New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-05
THE CHARACTERS
By Ralph Block

If you are weary of gathering Dead
Sea fruit on that monotonous road we
call Broadway, turn your feet to "The
Gipsv Trail" If you are footsore, If
Won thirst, if you have forgotten the
end of the rainbow, lost the JOY Of
dawn, Of moonlight and Of dew, are
deaf to young laughter and believe
no more in romance, find your way 70
"The Gypsy Trail" For here, as we
are all human and still live best in our
dreams. is Romance. She lives under
many DISCUSSES, but sometimes IN the
tremendous pace We take through MOD
ern life we come on her face to lace,
unhooded and uncloaked. You Will ma
her so at the Plymouth Theatre.
II takes so little to make entertain
ment-and so much Think OF the null
tiplication Of materials broadway so
often calls to its aid that for iaeS
Of some rare gift of understanding
must perforce go 10 waste. How often
on Broadway the playgoer must be IKE
Omar who "cvermore came out by the
same door wherein ! went" should
not want TO rob Mr.. Robert Housum,
who wrote "rho Gypsy Trail" OF one
bit of the credit which must rightly
&c 10 him for il, but 1t IS Mr.. Arthur
Hopkins, after all, who gives the one
drop Of intuition that makes solvent
the whole situation Of theatre play
wright and production. With less I'M
derstanding Of the playwright's humor,
with less Imagination, with n grudglng
welcome to the spirit of romance IN
stead of an invitation, with a cooler
appreciation of the genial human ele-
a. cyfN 9
il, "The Gypsy Trail" might have be-
come lost IN dead leaves and under
growth. This is nothing new. IL has
already been said. ! should like 10 say
II many times again.
Mr.. Housum. practically a stranger
to the playgoing public. Is revealed as
a refined satirist OF Clare RUNNER :
kind, blood brother in style. though,
being brother, masculine in his touch
and not quite so light But his ma
terials have the stamp. Here Is the
family of gentle tastes and comfortable
endowment; father involved in affairs
disclosed in the midst OF his family,
the daughter Of romantic desires, the
ingenious brother, one sutton iitted
perfectly 20 the pattern OF conventional
good breeding. another unimpeaehably
romantic and a dfrlng soldier OF fort
une. 4 grandmother who has the flavor
of dry champagne is only a variation
of the Hummer design. But Mr..
Housum has not gone entirely By one
precedent. The ingenious brother comes
By way OF Booth Harrington. for he IS
enthusiastically of the glorious tribe of
Penrod TO whose family may the Lord
give increase. In the person II very
young play actor named John Raymond
he appears 10 the he.
OF these quite simple folk Mr.. Hou-
sum makes Romance. Stung TO intel
ligence by repeated refusals of his suit,
the conventional adorer hits upon alb
duction as way of bringing his lady
20 terms. But what an abduction! Be
hind her back. after much pleading and
promise of chaperonage and other safe
guarding. he wins her fathers consent
10 the kidnapping. Chance puts in his
way an adventurer Of the gypsy trail,
who consents 10 take part in the az
fair. while the principal runs off 10
bring his grandmother as chaperon.
OF this only one result Is possible.
/ The wanderer falls madly in love with
the lady. consents TO her proposal OF
marriage. but loses his nerve az the
prospect OF lost freedom and fits away
/ out Of so much that Is rewarding some
/ disappointment is allowable, and il
lies in his return. lie is disclosed
with cutie the most conventional ante
cedents. millions, yachts and country
homes. lie baricr1 his heated roman