Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-12
Care M. Cohan's
'''' Own Miracle

needs to be patroniHing about
aIrscle Man" just because deofse
- so4a II, His new play at the
lthan ssrIous, decent piece oil work
1sn'tk Z arican playwright worth his
& 81 70 h z. ta ashamed Of. 1t isn't as
n sn9ws nAs Man Thinks. IL
nalea.. ssnths OF "The Easiest way
i lafl ths ~ ~ noetio elevation OF The
~ .isr But II is something more
.lsA hes'ss NJ srane "The Miracle Man" is
tis so0a srsat handling of a difficult
rla' 40 most men would fight shy
4 faa me- .a,. ! strain in Mr.. Cohan-and
8 sst .,'.t moi everybody suspected.
s sAr-s'at 's,act is big and difficult enough
8 n suvy faith healing. 1t means
4 eny "" vbite-robed, Tolstoian pa
1AFng way that will convince every
tiaisa y ~ q a good deal more power
e. laA anythInF he can possibly say.
4 4 Insh ~ h.s taken hold of the problem
n real admiration for lts ulihcu''ieS
Z, worth, and he has solved IL.
n. ~ M aid Of William II. Thompsohs
nns w. vet vital acting a real patriarch
s.sds before us, .,o,..,
! i.,.' 4. not brings up set OF characters
lls.dly w in Mr. Cohan's own old vein
3 4. soar crooks who set themselves to
Is,,e the healing powers of the pa,
pP,ss ~ Cohan draws them with all
s sas's Y. 'S.,stomed pungency, and the play
" ~ he chose finish the picture.
zs 4 = = !. !. ceorge Nash as Doc, the mas
s.aot who invents the scheme of
+ s..'lng bIs "aueen" as the old mans lost
w srd Two confederates as cases to
+ 4 ~ ..sr,aorlarly cured. He carries 1t all
...ssS with an oily, eNtravagant good
INA that ls almost perfect. Under Miss
+ N vone's admirably lifelike handling
8 Y. .ly comes out neither an angel nor
I In Earle Browne. Jerking his tie
8 ~ 3rsting his collar with the nervous
4 =. X the ''coke" fend gets" his char
~, An three have their own indi-
] ssssIted speech, as have half a dozen
'Ti,ss types. Most pungent of all is the
& ss..5sri-Iast crook and prize cure-he
4 NJ oeeupIes a push chair and objects
4 !. s.hIn' in this Buick" all day.
M none Of this amusing richness OF
Z .A,,srter is allowed to break in and
v,sst the serious content of the play.
!. i put carefully in its place. And Mr..
E ds,p shows Just as admirable a re-
sr,ht in the handling of the plot.
Elsn the time comes for the Flop
~, fake miracle, it takes place off
X stage. We hear his cries. Then
sn.s word that he has tainted under the
sss1 q the Patriarch. There is even
s sNslSlng Creek in the way Mr.. Cohan
4 lsepy the real miracle itself out of our
rs1l-the moment when the village Grip
4 N seeing the Flopper walk, has faith
|t-.aN and is made whole in body.
n ths third and last act there Is re-
aslnt again. When the crooks are
farnlDg straight'-all but Doc-and
a,ssu Doc threatens and woos and
leads with the girl to keep up her old
& n with him and play the game out,
4 n Cohan had chance for Bernsteinian
zehsaton and tempestuous scenes that
=Tonld have been Just as effective as they
ssse unreal and unsuited to the theme.
ahstead, he chose something simpler,
ensthIng that better prepared one for
{ h Pairiarch's final word: II have known
zia II had not known. how could have
I'm them the llght?"
assralnt Of this kind is an admirable
) HEg It was just as unexpected in Mr..
3 fAan's writing as in his subdued and
niafalstic stage management. If 1t
zksges the play not half so effective"
Il Il might have been made. not half so
& d of punch, 1t insures irrevocably the
fasl serious consideration. 1.-THE Miracle
3 IN may not have broadway success"
8 Fllilsn all over 1t so large as the rest OF
e = cchan's plays, but it puts him in an
iEiable position as an American play
Fasht He Is characteristic of us ana
2 ilage-not fulflment, but a promise.