New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-23

With the announcement Of Mr.. Soth-'
erns retirement at the end of this sea
son, however, the performances Of "Our
American Cousin" and David Carries"
are seen in new light. They were
farewell appearances-fnsl opportuni-
ties to see a great actor in what were
once great roles. II is a bit unfortu-
start the actors intention TO retire, for
Il would have averted much wonder
ment. Mr.. Sothern's position Is secure,
Of course, and II would be too much 20
say that his prestige has suffered by
reason OF Dundreary and Garrick. On
the other hand, it is not always posi-
bic to associate the actor and the part,
and a variety of impressions have I'M
doubtedly been carried away from the
Booth Theatre in the last two months.
Consequently, although the Dundreary
and Garrick revivals are explained by
Mr.. Sothern's announcement, they are
not altogether excused.
1t is interesting 20 note, in this con-
nection, wherein a play like David
Garrick" has aged most. In the first
place, the play abounds in soliloquies,
and in the last act an obviously placed
screen Is twice used 20 conceal char
acters. And yet neither Of these points
offends so much as the plays careless
treatment OF time. In the first act, fol
lowing Garricks call upon Simon lngot.
the actor drives 10 his lodgings. dresses
for dinner and drives back all IN the
space Of fifteen minutes. To-day, II he
attempted such thing, he would un-
doubtedly be handed d summons by a
. traffic policeman.
In the second act, also, Garrick has
not been absent five minutes before
Chivy appears TO tell what has hap
pened to Davy of stage. In these few
minutes he had gone TO his club. sat
around deiectedly, been INTERCEPTED
bv his friends. told his story. been
twitted. challenged to a duel. accepted,
picked his second and probably wound
the cat and put out the clock. or so
the playwright would have as believe.
And in the third act. while Garrick
goes to the duellinc grounds, there is
time for only the briefest conversation
on the stage. But during the converse
ton he has fought the duel and come
all the way home again, although oh
viously not on the trains Of the y. X. ].
This license was given the Oldtme
playwright, and it was fondly believed
that play could not be written with
p out il. IL is true that the ideal treat
ment of time has not entirely disap-
. peared even to-day, but the strides have
y been enormous And il is change
more difficult and important than the
mere dropping Of solloQuics. a soli'o-
guy can be left out, and il does not fol-
low that ones play viii fall TO pieces.
To rebuild David Garrick" In Accord
ance with the modern idea Of time
would necessitate writing q new play.
After all. there is little 10 be gained
by resurIectiug these sins Of our an
cestors. One after another they mere
ly prove that vastly better plays are
being written to-day than were dreamed
of in Tom kobertsOn's philosophy. And
since that is something that every play
wright knows. why continue to demon
strate it?
An exception 70 the foregoing must
be noted in the case of "Thc Little MIN
ister" II Is only semi-cXcepuon, for
IL was not written iu the Roberts on,
or Paleozoic, period. But il is twenty
years old, nevertheless, and many
things can happen 20 play in twenty
years Wherefore 10 is a pleasure 20
chronicle that The Little Minister il
Just as fresh and vigorous to-day az u
ever was. I'm fac-, j. is suspiciously
fresh-one J. VI. Barrie has uudoubt-
eddy done few things 20 1t ia the
course Of the last few years.
Ever so quietly A. IT, Woods has ac-
complished the trick Of changing a
plays name while the play was run
nine along. abe and Nawruss" is no
longer abe and Mawruss"; it is Pot
ash and Perlmutter in Society" Why
he has done it is difficult to determine,
for "Abe and Mawruss" is undoubtedly
the hotter tifle.