New-York tribune., 1917-11-14
By Ralph Block

Mr.. Carpenter IL honest at least. dc
openly cpnfesses mis- inspiration in
fairy tales; not many writer's for the
stage will dare to show so simple a
source. Whatever nectar it is he sips
there can be nothing heady about IL, Cor
his dreams are tinctured with the light
est OF faneies. His fauns ard sstyrs ars
so easy OF foot that they never so
much as crush q chestnut under neel;
and one could wish even that MS bears
would grunt just q little harder, or
even possibly roar once in a great
while. Though it is true roar might
shatter so delicate a fabric as his
plays appear to be and intrude an in
glorious reality.
However. "The Three Bears" which
follows at the Empire Theatre the
tradition Mr.. Carpenter is on his way
toward establishing, Is pleasant Dlt
of sentiment about young woman
who abruptly enters the household o.
three grouchy men in the Maine woods
wins them BY sweetness and hght 20
admiration and affection, and finally
accepts one of them when all three pro-
pose marriage or adoption.
The Carpenter formula appears no"
TO have definite pattern. Given either
a charming man or a sweer young
woman, attach him or her TO trouble
some relative who balks him or her
of his or her desire. and he or she
fees from the bothersome presence
into an unconventional situation which
rewards the seeker with some measure
Of lifes happiness. This simple method
adapts itself perfectly to the ingenu-
Gus poetry Mr. Carpenter bestows on
il with a careful hand. In The Pipes
of Pan" doubtless the style and
method are more importunate OF at
tention, because there is always present
the lightest OF intimations that some
thing may actually happen, the shgnt-
est hint of an imminent outbreak on Iue
part Of the characters TO tear asuhuer
their silken web and do some req
blooded thing. Mr.. Carpenter Is % no.
a Pollyanna writer. for when oue
thanks; but most judiciousiiy snou.u
say he is at least second cous'" ~
The modern Goldilocks of THE Three
Bears" does nothing more violent thah
threaten to 90 away when she learns
her particular bear has been having an
affair with a married lady who llves
somewhere on Long Island, but OF
course the audience knows perfeetIy
we'll she won't go away-and she
doesn't However, the action is the
least of the plays attractiveness; IL
lies more in the whimsical humor win
which il is all treated. II Is not over.
rich in some places. but one episode, al
least where the three send by teie-
ernnb for a consignment of clothes for
their charge, makes up for. any dulness
that NAV be found otherwheres.
Mics Ann -Murdock is a charming
Goldilocks. never allowing her part 70
lose delicacy in an excess OF sentlneh. :
Rex NcDougall is the big bear and tne
most satisfying. His colleagues snow
No EVIDENCES Of having ever studied
bsarish habits. J. T. Chaillee adds col
or in his part as a French-Canadlan
9uidn and Margaret Linden: who. APP
nears briefly as the horrid lady from
long Island, makes good deal out Oh
her small part. -, D., Tho
licbtine effects on the Maine skies and
,,.sters are no more violent than tne
Nav itself, but in their very modesty
(, day OF extrsvagant stage ooioi
We, sunplv a further charm.