New-York tribune., 1916-01-27

Z MILE SaHre ls'iiiT
Refiie Ssyre. laNin N'ann' N'an
B thsre. ...... tI D,,,
! Count Bsroni .....................- -. n i@n,g.
/ Joe Observation-Disclosures. Chester Hunt
In fiction Amele Rives is a natural
hitter. but in the drama she pulls away
from the plate. Her first play. THE
Fear Market" was produced last even
ing at the Booth Theatre. II proved
to be a rather unpleasant and slow
moving melodrama, the chief situation
Of which is held of until so late in
the evening that the audience has am
ple time TO discount it. The steps IN
the building up of the climax are Ia
borious. and consequently unconvlnc-
ing.
Blackmail is the theme Of "The Fear
Market" and the author presents IL
badly. Although unofficial assurance
is given that the story IS Iouhoeo
upon more or less famous occur
renee. one will search the play yainIy
for anything akin 70 lie. WIN the
attainment OF an obvious situation
ever the end in view, we are asked 10
accent the blackmailing Major stone
representative Of the manner IN when
q human being would act.
The major is the proprietor OF ne
Mentor" scurrilous journal, ana
lives by the sums that he EFFORTS from
the Four Thousand upon agreement
not to treat of them m his puollca~
ton. His daughter. Sylvia, whom ne
declares 70 be the one passion ana IN
terest Of his life, he has permitted TO
live abroad from her fifth year until
her twentieth. In fact, he didn't waht
her 10 come home at all. 30 far rs
one can learn from the play he has not
seen his daughter during the htteen
wears, vet on the day OF her return ne
is too busy 10 meet her at the sla-
ton
Sylvia had narrowly escaped an af-
fair abroad with black mustached
tenor. This we learned in prelude,
which. incidentally. was the best part
Of Miss Rives's play. Sylvia got away
from the villains tolls in time, a.
though there was no good reason why
she ever should have become enmesned
i'm them. II she had been visiting the
theatre at all, size should nave known
that a man with neat little black
mustache always wants TO get married
tomorrow instead of to-day
With the advent Of the first act one
learns the business in which her rather
ia engaged. and Immediately the re-
mainder of the plot is apparent. An,
halp YOU say. Surely have seen this
play before. Here is a man. relent-
i,ssly pursuing a certain end, who mas
that the trail leads squarely TO one OF
his loved ones. Did they not have some
such idea in The Woman And did
thew not do IL more adroitly?'
However. the onlooker is not required
10 depend upon previous visits 10 the
theatre. The way Is even more care
fully nointed. For it turns out that
during all these years the girl has not
been using her fathers name, but her
mothers. First class IN dramatic con
struction, arise! Is there reason top
the girls taking the mother name
Answer: There is. u is done so 'Ila1
she may return 10 America ana meet
hero who is fighting her father, ana
v,ho will not know that she IS ner
fathers daughter
After the first act Miss Rives adds a
connie more three. really, for the sec
ond is divided into two long scenes;
Rut two scenes or dozen, the maj
score il never in doubt. You know tnat
the father will reach the end or ms
rome with the realization that II is MS
own daughter who is involved IN TINS
narticular case. Which occurs III tne
last act Here the girl IS invited 10
choose between father and loVer' ana
she selects the latter.
In Major Stone. the author mas
sketched a heartless wretch, and one
never believes that he cares who9P
about his daughter. If he dld ne could
have got out Of the blackmail business
wears ago. In fact, one did not nave
much sympathy with the daughter uh-
III she got away from father and INTO
,he home OF Lucille Watson. Miss Wat
SON was all mixed up in the afair that
the major hoped to make little money
ont of. and there was something ABOUT
an exchange of dominos that made
seem for a time as though she herself
were going 10 get into trouble. mat
wouId have been a real catastrophe.
A. snv rate. from the moment that
Lucille Watson made Sylvia's cause her
own one was strong for Sylvia -vlca-
The nlav was we'll staged, the loggia
of the prelude and the gold-blue set
ting of the double-j -jointed second act
being particularly attractive. AS 10 1h1
acting, Miss Watson stood several
heads and IA shoulder OF t"o aDOne e"
majority of the east. Her nteilIgent
portrayal of Milly Sayre was the oasis
. of the evening.
Edmund Breese, after serving
lengthy term in the films, returned 70
the flesh to act the role OF the impos-
sible blackmailer. Mr. Breesee IS an
artist who paints in broad stroAes ana
solid eolors. Subtlety is not OF has
method. lie was satisfactory IN me
scenes where he was required merely
10 register a single emotion and cast
/ if bodily across the footlights.
Sydney Shields. as the daughter ieH
into the adequate" slot. Edwin
Nicander. on the other hand, was eX-
cellent as BERTHE Sayre, and Harrison
/ Hunter was a likable hero. De witt L.
Jennings. a good actor was thrown TO
the wolves in the thankless role OF a
corrupt Judge.
The Fear Market" under another
title. came close 70 being the victor IN
Winthrop Ames's prize contest, held a
wear or so ago. After this adventure,
/ il is said, much OF the play was re-
written. In its present form 1t would
probably have won the prize.
Wilson to Attend Railway Dinner.