New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-02

It took deus ex Republican machina
TO end "The House of Glass" at the
Gambler Theatre last night. Max
MARGIN involved his heroine in such
predcament that it became necessary
to fetch in the Governor of New York
for pqrdoning purposes
The pardon was deserved. for the
heroine had been through so much.
/ She tainted in the first act. In the
second another emotional crisis caused
her to miss a delightful dinner. Only
the greater part of the third act, and
in the fourth she broke down com
pletely. The governor did quite right.
The House OF Glass" has some eX-
cellent dramatic material. Nobody
could ask a more interesting or truly
drawn character than Carroll, the de
tcctlve; or Mcclellan, the lawyer; or
Burke, the thief. And there were
tense situations also, particularly the
scene between the detective and the
girl in the third act, when the police
officer plays with his intended pris-
oner.
The final punch Of the third act
was conceived and written with a good
deal of power. and the first night
audience applauded it nightly, and
yet to our mind it dragged. Max
! MARGIN was a newspaperman, and as
reporter to reporter we appeal to him
to quit false idea which seems to
have fastened itself on the stage.
Playwrights, managers and actors be
iievc that whenever character re-
ceives any bad news he is suddenly
stricken dumb, and scene after scene
is played in that "Why-don't-yOu-
speak tome? ." manner
When MARGIN was reporter he
knew better than that. Our expert
ence, and we are sure it was his too,
is that anger. Joy. grief in any emo
tional crisis shocks people not into ST.
lence, but into talk. When a jury
brings in verdict of guilty the prs
oner does not clinch his hands or swal-
low his tongue. On the contrary IN
nine cases out Of ten he jumps up and
says he wants to make statement,
whereupon he proceeds TO abuse the
District Attorney.
In the third act of "The House of
Glass" Mrs. Harvey Lake tells her hus
band. railroad president. that she
served year and half in prison, and
that the police at that moment are
seeking her because she broke her pa
role Having told her story, Mrs. Lake
slumps into chair naturally enough
and sobs. Her husband on the con
trary, stands silent. His head bows
and his back bends. Not word comes
from him. We can only guess at the
length Of time this scene was held IN
Just that manner. About three minutes
we think; at any rate it was long
enough to drive us into Impotence.
For our part we felt like shouting
speak up" and long before tine ST.
lence was broken our interest was lost.
1t made no difference to US whether
Lake Rugged his wife or hit her and,
as matter Of fact, he did nothing so
decisive.
Mary Ryan. an exceedingly capable
actress, played the part Of Mrs. Lake,
or Margaret Case as she was before her
marriage, which occurred some time
between the first and second acts. Miss
Ryan has q most expressive face. and
rises to emotional heights readily, and
vet we felt that too much was asked
Of her; in fact. that the part demanded
too much OF actress and audience as
HAVING
all Miss Ryan's later emotional scenes
were more or less anti-cimaXes.
The first act was capital. 1t began
with Margaret Case about to quit her
boarding house. Although she tries to
keep the secret from her landlady and
from the audience, both learn soon
enough that she has quit her job as
stenographcr and is going to be mar.
ried. Her man, by some stroke OF
fortune or other, has fallen into a sud
den fortune. The engagement ring is
magnificent
The man comes, and the suspicion Of
the audience is aroused when he orders
the GIRL not to wear her engagement
ring until they 20 West The next
knock at the door brings the police.
Right here there is splendid scene,
when the girl learns that the man she
was TO marry is thief. Thomas flnd-
Law. as Carroll, and James c. Marlowe,
as Crowley. we're detectives, every inch
of them.
Eight years pass before the second
= act begins. Margaret Case IS now Mrs.
Lake. and lives in Kansas City with
her husband, who has made huge sue
cess with Missouri railroad, pre-
sumably not the VI. o. =. Lakes me
management
tion Of Atwood an Eastern Hnancler.
JIo and his LAWYER. Mcclellan, call
tnon Lake. and the party IS Just abou
ia go into dinner when through the WIN
dow Mrs Lake sees Burke. lie IS At
woods chauffeur Excusing herself on
tho Ground CT illness, Mrs. Lake goef
1nstairs while the men 60 into dinner
che sees Burke as soon az the coast D
clcsr and he warns her not TO go 10
Tow York. where she broke her parole
after serving an unjust sentence a
Burke's accomplice.
Rut she comes to New York IN the
/ third act and re find her pleading WIN
her husband not 20 prosecute . Young
tor i'm his employ who has been IN
/ Iictcd for theft. i seems that the by
comes from influential people. and
oroot nressure is brought 60 bear Oh
| Iake not TO press the charge. In TACT
At,yood. the fnancier, urges lenlency
and Mcclellan, the lawyer. tells Lake
I that il is the Governor himself VINO
wishes TO have the case forgotten. Lake
defective Carroll comes TO see the
railroad man about the case, and at
/ lust the wrong moment MIS-. Lake
stems into the room. The detective,
/ in an admirable scene, tortures ms VIC
I Tim by relating her own story. she
manages 10 keep her nerve until he
! leaves when she confesses 20 her hus-
| band.
Things are black in the last act. Lake
- a, last convinced of his wife's inno-
cence and decides 20 night for her free
! dor but Carroll will heed neither pleas
nor bribes. Enter then the Governor,
vbo asks Lake 10 drop the case az INST