The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-20
By LAWRENCE REAMER.

THE unfortunate dramatic critics
condemned to spend so much
= time in the contemplation OF
ays 10 which Wild horses could not
Ia. them were it not their duty to
t,here are s;i,, capable OF the emotion
I surprise, although it Is by no lean
: sre that mos; of them are not i'm
tgne 10 pity and terror. There Was
Gme occasion for their indulgence in
b. emotion of wonder at the Cort
fAeatre on Monday night. Owen Davis
said 70 be u more or less irregular
ti;ributor 20 the literature Of the
F~heatre, II is not easy under these
F;clmstanccs to see how they came
believe that the public could pos
y be Interested In Any House."
THIS modern morality is altogether
encerned with an old mans step from
he path o. the highest rectitude. He's
; .o-rid old man at that, ~querulous.
Gomineering. and II Is n question
whether he could be any more obnox-
Fols I! bad than he is when fairly good.
- why an audience should he eN-
Iec,ed 10 interest itself in his moral
Struggles or the attempts Of his family
10 keep him straight. Il Is not easy
70 understand. OF drama, there Is
scarcely u suggestion in the piece. The
ID corporation lawyer sits at his desk
throughout three acts. At point
A advances as far as II table In one
forner Of tho stage. At another he
Walks from n room to another. Dur
'ng the rest Of the time he rivals st.
Simon STYLES in the persistence with
zach he cl.ncs to his desk chair.
Edwin Arden is too accomplished an
actor not 70 give to the role OF the
sfc!ent crouch all the values 1t pos
ssses, but Il Is never within the power
o. an actor TO impart variety and color
70 a role when the material FOR II
Goes not exist, There is little or moth.
Ms here 70 endear it TO anybody. Mr.
ELS was SO hard as the unyieldinG
young secretary that the husband
" The daughter, d!sinheri,ed because
we had married the man Of her
choce, was the only spot on which the
CMpa'hy n the audience, ever on wing
N the air waiting To land somewhere
could possibly settle. Mr.. Sills's utter
'nce has unfortunately grown so nasa
''a' IT Is no longer possible to lister
10 MIN with any satisfaction. Their
'e'al'e he happens to play usual.
We role OF Il good young man 1t IL no
" We least necessary tina. he shoul'
'"ays look as IL he had slept In hi
Clothes.
Does II ever occur to the playwright
. question himself as to the CAIN
VI what he y 10 put before the public
o'es he ever ask himself whether o
uo' There Is In the contents Of hi
~'se or four acts suficien, inducemer
=" 'esd INTO the playhouse Mt the Gus
"masy box office price the man in tn
'"ee' Who is seeking to be amused
~'ohIShed or thrilled? Probably man
'se's are more likely to measure tn
"apeNNs Of d pay In their relations t
we public than the author who
!" delighted with the force OF his ow-
"es that he Is likely TO ind in 1t alon
certain source Of satisfaction for an
sudlence.
" must ho true. however. that an
~'e'H! computation on the part Of a.
~'F ana manager a. to the exa
'H'1"t al pleasure which a play
s"hs :" g,Nr would result in III
'""dF""a, Of many enterprise
."'H ar" now before the public al
~0wed to strut their brief hour.
~ be true, as managers say. tn
~~s Is no human means by Vii,