The sun., 1918-09-20
TEA FOR THREE AT
MAXINE RLLIOTT'S
Roi Cooper Megrue Gives a
New Slant to the Eternal
Triangle.
JUST A PLATONIC AFFAIR
Husband Not Nearly So Inter
esting as the Mephisto-
phelian Friend.
JUST A PLATONIC AFFAIR

Ten for Three" by Roi Cooper Me-
grue, which the Selwyns produced last
night at Maxine Elliott's Theatre. was
described on the programme as an
angle on the triangle. Nobody will de-
msnd an entirely new philosophy OF the
eternal triangle enough that 1t Is inter
esting-in one way. The VIE, aoetted
somewhat by The Friend, believes that
the angle can be on the square. but the
play demonstrates the converse of that
proposition. whether or not that was the
intention OF theauthor. with an accom-
paniment Of witty lines and amusing sit
uations.
II one bothers to think q the lives
of characters after the fall of M final
curtain one can imagine the triangle
ambling on in a sort of emasculated
and perfectly aimless way, with Q. L.
d stuck on the end of the demonstra-
ton and hubby perfectly satisfied that
WHEY should love the friendly person
only one degree less than himself
The main thing for young authors
to remember in writing a modern tri-
angle play Is that ''Divorcons" Is the
pattern. BY keeping this In mind II is
simple matter to avoid many Of the
more obvious dangers of angling. Now
in "Divorcons' the husband was the
hero. The public could approve. and in
fact was pleased.
Friend Played . Deep Hand.
Any man who Is unlucky in love,
whether married or not, can be awfully
funny to everybody else. but II he Is too
big a fool to win the sympathy of the
audience somebody else must, and that
Ia a pretty big contract for friend inter-
loper unless the husband has Just kicked
the wife down stairs.
The wife and the friend were dis
covered in a cosy corner having lunch.
The friend did all the talking, thus bear
ing out his theory that he was an
amoosin' cuss." He seemed to be a
pretty deep hand. for the woman was
such a guileless little creature that she
drank in every word Of his palaver about
along and keep his sentiments up to the
boiling point.
So they decided to hatch up some
plot TO get rid of the husbands self
starting jealousy"
The Wife began lying systematically
whenever her husband questioned heI
and the Friend told contradictory lies
1t was apparently game to goad the
Husband into doing something hasty and
then having to take it all back. but I'M
| fortunately the audience did not know
what In6 plOt was diu ~ ASiS ehat s''>
guessing was rather hard The man In
the soseet had his own explanation and
didnt worry, the Friend. a deep chap
playing a waiting game. and the wife
getting ready to be picked as soon a
the Husband made break.
He Was Always Hanging Around
Strangely enough Arthur Byron, who
played the friend. had two entirely dir
ferent faces, one perfectly Mephistophe
| Ian that he assumed when by himself
and the other that of the nice. platoni'
| fellow that he claimed to be. Search
ing analysis may be beside the point II
| the case of an amusing gossamerl-S
novelty, but one cannot help wonderin,
| why the society Of a married woman L
| so essential to the happiness of purel.
platonic friend. especially when his at
tentions are so painful to the husband
The Friend, both In his emotions an'
style OF epigram, was sort of Shavial
supernan, a Don Juan stuffed with saw
dust. But the Husband was rag dol
in comparison. 1t was consequently
somewhat surprising when he burst Il
and proposed a terrible pact whereof
one of them should die. The situatio
was unconvincing. and a few extr
touches here and there made it start
lingly unreal.
There was nothing unconvincinG abou
Margaret Lawrence, who played Tn
Wife. She may have been an idler /
life. an empty headed butterfly, but sh
was a natural born Gree and playe
the part charmingly 1t was only
wonder that the sawdust inside tn
Friend didn't glow little and give o
smoke under his collar.