New-York tribune., 1916-02-15

by owen Davis and Robert II. Dav' 4.
Presented at the Cort Theatre by Sar-
gent Aborn.
TIE CAST
sarlus Srmmcfaed ..........-.. ...... lain =, p
ii.s Bette. stif. ...--....-. -.---.-" "",l.n u l-. +
d. Rsssrt ................-......t frank 6ilmnre
D,,fI ursIf.rI ................ Milton ; ll-
l0Iu MaIrfed ........ II tfNtFi 90 '
DsHhsm :. lges James -.
Charlie fnpe .....+.+...t-. T.. Ss3 ~ l,-,
Ben hioK .......... .....-......- .hsllh ,. .tn,
Howard Wa5ne ........... .Junus Va. bows
\ Ntpslor +-.. J"'h '''i'
ls-Ncr ........ ......--.-.-. hailf. .N" I'hH
Sin. Gtnef, ...................L .Loulss 90. lows
Ale Wayne ................. Hunter Ar,e.
MarAa .-.-.----.- Anne bNtAi. Z
Any House" is a combination Of
"Oyertones." peter Grimm "The
Eternal Magdalene" and Owen Davis.
It suggests the first by dividing a
human being into two characters the
good and the bad. II recalls the sec
ond by the manner In which the ap-
partition is manipulated. l. brings 70
mind the third by vesting in the vi-
siorary being the power Of omniscience
And il swings 70 Owen Davis when tho
father drives his two daughters out
into the cruel world.
Despite this melodramatic touch
ANY House" marks an ambitious ef-
fort on the part of owen Davis. II
il less ambitious work for his col
laborator, Robert II. Davis, Tor the
latter has not had ovens ten-twenty-
thirty past. In addition 20 being am
bilious. ANY House" is interesting
a. dramatic experiment, that IS
Furthermore, il possesses not a little
novelty. And there, unfortunately
praise must end. For "Any House IS
a drama that moves slowly, lacks sus-
pense almost entirely and is frequently
deadly dull.
One encounters the novelty of "Any
House before the curtain rises. In
fact. the curtain does not rise. II is
up before the play starts, revealing
the fronts Of three houses. 4 newsboy
passes. 4 newly welded couple moves
into the house on the left. A mar
rings the doorbell OF the house IN the
middle, and the maid opens the door
TO him. The owner of the centre house
arrives and lets himself in with his
key The front of the centre house
slides up into the wings leaving the
side houses stant.ng where they were
And the play goes on.
This detailed preparation is intended
TO drive home the fact that that which
is about 10 occur is the sort of thing
that could happen in your house, our
house, any house. Similar scenes take
place al the beginning of the second
and third acts and at the end Of the
play. But having created the Illusion
the authors have failed 10 maintain H.
Instead Of introducing characters whom
one might recognize as living in any
house, doing the things that one expect
+ TO see done IN any house, they present
people and situations that are utterly
unreal and unconyincing.
Few persons care anything about the
attorney for the vice-president OF a
big railroad. lie Is a man who moves
/ i'm a limited set. When. In addition
one learns that he has disinherited the
daughter who welded against his will
one recognizes him with difficulty
/ When the husband is a dandy fellow
and the fathers objections 20 him are
not explained: when the father receives
his daughter in a stoical, cet-out-of-
my-house -you-are-no-longe ger-mY -daugh-
tor manner: when the second daughter
falls In love with a respectable chan
and the father orders her out also;
when the daughter tells her father that
she revcr wants 20 see his face non
| hear his voice again well, then you
I know that these things are not hap
Doning in any house, but IN a dolls
house. and that dramatist is playing
with tho dolls.
There i3 suggestion Of the New
Haven looting in the plays suD-plot
I but it is not strong enough TO make the
] proceedings very interesting. When
the lawyer has about decided 10 cast
his lot with the loOters instead of fight
ing them. he il confronted by his bet
ter self, and together they argue the
matter. This happens three or four
times, and finally the better self con-
quers by recalling memories OF his. or
their. dead wife. Ii is happy ending
for everybody.
There would be some excuse for the
improbable actions of these improbable
persons If they resulted IN interesting
drama. But they do not BY writing
about servant troubles the difficulty
of repairing the dining room buzzer
these or one Of q thousand other things
that really happen in any house the
authors would have carried out their
idea more logically and commanded the
interest Of their auditors.
Edwin Arden, as the stern father
gave the best performance Of the even
ing His other half was played by
William b. Mack, whose name did not
appear on the programme. As has been
tie recent fashion IN the casting OF
this excellent actor, Mack had practi-
cally nothing to DO. Milton Sills, as
the secretary who married the younger
daughter. gave his usually ear. est per
Torrance. Frank Gilmore, however
talked a. though his mouth were full
of marbles.
Katharine Emmett, as the elder
daughter, was the best Of the women,
Edith Luckett, playing the younger
daughter. invariably fell out Of the
picture when she was not speaking
Her face during the moments when he
was supposed 20 be listening was a
marvel Of ineXpress Louise Gallo
way did fairly well in the role Of the
hard mans sister. A fascinating new
conner was Hunter Arden, who sounds
as though she might be some one S
relation
The play was eXcellently staged and
quick change of scene in the last act
was deitly manipulated.
MISS WHISTLER IN RECITAL