The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-02
NEW PLAYS FOR THE WEEK.

NEW PLAYS EU6 THE WLEk.
A British and American Play Are
70 he Seen Here for First Time.
IT, HE E., realistic ID. drama una " y. 1esr
Galsworthyis masterpiece
among his writings for the
theatre, and by some thought to be tho
master play OF oil present day drama,
will be shown for the first time In New
York at the Gambler Theatre to-mor-
row night. The piece will be acted.
line for line and word for word. pre-.
cisely as Mr.. Galsworthy wrote II.
Justice" In fact has been staged. so
far al tho actors. the scenery. tho
movement and internal attitude OF
the play are concerned. with scrupu-
lous regard for tho authors wishes.
B. Iden Payne. who directed the re-
hearsals for tho scaso Of Justice"
beginning at the Gambler Theatre to.
morrow night. was stage director In
association with Mr.. Galsworthy when
Justice was done at Manchester.
England. SIX years ago. Subsequently
The piece was done during the roper
tory season at the Duke OF York's
Theatre. London. under the direction
Of Granville Barker. Some Of the
actors chosen for the present New
York production we're in the London
company.
":Justice.'" says its producer. lis
not a play for smart, people. In fact.
those %playgoers who only go to the
theatre for entertainment ought to lie
cautioned that Justice Is not a pleas.
ant play William Archer once said.
One doubts whether Hamiet and
Othcllo may not have agon!zed in
vain. SO far as the practical advance
ment of humanity Is concerned: but
as to poor William Faldcr there a
be no such doubt. After having seen
James Ho,o ~hesitating whether 20
prosecute F'older. and then deciding
&c the worser part, which OF us, in d
similar situation. will not think twice
and a third time before telephoning
police headquarters? An ordinary
weak. we'll meaning youth Is passing
by a great. slow grinding machine.
which Is Justice when a chance gust
OF wind switches his coat tail into the
cogwhee.s and he is slowly. remorse-
lessly. dragged through the mechan-
ism. to be shot forth. a mangled mass,
at the other end. No crank. no rod.
or roller in the system Is put there
with absolutely evil intent.
AT every turn somebody makes
some Intellectual effort to relax or
!, , mitigate the crushing process: but the
= machine moves OH najestically. and
no human power can control it. But.
fortunately. the mechanism Of the
: law can be controlled by the human
: will. and Justice must i~nvaluably'
strengthen the hands of all who seek
. 10 modify it in the direction Of hu-
: mainly and enlightenment. Gals
worthy Is studiously fair TO all the
: cranks and levers OF the machine.
From the judge downward they are
fairly we'll meaning, not inhuman, not
unreasonably stupid people. They are,
in fact, just YOU and me--iust what
YOU AMI I would be in their places,
And it is that very fact which makes
us feel hat il is not those individ-
uals, but you and I and all OF US. tina,
are responsible for the inhuman ad
/. iustment Of the machine. Every spec.
tator must carry away from Justice
some new realization Of the gaps be-
n tween law and justice. between justice
diIu hoiiohANs o'N " ssAse
ID toward the first offender"
Justice" Is shown by its present
producer. John d. Williams. of tn,
firm Of Corey. Williams & Ritter. mo-
to be a play which can bs counted
upon to yield handsome returns to til,
box ofice. II Is downright earnes
drama, so true to the hard realities o
life that It forces people to think o
the difference between law and JUS
tice. Unless II were put upon thu
stage by somebody who believes IL
II for It's own sake as the kind o
play that gives the theatre q NOR
important place In life than merel!
a house OF mirth.' or unless II wer,
done as an opportunity for the displa!
and development OF fine acting. Jus
tice' would never get upon the Amer
lean stage. The three definite rea
sons that have brought about tn
present production Of the play are
Justice Is a modernlzed tragedy o
extraordinary power. composed witt
that impartiallty Of exposition an
simplicity of style which are amonl
the attributes Of greatness. Secont
!. Justice provides a series OF masterl,
dramatic impers0nations--the conf
: dental clerk, the pathetic victim. tn
lawyer for tho defence. the attorne
for tho prosecution. the Judge who
only an instrument Of a remorsclcs
system and the pathetically huma
woman. Third. Justice is a thor
oughly human work, written Wit
sincerity and restraint, and is IN
kind Of play that IL good for the thcJ
tre to do now and then, since onl
In this way car the theatre ever in
-. duce tho world to consider what all
a it."
: at happens accidentally that tn
( substance OF Justice has unusus
+. timeliness: it iS a liberal education !
rational penology, but it is AZ a play a
v extraordinarily realistic drama. Gre
/ clan in its tragedy. that Justice is no
|. being presented in New York.
Among tho actors will bs Jon
BARRYMORE. Henry Stephenson, Q. ]