The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-12
By REAMER.
WiLlETTE
kE RS

0TEOM tho fate OF the plays DEAL
r ing with the war III an ale
gorical aspect which have been
produced during the past year ON tie
New York stage it seems possible 10
mako one observation with safety.
There IS evidently little or no interest
In them. When liolbrook Bllnn stood
on tho stage OF the little Princess
Theatre and detained the philosophy
0. Eeuiah Marie DIX agains; wat the
audience yawned. Mr.. Bilnn In this
splendid time. but IL was so Greary
.or everybody else that ACROSS the
Border" although il was relieved by
me spleudiily vital and picturesque
acting Of David Powell. doubtless did
more 10 put an end to the experiment
n ~Thirty-ninth street than any other
single effort.
Then along came 'Moloch.'' which
slowed tie effects OF war In the most
pessim sic and gloomy light. In spite
.. .he vivid material realization Of
the authors ideas there Vas li;tl.
moro that was interesting in this play
than Mss Dix had impaired TO her
previous work. Indeed. "MoiocA" suf-
!e-ed under the disadvantage OF he
.sg several times as long as Across
ne Border" There il more poignant
suggestion Of the horrors Of war in a
four Inc telegram from the region
Q: Nerdun than all its -four acts con-
uiacI.
But there was s;..l the conviction
tina: the American public might he
ANXIOUS TO realize the blessings Of
peace. so THE Greatest Nation 10y
Marion Creighton. was acted. That play
showed more strikingly the results Of
peace than the actual horrors OF war.
IN, i; dil not interest. II must Of
oolr.e he ! ne in mine that these
Plays w,re not the work Of expert
eAcel dramat!sts. They were in every
case destitute of the least drop of
dramltic blood. The overwhelming in
sc~.r.ent substitute for every other
qualify, II Is very interesting 20
have aides like Beu!ah Dix and
Marion Creighton with so many ideas
ol lie subject of war. its abolition and
re merits OF peace and arbitration.
FL, II Is not TO he held up against
Ie public that il fails 10 rush to the
Playhouse TO drink in the wisdom and
philosophy OF these high authorities.
Jean Nounes-Sully was still in the
'Glnoas of his powers when he came
10 Ahbcy's Thcatie-now the Knlch-
t'eockcr~ as II part OF tho policy Of the
managers Of hat playhouse. which
vas Designed by Abbey e. Grau as the
Rene Of tho visiting celebrities which
'h'y were accustomed to bring from
Europe. They were searching always
!Gr some SUCCESSOR TO the unique Bern
aad'. who Of all tho actresses that
ever came here to play in q foreign
tongue alone proved a financial sue
fess, Coquelin and Jane Hading.
Gabriel Rc1anc. the Ke~ndals-these
were some Of the actors who crossed
ne ocean 10 play at Abbey's Theatre
Curing the early years Of Its existence.
Maurice Grau used I o say that after
The first night Nine. Rejane never
Grew into the theatre the amount
which she personally received from
her managers. The fate OF Mounet-
sll,y was more disheartening. He was
o typical actor Of the Coincide Fran
caise OF his period. Through the ro-
mantle plays OF Victor Hugo he SANG
ana wept his way with all the excess
Eve sentiment and the redundant
fe't.culat!on Of the exalted Latin. He
began hls season here in Hermann"
which had been his special role at the
'omel!e for years, 1t was "A superbly
paste performance and brilliant In
- viFtiosity. There could have been
~hu"r demonstration OF the complete
control OF the means Of his art that
u" great actor may possess.
h'' hts style was too lyric for a
NATION That had no understanding OF
I"e verse, and tho chanting OF Alex
'hdf.N"3 with its regular rise and fall
ana y" 'ipluencc for "a public ignorant
ana moreover indifferent, in all tina,
i'F'"incd TO Hugo. There wero some
exec ~ actors associated with the
''en"hman. notably Nine. SECOND,
weber who subsequently went to tho
"eatre Francois. But there was
10Y the least interest IN ha