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


a little Of it is so persuasively true
that the play must be set down as a
distinct credit 10 the author. The truth
IS concentrated in one character. and
fortunately she is the chief parsonage
Of the play. Curiously enough. Maude
Fulton, who wrote the play and the
part for herself. does not always know
her own child. Miss Fulton. the au-
thor, has an ingratistingly naive quail
ity which Miss Fulton, the actress. not
infrequently misinterprcts.
We could not help feeling that there
were moments when the author must
have vrung her hands in irritation at
the excessive stress which the actress
insisted upon. It seemed impossible
that the same person who invented de-
lghtful bursts OF true talk should also
fall into the error of playing it in a
dialect often false and impossible.
However. there is so little truth in the
theatre that even It's CLINT should be
hailed enthusiastically.
Again and again there are those de-
lightful moments which right things
inspire. Hardly anything is so pleas
ant IN the theatre as 70 be imneled
10 think Yes. that is what that girl
would DO and she would say Just that"
" course, as matter of fact, she
might DO nothing of the sort. but if
the author can make the audience feel
that she would he has done enough.
The chief character in "The Brat" is
cheap little chorus girl, who gets
down in her luck and is rescued from
the night court by novelist who
wants certain type TO study for his
book. We understand that. as a rule,
novclists do not work directly from
the model. Still it is a persuasive con-
ceit. Imagine Thackeray, now, leaning
back in his chair and saying: "Trot
along Fanny Bolton and fetch me
Laura Pendennis, and. by the way,
while you're downstairs you might
look into the cellar and tell Costigan
that I'll need him at o'clock when
| start on my next chapter" More
over, we have always been convinced
that the girl in the Robert ". Cham
bers novels is the same one Harrison
Fisher paints. Be that as it may, this
takes the Brat. Maude Fulton. into his
home for purely iictional purposes.
The Brat IL in the house only a few
moments before she shows that she is a
real person. The younger brother Of
ba let -ta tps n ha
such a state that he can hardly stand
up. The novelist begins to read him a
moral lecture. but the Brat interrupts
and exclaims: "Quit talking and put
him 10 bed
This we hold is fine insight into the
pragmatism Of the poor. The Brat
would have said just that. and. better
yet. her point OF view was sound and
sensible. Later on she marries the boy
who drank too much. II seemed at
first as if IL would be the novelist. In
fact. she herself thought that she loved
Mack, but everything changed when
she kissed Stevie. No sooner did she
do that than she realized he was the
one. IL was. TO be sure. a highly edu-
cational kiss. Most. we understand.
are not nearly so Informative, but tia
stage must have its license.
Naturally the Brat gets Stevie in the
end, after a number of scenes in which
she discourses brightly and amusngly
Of this and that. Usually she is on
the stage. which is fortunate. for the
rest Of the crowd are an even more i'm
possible society lot than the Upstairs
and Downstairs set. They invariably
Signalize good news by telling the but
Ter TO open a quart OF champagne.
In a minor matter we would defend
men from n slight slur cast by Miss
Fulton. Her implication that improper
stories are the invariable subject OF
after-dinner conversation is not true
There are not enough stories 70 last
that long. and. as a matter OF fact. OF
the three basic after-dlnner jokes only
the one about the Ir.shman is amusing.
Miss Fulton is not always out OF
touch with her character, and part OF
the trouble may be due TO the fact that
she was excessively nervous last night
and cold ridden as well. In her sug-
gestions OF wistfulness she was quite
charming, and her bit of a dance was
one of the pleasing moments of the
play. Edmond Lowe does well as the
lucky Steve, but Lewis Stone has an
impossible part as the novelist. The
Timson Of John Findlay was occasion
ally amusing. The beauty OF Charlotte
Ives was something Of an asset The
play was enthusiastically received. All
the applause seemed genuine, and we
think that some Of it was we'll deserved.