New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-11
Drama
Dramatization Successful In
Suggesting the Length
of "Newcomes
By HAYWOOD BROUN

The dramstizstion Of "T5c New
comes" catches the length Of the novel
a little better than the spirit. /; is q
prodigious long play which Beeroohm
Tree brought 20 the New Amsterdam
Theatre last night. The audience de-
parting from Colonel Neweome' had
to fight it, way through the audience
coming to SEQ THE Midnight Frolic.'
4 little Of the pace OK The Mid
nigh, Frolic' would help Colonel New
come The play has good many mo-
ments Of interest, and Trees perform
arce is workmsnllke if pot inspired.
bu. the show IS 1t stands is too much
for an evening. \ novel can be taken
with bite here and a bite there, but
play must be swallowed whole. One
can't skip the dull passages Of a play.
unless. indeed. one has the rare faculty
OF being able TO nap between the big
scenes. The life Of Colonel Newcome
is bit too slow, 10 De sure, but this
tedious quality is more in evidence in
his dying. Here the play distorts the
novel.
II there was one thing above all
others which Thackeray understood i
was how 70 kill of characters with
skill and dispatch The old-faShloned
argument on the comparative merit OF
Dickens and Thackeray could only end
one way when II came TO death scenes.
Thackeray could dispose Of whole
novel fun of folk while Dickens was
killing Little Nell. Unquestionably
the death of Colonel Newcome is one
of the finest death scenes OF literature
AT the usual hour" wrote the senti-
mental satirist, the chapel bell began
to toll, and Thomas Newcome's hands
outside the bed. feebly beat time. And
just AS the last bell struck a peculiar
sweet smile shone over his face, and
he lifted up his head little and
quickly said 'Adsum.' and fell back. If
was the word we used at school, wher
our names were called, and 10. he
whose heart was that of little child
had answered TO his name and stood IN
the presence OF the Master"
Surely the effectiveness of this piece
of writing depends on its simplicity
Moreover "adsum" is singularlJ
nhDDN tOutn, not OIlF DfNdhNt II Do
appropriate but because IL is sudden
and surprising. il IS one OF those
strokes which come through the au
thor's brain TO tho printed page Ike 2
fash "Adsum" is not fash in thu
death scene of the play which Michael
Morton devised from the novel. lie
had the extraordinary bad Judgment 70
prepare for the ColonePs use of the
L. Il /.
what the phrase meant. and worst OF
all Newcome does not die in bed but
in the quadrangle Of Grey Frlsrs sc
that Tree may leap up from benct
aud mouth his line to Heaven Ike Al
actor rather than a colonel.
In the main. however, Trees per
Torrance is commendable, and the play
is rather better piece Of dramatic
workmanship than Major Pendennis,
which was with W earlier in the sea
son. II is not necessary to know thu
novel TO understand what is going OF
in Morton's play. The story is toe
slow. but it is Ineligible throughout
As in the other Thackeray dramatiza
ton. the first act is far the best. Tit
scene of the Colonies dinner for Cliv'
is capitaily contrived and well PLAYED
By free. He also carried off the dane
scene with spirit On the whole. h
does best with the comic aspects Of tn
Colonel The actor cannot forbea
satirizing the old fellow just a bit
The dignity of the man one gets. bu
the gentleness is somewhat beyond thu
touch of Tree.
Charles Coleman contributes a goot
bit of acting as the Marquis of Farm
tosh, and Miss Elsie Msckay proved al
appealing personality in the part o
Ethel. G.. w. Arson stood out in the
small bit Of Martin.
The greatest amount OF applause
during the play occurred near the enc
of the first act. when the Colonel pro
posed toast Ito the British navy" /
was Colonel Newcome who said that
but it was Tree who added "And here
TO our friends across the sea" TIT
audience applauded the afterthought o
the actor vigorously.