New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-28

By HAYWOOD BROuN

BY HAYWOOD BR0UN
"Out There" is humorous and ap-
pesling play in two good aAs, and one
not so good. Since Hartley Manners
wrote the play, it is not surprising that
the last act is the one which is not so
good. Objections to 1t are technlcai'
but they are none the less weighty,
However, technique Is about the last
thing which should be discussed IN II
consideration of the new play at the
Globe Theatre. Mr.. Manners mas wrlO.
ten so amusingly that few VIII opJt.'
10 the fact that his story IS siie ~.
Noreover the sentimental touches ring
true, and one at least Is l,VIIe iiJ
than superb. II might almost De sa'u
that "Out There" was the pest Vi 'nJ
war plays if Mr.. Manners hImsell hau
not called his piece "a dramat'e eVI'
pos;tion" IL is composition In thee
field of propaganda, and the iessUI % %
the play is that every one shoulu 90
his bit Her bit might be better, LOT
the plav il mostly about 'aunted ANNIE
who hears inspired but "H" less voices
nrging her on 10 do what she can TOT
her country. There is no rest ror ner'
No iov. no peace until size can get oui
theye ,yhere the men are lighting ana
she does. end
first of all only helper, we hnd
her working her way up 70 assistant
nurse and then nurse. She Is more
than Peg. for she is Annie OF every
hodv,s heart. Laurette Taylor plays
49, sbrevdlv drawn character, ana
oiays evceedingly we'll The humorous
scenes, OF course, she carried rsre,y anu
unAaggingiy, and at least one reE'ewei
was surprised b. the sure touch ia
the touching episode when mar ~
end of the second act. Miss Taylor
gave the best performance OF Vhe 80 g
ing. and it is pleasant TO note ina SUI sor
had to act mighty well TO 90 80, I've
competition was keen. Ha,.'ey no"
ners has done very well by MS eha'd &c
ters and his actors have done wei "
him. J. NJ. Kerrigan ana Lynn ron,
tame made the star do her preI''es' "
take the honors. - cha
Manners has certainly gwen the
players a chance 70 act; ne mas
auired much Of them, but not NOR
than they are able TO give. we uouo'
if the second act could holu an @.u'
ance unless IL were well played. IL Is
an exceedingly long. act, but II IqoA 'T rs
watch 70 tell US that last hlgh.,, -
spite OF an almost complete ia9S %
dramatic movement, tne ACT oiu nv
drag. Character drawing holus tne IN
,erest II may be said that TINS second
80 a,er With two grim touches at the
end gives sentimentailzed anu 70
mapticized picture OF war hospita .
br. yve for one are glad enough OF TINS.
Al that the playwright has not painted
a false picture, but he has selected
for the most part the lighter aspects
of the life of the wounded. IL IS wen
within the province. OF playwright
thus 20 pick and choose. -L..
Strangely enough, then, THIS act ABOUT
a hospital requires one TO laugh more
than almost any other act IN TOWN. py
ard bv too. the spectator can come out
of his chuckling. bic should DO so
when the helpless little helper qulets
md soothes the soldier, raving bits OF
hattie orders. by singing him crack
voiced lullaby. Laurette Taylor mas q
eilent audience Tor this moment IL
seemed for a space Of more than a MIN
INTO as If every cold. and cough IN the
big theatre had been. cured.
Chiefly the hospital act depends on
its bun,or. Next 10 the skill OF MISS
TAYLOR in the appealing character OF
the little Cockney who wants to 90 her
hast and does II even when It's all
wrono. IS the Irishman. J. VI. herrigan'
who was one Of the Abbey theatre
companv. does extremely well IN THIS
fat part. Here IS the true lrishmah'
the melancholy and pessimistlc lnsh-
man. the peevish and grouehy lrisnblan'
This is probably a more common type
than the devil may care nctioA "hlcn
has so solidly fastened itself upon our
stage. Lady Gregory has attacked the
superstition that an lrishman is away
smiling in spreading the New" ana IN
The Workhouse Ward" while Hartley
Manners made rather telling use OF the
humorous possibilities OF IRISH pess I'm :
ism in peg O. NJ Heart" HIS wounded
Irishman is one OF the best pictures ne
has even drawn. The man VINO mas
everything wrong affords amusing con-
trast 10 The others. The Cockney prize
tighter is another carefully drawn tg-
uTe and Leonard Nude does well
with il.
LYNN Fontanne plays a hashy cock
new and her good work is largely in
strumental in making the first act in
teresting. Her dialect is probably more
correct than that Of the star, but
Laurette Taylor is so real person IN
this.plav that one does not bother even
though there are occasional suggestions
that her dialect is that Of Frank Iinney
rather than Whitechapel.
The play. as we have said, - about
cockney girl who wants 70 do her pit
and does il. and wins the nurses cap for
which she has longed. This is s. ight
story, but, developed as 1t has been
with abundant humor and much good
character drawing, it is sufficient. Yet
We cannot help thinking that the play
is over when 'aunted Annie puts on the
white cap with the red cross. We do
not object because the story is slight.
but We do object because Mr.. Manners
goes on telling il after 1t IS over. Thus
the last act shows US how the war
brought out all that was best ia Armies
folks, and the final scene of all pre-
sents Annie speaking at recruiting
meeting. There is patriotic appeal for
us in America in the speech, and 1t is
enormously aided by the timeliness OF
the preparedness plea which Is en-
bodied in il. But for all that 1t is not
A good act. Yet il is a short act and
the greater part of "out There IS de-
lghtful.