New-York tribune., 1918-10-30
Drama
By Haywood Broun


"Pctcr's Mother" is not related to
the little group OF vcteran plots which
has seen such hard a.rvicc this season.
The new comedy at the Playhouse
brings frtah theme to tho theatre
For us that outwcighed The fact that it
was not consistently we'll acted or we'll
developed.
Tho play concerns the fortunes Of
woman who finds herself constantly
under the thrall of duty to her hus
band, wht Is some years her senior.
After h4 death she falls in love with
another man, bu'G the promise of happi-
ness is short lived, for when her young
son returns wounded from the war she
finds herself bound by new tyranny
The fact that her boy makes ali his de-
mands IN the name of affection does
lot mako them any the less burden
that his mother shall devote her life
to him. He feels confident that this is
what ahn wants to do. The boy soon
proves a true son of his father and
develops n hatred Of change. Though
the mother loves her boy she finds
that duty binds her again to the dull
narrow life which she has lived ever
since hcr marriage. She feels COM
pell' TO give up the man of her choice
Tor the sake Of the wounded youngster
Tnerc is ample opportunity for com
cdy in the various calm assumptions of
the boy az to how his thirty ght-ycar-
old mother shall spend her declining
Years. And, as in most good comedy
themes, there is always the hint of
possible tragedy behind the fun. With
little skillful manoeuvring, every
thing comes out all right when the boy
himself falls in love. The girl makes
freedom from all relatives one of the
conditions Of acceptance and thus the
mother finds an opportunity to gain her
own happiness in marriage.
Technically the play suffers because
Mrs. Henry Dc La Pasture has not
been able to make her chief characters
do all the work. There is not nfrc-
Uucnt resource to n couple of aged low
comedy aunts, who have no real place in
the development of the plot, and who
are not sufficiently characterized to
add any humor to the entertainments
Moreover, the last act is allowed to go
on for some little time after it is
perfectly evident that all complications
can be satisfactorily solved
Lady Mary Crcwys, the mother, is
an excellent stage creation. 1t seemed
TO us a part almost fashioned by a
divine providence for Ethel Barry
more. Miss Selcne Johnson. who is
cast in the role, does some things very
well. but she is often too hard. Her
touch in the comedy scenes is not suf-
1lciently light nor is her humor mellow
enough throughout. During the mo-
ments when the theme shows its tragic
clements she is much better, but at
that she fell short of her best oppor-
n ft..,l
GUS moods of the character. The
homecoming of the boy with the dan
Cling sleeve has Il fine potential thrill
since his mother has not been in
foymcd of the nature Of his wound
but 1t seemed to us that Miss Johnson
played 1T in the wrong mood. She was
at much paints to emphasize the physi-
cal horror Of the mother and ran her
hands along the empty sleeve and
rolled her eyes. 1t would have been
truer and more effective as we'll If
gust of pity and subordinated every
other emotion
The best performance in the play
was cut short by the untimcly death
of character between the first and
second acts. Charles Stevenson acted
brilliantly as Sir Timothy Crewys, the
husband Of Lady Mary. Lumsden Hare,
As her second suitor. was easy and
pleasant and exceedingly effective.
Philip Tonge, as the boy, had a good
general conception of his part, but is
still bit too insistent on scoring his
points. Gypsy O'Brien made an at
tractive young miss to win his love.
There are dull moments in the piece,
but the enthusiasm aroused by the un-
folding of fresh and interesting
theme serves to bridge them nicely
We think "Pater's Mother" may we'll
go on the theatregoer's list.