The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-29
1.-THE BIG CHANCE"
OPENS AT 48TH ST.
New Angle Portrayed in Play
Shows How War May
Reform Lives.
SPY THEME rs IGNORED
Story of Woman and Three
MASTERS Who Are Re
deemed by Conflict.

A war play with new theme was
disclosed at the Forty-eighth Street The
atre last night. An audience accustomed
to spies and near spies and those who
are not In the least spies. although they
pretend to be until the fall of the cur
tain. Witnessed 1.-THE Big Chance" by
Willard Mack and Grant Morris, and
learned that the playwrights Of this
country have at last been able 10 view
the war as providing Inspiration of an
other kind than that which has already
begun to weary the public.
The heroine of "The Big Chance Is
not the only character reclaimed BY the
war. She has come to New York from
q mill town and Ia living here with
the mill owners brother. not free. how
ever. from the attentions of other
suitors. One of these proves a lover
worth her notice and when the action
of the war has transferred the girl
and her admirers to the battlefield IN
France this man. who like herself was
able to realize on The Great Chance"
is saved for her. The war has straight
ened out their lives for them. The
final scene of The Big Chance plays
in tho trenches in France. but the first
three are laid In n New York lodging
house.
The New Plays Authors.
Grant Morris and Willard Mack are
the authors of the new play, which Is
naive in its proclamation that the war
was designed as the opportunity. The
Big Chance" for all evil men to re-
habilitate themselves Such view may
nf hA nfaA liI.a N
license Of the playwright, although Il
was probably at the outset the sincere
theme OF Mr.. Morris's drama. But Mr.
Mack's later cooperation seems to have
eliminated much OF the original ma
terial. As the serious scenes are alto
gether without dramatic interest and
only the patriotic sentiments of the
heroine. very prettily and sincerely
spoken by Mary Nash. add even the ele-
ment of timeliness to them, there is
every cause for gratitude at the intro
duction of Mr.. Mack's characteristic
comic scenes. The quality of the drama
Is thus very evenly divided. A slice OF
fat alternates with r slice OF lean. Mr.
Mack's sketchy. vaudeville type of
comedy Is luckily fat and unctuous. Mr.
Morrts's drama il lean TO the point OF
attenuation.
Comedy of the Middle Class.
No writer for the American stage
equals Mr.. Mack In his ability to draw
with the strong tang of nature the COM
edy out of middle class life. He spoke
last night with a brogue, as he had sud
denly been called In TO supersede Cyril
keightly In the leading role. Annie Ber-
lein played an Irish lodging house
keeper. Katherine Barrymore her slangy.
ct.
u racetrack tout. When these characters
were together the rough wit of the dia-
logue and the flashes OF llfelike humor
were Irresistible. The audience was in
constant laughter. In this way every
act began. After such All introduction
the decks were cleared for the serious
Interest, which was wholly undramatic
and narrative in its nature. Then the
spectators were less absorbed,
Acting of the Play.
Mr.. Mack. who had TO make the hero
an Irishman. staggered with his usual
Irresistible unction Mary Nash played
with sincerity and John Mason added
distinction to the part OF a worldly mill
owner Mrs Barrymore showed
genuine talent for comedy characterize
ton in her performance of the young
girl, and Mrs Berlein was as much at
home as usual in her portrayal OF "a
shrewd and kindly Irish landlady.
William Meehan played with his usual
laughable aggressiveness the part OF the
ractrack tout SO the representation
was up to the usual standard of a II.
Woods But the efforts of all concerned
counted only when they were employed
on Mr.. Mack's comic depletion OF a group
OF New Workers of middle class They
tyern nIiiIa irreSiSflhln-