New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-21

Bv HAYWOOD BROUN

The best Of al possible crimes Is
~s,ser and the deed was done by
:. bungler in "The 18th Chair" With
!, locked room sit the guests of Ros-
"A, Crosby. The room is in darkness,
q, he thirteen people are engaged in
,,irituslistic soance. They sit in. a
circle. clasping hands. The medium is
hourd hand and foot to her chair. One
of the guests asks her who killed Spen-
Lee. She is about TO answer, when
,h,re Is a scream. Lights are turned
an. and the questioner is found dead
rom a knife wound in the back, just
q, Lee was found, and just as in that
crime. the knife Is missing.
This is the beginning of Bayard Veil
l,r, absorbing melodrams which was
PRODUCED al the Forty-eighth Street
Theatre last night. We viii give. no
hint of that which follows, although IT
i, likely no confidence is being violated
by the revelation of the fact that the
heroine is not guilty, even though
things look pretty black against her FOR
the better part Of two acts. It may
also be said that with good deal OF
ingenuity many are called under sus-
pieion. but only one is chosen. For the
rest cur lips are sealed as TO the plot.
The exceedingly ingenious idea al
ready outlined would be sufficient 10
earry any play through an effective
srst act. even il developed less skill
fully than in "The Thirteenth Chair.
Tn, task lies in the unwinding, and
With some slight exceptions Bayard
WELLER has done this with great skill.
Lightly he has leaped over a number
oftsehnical difficulties. For instance,
Il Is necessary 10 recount for the
nolies the manner in which the killing
occurred 10 the best of the knowledge
~ the quests. The audience knows
,hss. facts. and yet WELLER, by letting
N. Information come out bit by hlt
from various characters and Tor
VARIOUS motives, has built up a most
effective act.
The final act suffers slightly from
, rspetition Of a device which - not
ouite so compelling of interest when
n,,d a second time. However. NOBODY
vbo bas any regard at all for law and
sr6er will rest easy until the murderer
o. Edward Wales is found.
"The Thirteenth Chair has interest,"
mystery, pace and everything a mel
drama should have. Provided people
ike this play, as they gave every moi.
cation Of liking il last night, the
,uthor probably will little heed what
hey call it, but he designates 1t on,
the programme as a drama. If, indeed,
ID. play is not largely bound by in
eidclt rather than character, II IS
because Of q striking central inquire
plsye / with rare skill. Margaret Wyoh-
.rly is Resale La Grange, a middle
iged Irish medium, who has faxed ~
her life. but comes in the hour Of trial
to call not unsuccessfully for help and
guidance from the great beyond, whose
existence she has so often taken IL
vain.
In this, Of course. there is hint of
very lofty drama. 1t has, indeed, just
a suggestion of Chesterton's Magic.
Like the Conjurer. most of the things
which Mrs. La Grange does are tricks,
but little bit is magic. For one in
eident the playwright has invented
ntional explanation, but we do not
think the audience would be disposed
% grudge him a little wonder work.
Why. who can listen TO the voice Of
Margaret Wycherly and doubt that
there Is such a thing as magic?
But for all the great skill of Miss
Nyeherly and for all the opportunities
which her part embodies, the interest
Of the play lies in happenings and
not in persons, and the play is prop
sry melodrama. Only the Medium
ss carefully and closely drawn char
seter, although Katherine La Sale sue
sseds in giving a certain substance TO
Helen O'Neill by a we'll; sustained per-
Torrance. Yet, after all, we have no
,lme 70 analyze people. We want TO
Know about things. Personality must
wait until the knife has been discov-
sred and the murderer Of Edward
wales apprehended.
hunsterberg and the more neutral
psychologists should be interested in
WAT Bayard WELLER has done with
nat knife. Professor Hugo used TO
odrddle his class by holding aloft a
ssteh in his right hand and then ask
n al the end Of some ten minutes,
NOV, what have | been doing with
ny left hand?" Every ones attention
asd been centred on the watch and the