New-York tribune., 1918-12-24
Drama
''Dcar Bruius" Shows All the
Skill OF Barrie in Best
Moments
By Haywood Broun

We wish sometimes that Barrie
would serve himself with at least a
slice of lemon. In spite of this occa-
sional but aggressive sweetness "Dear
Brutus' is high class work. It is not
as inventive as Peter Pan, but in hu-
NOR. charm and technical facility this
is q play of high order In one scene
it is an unusual Barrie play. Here is
a theme and treatment of much greater
power and scope than the most accom-
plished miniaturist of the drama has
ever before attempted. And it is
gloriously successful effort. In this
scene there is sudden thrust Of the
tragedy which lies in the fact that
what we call possibilities are not pos
sbilities at all, but wralths never born
and never to be born.
This act is laid in a mystic wood
who're people have second chance. To
the wood there comes an artist who
WAS in life Il childless, bitter waster.
In the land of might-ha1e- been he has
daughter and laughter and cheer.
She IS most exquisite, sprightly,
humorous daughter Miss Helen Hayes
who IS not yet eighteen, and these are
the official George Tyler figures, played
the daughter, and Miss Hayes is as
eager as Christmas morning and as
dazzling as Christmas night. 1t may
be that nobody will ever call her the
great Miss Hayes, but if not she will
have to grow out of an amazing equip
ment of natural charm and technical
skill. She was on top of the tree last
night.
However, we were speaking os the
scene, and not of Miss Hayes. 1t is a
scene of fatherhood and daughtcrhood,
humorous, human and ever so appeal
ing, in spite of the fact that it is too
long and too sweet. Gillette and Miss
Hayes held it up in fine fashion. even
when the brilliance of Barrie began
to flag And at the end there is a
brave and thrilling sprint 1t is among
the finest scenes of our stage to-day.
IN the gathering darkness Of the forest
a light appears where there was no
house. The father, in spite OF the
appeals Of the girl, goes toward the
house and leaves her, promising to
return in moment. The STAGE grows
darker and she whimpers. The black
ness comes in closer and closer, and
she cries aloud. This live and gor-
gcous person whom everybody has
loved for an act, is only a ight-have-
been, and at the last there is nothing
hut darkness eXcent for the despairing
cry of the girl pleading for an exist
ence which can never be hers
The central theme of Dear Brutus"
is familiar in the theatre. 1t is in sub
stance the theme of eyes of Youth"
and "Roads of Destiny inquiry
play is not likely to remind the spec
tator of either American drama, how
ever, for the theme is developed with
a high degree of imagination. Tech
nically it is adroit. Barrie mas avoided
the danger, so manifest in plays of this
school, of allowing his story to split
UP into so many little plays. He has
fused the land of might have been and
reality by allowing the characters to
the mere process Of going across a
threshold. This not only holds the
thread of the tale continuously before
US but avoids all confusion.
The playwright takes as his model
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our
stars, but in ourselves, that we are un-
derlings.' He is not true TO it. Almost
all the characters who go into the
magic wood find that a second chance
would not change them fundamentally
They would be the same in character
iNOuSn lEclI circumstances might Dc
different. And then the playwright pro
ceeds to break the iron of Mr.. Shake
speare completely by showing that one
character would have been quite diff
ferent ii he had had a second chance
Moreover when he comes out of the
wood he makes him different. This is
not quite fair even though it is ex-
planned that brave men can break the
bonds of determinism.
But, though Barrie's philosophy is
spotted the story is told with excellent
clarity. With the exception of a char
acter called "Lob,' the rather annoying
Barrie consciousness of whms cality is
missing. We had hoped to write this
review without mentioning either
charm" or "whimsicality," but it was
not possible.
William Gillette plays the man who
finds inspiration to a new life in his
trip to the magic wood. and he acts
with skilful ease. Among other things
he does one of the most convincing
bits of heavy drinking seen hereaboutS
recently Other effective mem bers OF
the cast were Louis Calvert, as a but
Ter; Hilda Spong, Sam Sothern, Grant