New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-06

Edward II. Sothern, who probably has
closed his long career hereabouts as an
actor, last night sought reenrolment
among the active workers Of the stage
in a guise in which he has not ap-
peared these many years that OF the
dramatist. IL vas back IN the Virginia
Harmed days that he wrote The Light
That Lies IN Woman's Eyes and since
then he has undoubtedly continued 70
dabble with the playwrignt's tools. One
OF the fruits OF this daobling IS
Stranger Than Fiction" a somewhat
battling but frequently highly enter
tanning play, which was encouragingiy
received by last nights audience at the
Garrick
Mr. Sothern's play challenges imme-
date comparison with THE Big Idea,
the Thomas Hamilton piece which saw
tho light at the Hudson two seasons
ago. In both plays one of the char
acters takes for his foundation the
situation in which he finds himself, and
announces that he intends 20 build a
play out of il. The play is thereupon
constructed before the eyes Of the
audience. It appears incidentally that
this similarity r. 20 be set down to CO
incidence, for assurances arc given that
Mr.. Sothern's play was completed at
the time Of the other production.
I'm Stranger than Fiction" this man
ner OF working out the story does not
absorb the entire play, as was the case
in 1.-THE Big Idea" It's beginnings are
rather vague. in fact, but it becomes
more and more the main idea Of the
piece. As il does so the play improves,
until finally it strikes its gait ten min
utes before the final curtain. These
final ten minutes arc capital satire.
The play was written in so many moods
that much which had gone before was
confusing and not little of 1t silly.
Parts Of 10 were too naive 20 be accept
cd seriously, and yet not clever enough
20 be regarded as satire. And parts Of
IL also were not much Of anything but
dull.
Archer's "Play Making" is the mo.
tive power Of stranger than Fiction
The characters have frequent recourse
10 il. and IL never fails them. There
is much bandying of technical terms;
the theatregoer who goes 70 the Gar
rick cannot fail 10 come away better
informed. PeriDety becomes the watch
word Of the lobby. and "foreshadowlng
but not forestalling" as familiar
phrase as covert act
II the interests of last nights audience
seemed to centre in the author, u was
NOT. because the play itself was IN
WORTHY. Although Mr. Sothern has per
mitted himself 10 become mixed at
times. and verbose and even punful on
other occasions. much Of the play. IS
exceedingly clever. A slight speeding
no of acts | and RI would be not I'M
welcome. and the spirit OF the piece
should be established earlier in the
/ evening.
The play also suffers considerably
| from a performance which IS IN the
main quite inadequate. John Craig, VINO
/ is undertaking with Lee Shubert the
stupendous task OF putting the Garriek
on its feet is completely unconvlncing
as the plot-seeking dramatist To ply
steal unsuitability for the role he last
night added a vast unsteadiness IN the
part and a tendency 20 rant. Mary
Young is called upon to accomplish the
difficult task Of masqueradlng success
fully as a boy for two acts. and the
piece does not gain in plsuslbility
thereby. II. Cooper-Clife is an urbane
crook and Edgar Norton is sufficient
unto his role; otherwise the roster is
quite undistinguished.