New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-18
By HAYWOOD BROUN

one person who had seen Cocaine
" told Us 10 was masterpiece and
r,ther described it as "an awful
.-g' and so we went to the Province
N Players to find out. We're not
=. even now, but it is our impress
that Pendleton King has made an
NIT attempt TO do the impossible.
"A. form Of this one-act tragedy is
;coi, hit the substance is necessarily
u,snnssic. II mentions the unmen-
,ionsbls and implies things which may
70. be discussed upon the stage before
,ry audience save one as carefully Sc
s.:sd as murder jury.
We find no pose in tho attempt, and
IL horrors are inherent in the plan OF
re play. Yet after all. it is not fair
% dsnand that an audience shall be so
zlous or sophisticated, or, possibly
rwphis.iested, as not be deeply
i,o,ksd By certain things in Cocaine.
III al very we'll to talk Of shaking
yspls up, but that isn't the psyche
vial reaction at all. Three or four
',usss, lines and implications IN Go
iirso are sufficient 10 freeze a consld-
Table number Of persons Of any audi
re into the numbness OF inattention.
lbs dsiorts emphasis. 4 line when
q TO- strong draws attention 70 itself
ri sTay from the story. II is a some
~. special audience which gathers
tie little playhouse in MacDougall
'rs,t and yet upon the two occasions
nav Cocaine" it was necessary for
faithful few 70 shush the others stri-
'.,ly at several points where lines OF
"a, violence drew the peculiar ner-
~ laughter OF those who are Ill at
aM
Perhaps u is unfortunate that audi
''''s have preiudices and reserves, but
~ have, and in 50 far as Cocaine
''rnses upon the prejudices Of the
'srsl minded and the reticence OF the
NIX IN speech il is open to criticism.
- !, no personal criticism, for we
''is among the shushers and not the
n',ssd. Still, we would not have the
" Of the world 50 callous and so
'r5snsd
ne story Of the man who cannot kill
is~li because there isn't sufficient
'a ID the meter may seem a bit thread
are % anybody who follows the news
Hps's closely and remembers the APP
's'snes Of the yarn At least twice dur
sas course Of every hot summer, but
. Tine u ia a man and a woman who
'''id die. The woman Is a harlot and
= nan a broken down young prize
Yer who lives on her earnings. The
a. indeed, has no great desire 20 die,
r ne woman succeeds in persuading
~ partly because he has been unable
parch2se cocaine for four days, and
'euy because he breads being thought
'Nd Of death There Is certain
'''iin about the woman. She has
az Tar, but she rebels az the plea
= soita live when IL serves as an
,'.'e By The man for the suggestion
e'gsdstion worse than anything
'sh has gone before. She Is willing
's 70 rave her love for the man
% u he only decent thing in her
w all the lights out the two li'
'Nu'g for The end. and here there il
"a observation in the querulous won
" he prizehghter as 20 how much
hsWspapers will print about th'
.<'e'. Finding death over long in ar
re 10 gets up and strikes match
sah u 70 the gas je,, and there "
I'as tinisst sort Of fame. The sup
I'm NE meter has run out and there
70 money. The man rejoices that
as not allowed them 90 die. but
woman grests the continuance oi
s'n a grosn ~ the ciimsctie hor
sah,r lot.
!" rlay IL IN the main well written
1ssA Of u sounds Ike true talk