New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-19
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.

"The Guilty Man" is somewhat
stately drama. II is sound and, at
times, vigorous, but it never so far for
gets itself as to romp beyond the
bounds of theatrical convention.
The plot Of the new play is effective
and always has been. 1t is own cousin
to Common Clay" uncle of "The ST.
lent Witness" and direct descendant of
Francois Coppee's "Le Coupable."
When Claude Lescuyer deserts Marie
in the first act, although she tells him
that she is about to become a mother,
il is certain that his sin Will md him
out. In the third act the girl born out
Of wedlock is tried for murder. Her
father is the prosecutor and wins free
dom for his daughter by an eloquent
speech in which he admits his parent
hood.
There are those who say that the best
material for the stage is that which
has been time tried. The theory is well
enough, but in actual practice it will
not work indefinitely. There is no
question that the play which was seen
at the Aston Theatre last night suffers
from the fact that its story is so
familiar. Even the best of plots has
limits of endurance.
After so much has been said for the
prosecution on the critical side, there
remains not little to be brought for
| ward in defence of "The Guilty Man"
1t is a well-made play. Not quite mod
ern, to be sure. but it is pleasant to
record that there is no loose mortar
lying about. The thing is shipshape
and rain proof. 1t is we'll acted. At
times, indeed, the performance is brill
liant. Surely that much may be said for
the work of Miss Irene Fenwick in the
second act. Emily Ann Wellman does
we'll in the first act. and Lowell Sher-
man gives an effective performance.
The play has dignity and the crises
of action are handled with a praise
worthy degree of restraint. Neither
the actors nor the actresses shout as
much as is usual in emotional plays
with trial scenes. The second act of
the play is the best, but here fault
rnust be found with the direction. B..
Iden Payne. who has done notable work
in the staging of several plays, has al
lowed the quarrel which precedes the
shooting to degenerate into laughabie
rough and tumble brawl
The defence of "The Guilty Man"
must rest after putting on the record
the fact that the play is well made and
we'll acted II is easy for the prosecu-
ton TO prove that it has no bearing on
life. The play attempts to continue
the tradition that whenever anybody
hears an unpleasant fact he eXclaims.
ut isn't true" as if we weren't pessl-
mistic enough, all of us, to be ever
ready for the worst.
The play contains no interesting crit
icsm of life. II seeks to point out that,
on the whole, il is an evil thing for rich
young men to ruin poor young women.
The drama has been hammering away
at this theory for so long that there is
almost q suspicion that by this time 1t
could muster a majority OF the voters
in the doubtful states. There should
be a constitutional amendment dealing
with the matter. Frankly, we think the
subject has been a matter of dramatic
controversy too long.
One more point. gentlemen OF the
Jury. With due Difference to the many
other successful legal dramas, there Is
much to be said for keeping plays out
of court. There is drama in trials per-
haps. but it is slow and argumentative.
Justice must be panstaking and DELHI
crate. Drama should be painstaking
ana ever so swift. Justice is blind.
Drama should be wide awake.
If anybody should ask us TO: a deci-
sion as to "The Guilty Man" and all It's
relatives in the bonds OF bastardy
we should say that birth control would
be a fine thing for the future of the
drama.
And yet A. II. Woods may be correct
in billing his new venture as "a play
worth while" We have seen no more
engaging piece Of acting this season
than that of Miss Irene Fenwick in the
second act. Her performance as
weary and peevish dancing girl is first
rate. SO is the act also. but the one
before and the two which come after
are less interesting. The drama of an
other day belongs to the past or the