The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-02-27
tUopynEht. lz6

,..t+vsnsss and a novel and engaging
scsnIe notion. the truth remains that the
MAJ ANY House." by owen Davis and
Robert II. Davis, made apparent upon
the stage in the Cort TheateT, Is de-
,-i,afized By its extravagant ssnt-
-nsDfality. This senttmentality Is piled
with a 50 unremltting muscle that Il be-
comes obtrusive even TO an audience
trained as has been the Cort Theater
audience through a protracted study OF
ssPeg o. Ny Heart" In the advanced
physics of the softer sffsctabiities.
The evening begins well Says the play
I'm: the curtain will neither rise nor
fan, but one may tarry In this street and
view the drama that takes place WITHIN
the walls OF Sardus Summerneld's nome
The eye behOlds city thoroughfare' as
frst n sweeps the auditorium There are
three houses, the central one Of which
a that of the Summerield family, The
petty drama OF the byway enacts itself
by way Of preface. The netghoors enter
their house. A newsboy oaWls out ms
''extras." Then. one by one, persons
ring the bell Of the middle domicile and
are ushered thereinto by the maid And
presently the walls OF the house open
and we peek at the life OF the family
that lives there.
Summarized, head Of this household. Is
grabbed lawyer. who, since his wires
death, has been bitter with the world
He has regards Collaboration OWEN
driven his elder daughter out into the
night and cut her OF without farthing
because she has had the impudence TO
nout his wishes and marry a certain
John Wakefield. And even now ne Is
planning similarly to dEspossess hrs
younger daughter II she persists in per
hitting to continue the attentions OF the
young secretary. David Bradford sum
rnerneld broods and Elowers through his
days. His better self. dominant In the
era Of his wife's life. has now been thrust
from him, eKIled. And not merely IN MS
dealings with his family and friends. but
so. too, il soon Is to trsnspire, in hts
business affairs.
Corporation lawyer and counsel for the |
militant otrcial OF a railroad system IN !
the hands OF thieving directors. Summer
feld learns of the death Of his client and, |
simultaneously. that the latter has in
trusted to him valuable documents which |
are TO be turned over to his hated SON
In-law, Wakefield. These documents VIII |
betray the ignominy and corruption OF
the heads OF the system and will save the
fortunes of the inventors Come now to
SummerfisId the guilty fellows and seek
10 enlist his aid by appealing to his per
sonaI ambitions The better self OF the
man Is no more-snd he surrenders him
self and the promise OF the tell-tale docu-
n1ents into their keeping. The men leave;
the fights are dsrkehed; Summerfeld sits
at his desk-alone. thoughtful. There
Es-hs starts-sOme one other than him
self in the room. He looks UP. A figure
resembling him stands before him. Who
are your he cries. And what do you
want here?"
Il am your better self, come to warn
YOU replies the other.
Follows a struggle between the cor
pOration lawyer and this other and holier
self. But Summerfield is firm. He will
fight his life out to the bitter end. bitter
ingtOn Comfort. DR.. Crane. ct all be-
seeches. pleads. entreats, duplicates and
all the rest OF the synonyms. Yet to no
purpose SummerfeId. wearied by the
conflict that has been going on within
his heart. sinks into chair. He dozes-
His elder daughter wife to the hated
Wakefield enters and approaches him
Believing her father to be awake, she
urges him to give over to her the precious
documents which ne holds in his hand.
the documents which will help her hus
band out Of the sore predicament in
which he has found himself. over the
sleeping man hovers the capital better
c. pital S self-and Summerfleld hands
over the papers REGARDS again to Owen.
Awaking. Summerfield Is once more his
old Crouch self mo capitals this tIme).
He rants and bellows. To the devtl with
every one and everything He will not
permit his heart to get the better Of him.
He will go on as before. But the vision.
the apparition OF the capital B better
capital 5 self has gnawed at his we'll
being. In alarm. he summons his old
friend, Dr. Bassett, and seeks his advice.
There" says the doctor. pointing to the
that Summerfield has not entered since
his mate passed away. there is a room
fun Of memories. a room that contains
your better self. Go into it again and all
will change. You will be a tenderer and
a happier man" But Summerfield says
nay. Yet, when gone has the medicO.
the fellow reflects His better self has
confronted him again, has dared him to
enter the room. And presently, with
defiant stride, enter it he does
The two Summerields. JekyIl and
Hyde, here fight things out. Hyde tri-
umphs until Jekyn points out a shawl
upon which the deceased had been labor
Ing when death claimed her. Hyde takes
It in his hand. and his eyes moisten.
And. seeing the light, he staggers back
across the threshold into the other room
and forgives everybody in sight just as a
newsboy Is heard calling out. in the
street. the tidings OF peace in Europe
\ highly sentimental structure, as you
will observe. And one the philosophy OF
which Is debatabIe. The play manu-
script is, in spots. adroitIy managed and
as has been said, presents moments Of
interest, and-to boot-the basic notion Of
the exhibit is OF more originality than
one usually encounters in the playhouscs
OF Broadway. Yet the persistently up
lifting quality of the work browns out
what there might otherwise be Of thesis
melody. The difficulty Of the average
man land it was evidently the intention
OF the authors to dramatize the average
house in the average street, Is quite the
reverse OF that shown in Amy House "
1t Is a mans impulse to habitual kind
ness that in general works him Ultimately
H.
Edwin Arden plays Summerheld in a
monotonoUs manner, and William B.
Mack recites the role Of the Better Self
In tnappositely funeral tones. The stage
direction OF Robert Milton, indeed, Is
decidedly faulty. This director has caused
the manuscript to be interpreted in the
wrong tempo. has stressed unnecessarily
the dolorous note, has staged the play
almost entirely about the desk at which