New-York tribune., 1918-11-28

Roads of Destiny" Produced
at the Republic
Theatre
By Haywood Broun

A sort of diluted determinism is set
forth in Roads of Destiny" at the Re
public Theatre. Fate, so we gathered
from the play, may be cheated little
but not much. The hero of the play
was followed to the conclusion of three
possible courses of action and in each
case the result was almost the same.
There was, however, difference in de-
tails.
Each journey brought our hero into
contact with people who seemed to
possess many characteristics, not to
mention phrases. in common. The
road to the left carried him to Alaska.
where Rose lie Claire made sacrifice
that he might gain his love. If on the
contrary he had taken the road to the
right he would have eventually en-
countered Rosetta Clare, who acted in
manner quite similar to that of Rose.
AT nome the woman whose action saved
his happiness would have been Rose
; Carter.
All this is pretty muddled philosophy
and 1T made a pretty muddled play. Of
course, If there was even a little free
Will there would be no such thing as
destiny. Fate, as we conceive it, deals
IN short cuts. Instead of arranging
similar happenings at the end of every
road, tate would merely reserve Just
one of the highways for David and bar
him from all the others.
Inc TACT that the people who ap-
peared IN the various acts were almost
the same but not quite proved confus-
ing. We puzzled through an entire act
as to how David's brother who had
been left on the farm, had suddenly
become the proprietor of a gambling
den In Alaska. Finally, we found that
ne wasn't the brother but merely John
Mlltern doubling. There were times
when. nothing short Of a scoreboard
would serve to tell how things were
going.
Often the individual acts, each of
which told a story, were interesting
but they were bound together made
quately The scene in the western
gambling resort, for instance. was
highly thrilling largely because Of the
vivid work of Florence Reed. but it
was impossible to pick up the interest
which she had created in her part when
she appeared in the next act with a
new accent, new name and a new
dfess. The murder in the den was
aone so well and SO suddenly that at
least one member of the audience cried
out IN horror, but later pistol worl,
was less impressive. When an author
can bring down an audience with his
hrst shot 1T seems a little unnecessary
10 keep on plugging it full of holes.
None OF the later episodes was so
vivid as the first and none so interest
ing: The most confusing act was that
lald nj Long Island where the Hattons
nave their house parties. The folk
were just as careless of their morals
as any walkoffs, but they were deviIishlv
polished in their vllanies. Lewis
Marsh, for instance, always began his
attempts at seduction by talking of
emeralds and the twelfth century be-
tore getting up to the present day.
However, when particularly ardent he
might SKIP a century or so. John Mil
tern played the part with grace and
outside the theatre. Florence Reed was
effective throughout, although she was
by no means free from the sin of over
acting. Her sketch of the gambling
nouse girl, however, was piece of
hrst class work which could hardly be
improved upon. 1t was the light in the
window, but unfortunately the erring
playwright never returned Naturally
he couldn't. Fate wouldn't let him.
AS we left the theatre tie thought
came to us that before Babylon fell.
or Caesar crossed the Rubicon. fate
was fixing it up for Charming Pollock
10 write this particular dramatization
OF y. Henry's Roads of Destiny"
Such conception made us feel solemn.
we would like to record some judg-
ment of the play. but who are we to
KICK against what fate has willed