelism ends with the
stories. In treatment THE Shadow"
lacks the straightforward, theatric drive
which saves THE Hawk" Mr.. Nicco-
uemi is too serious-minded or too much
me creature of his time to make the
sardouish most of his exciting plot, or
70 carry it along in the elevated and
srhncial atmosphere of the sentimental
.neatre. He is continually thrusting in
oltter' naturalistic Incidents and bits of
snaraeter; he is trying to treat the affair
- serious problem after he has con-
uNed It as a theatrical stunt" But
ns evident desire to strike the best
~ u piayWriting is apparently wrecked by
lhe outre character of the story and his
~ undeVeloped powers as a dramatist.
~ any rate, The Shadow is miles
'"ead OF his "Prodlgal Husband"
Disappointing as "The Shadow proved
" reason OF what II might have been,
~ evening at the Broad is still we'll
spent because 1t brings Miss Barrymore
step hgher as a serious actress. Her
nlp'ersonation of Berthe is not entirely as
"a, sa,,ssiaetory as her work in "Mid-Chan
Out only because Pinero gave her
simpler and more satisfactory prob
sAo,,. NOT even ReJane could quiet doubts
D.. me heroine of 'The Shadow"
a. al that Is carping criticism be-
.he strong outlines of Miss Barry
h,.,.s lmpersonation. 1t leaves abso-
4 ~ no mistake as to where the actress
"saued' She makes no play with her
s"h or her charm. She drives the
dssa.Yoi voice TO accents of dull pain and
nItpelate rage which make II harsh,
tyn,s eutiiul' but real with power and
fes,i.,. n, Miss Barrymore. impersonatlng
sbss IS SHOWS with infinite clearness Just
ana ,,s MT, Nieeodeml should have done
"a 'ust how he falls short.
n, le rN The Hawk" is as much below
ghs Sayersham's sterling abilities as 1.-THE
nis,s' Is below Miss Barrymore's. the
ss,',t at the Lyric must be credited with
sotonsls 70 display and re-emphasize the
nant,s unique talent-the vivid, the ro-
nlesen;. sne poetic. within the husk Of
nl~kt Gay reality. Mr.. Faversham
drsns De distinguished player OF poetic
ssaya' ne mas proved II with his Shakes
ansr Sut he can be something much
N t ho much more needed in our pres
sss,ea eatfe-a player who can put spirit,
sslton., nigh lights. a quality that is at
II ~ ~ poetic into the impersonation of
alabi,, n. VI our own day who do unde-