The sun., 1918-10-01
ENGLISH PLAY OPENS
SEASON AT EMPIRE
'The Saving Grace a Comedy,
Is HaddOn Chambers's
Latest Work.
BRITISH TYPES SHOWN
Piece, Cordially Greeted by
Audience, Is Portrayal
Of Character.
BRITISH TYPES SHOWN

The historic Empire Theatre-it does
really seem historic now In comparison
with the shacks that have shot up dur
ing the recent seasons-opened its doors
last night. Cyril Maude was the host
Of the occasion. appearing in the latest
play from the skilful pen Of Haddon
Chambers. Mr. Maude seems TO have
supplanted John Drew as the heir to
the works that London dramatists write
for middle G sed men stars, and it was
Mr.. Maude, therefore. who took here in
The Saying Grace the large part that
at first fell to Charles Hawtrey. Mr..
Chambers wrote the play for that actor.
and It is never possible, in spite of Mr..
Maude's skilful methods, to overlook
that fact.
A Comedy OF Character.
The new piece, which was greeted with
cordially by the audience and even by
the more convincing tribute. at certain
points. OF sincere laughter. is altogether
a play OF character. That character Is
chiefly the one written for Mr.. Haw-
trey. Mr.. Chambeys, taking account Of
the years with a discretion that play
wrights do not always reveal. has drawn
the familiar "waster" associated with the
Hawtrey fame when he Is fully matured
indeed on the verge OF the sere and
yellow. But he is quite as charming IN
nature as ever, just as full OF good TEL
lowship. as irresistible to his creditors
as he eventually proves to the mother of
the young man that he helps to inveigle
more or less into matrimony.
For this was the way in which drama
entered whenever there was anything In
the play besides character. The hero
was by the way. under cloud when
the play began. Among other things
he had been dismissed from his re9'-
ment for clipping with his wife--a very
charming creation of the playwright.
who had been married to bullying Of
ficer-and there was no overlooking
what In more meditative age was
known "a res angustae domi. SO the
marriage of his niece to rich young
man seemed an easy solution OF troubles
that eventually came to their own end.
Even this little plotting was not re-
scented in the sophisticated and genial
hero OF THE Saving Grace who was
too good n sport in all he did to be
blamed by anybody.
A Very English Play.
The three slow moving acts OF the
new play pass in a small house near
London" or course the play could
never in the world nave passed any
where else nor could THE Saving Grace"
have been written elsewhere. so typically
British In it's school. But it is by long
odds the most distinguished specimen
of dramatic writing that has come 10
the New York stage from this same
source in years. Mr.. Chambers has re-
peated the finish and wit of 1.-THE
Tyranny of Tears"
Mr.. Maude, although his fund OF hu-
NOR is not rich, played with his usuel
resource, and Laura Crews gave de-
lightfully human am engaging por-
trayal of an uncommonly grateful role
Cathleen Nesbitt was lovely picture
OF English girlhood. while all the fatu-
BUSINESS OF the callow man of wealth
was amuslngly shown by Edward Doug
las. Charlotte Granville had a diff
cult task az the dowager who disliked
such a charming family group. but she
relented gracefully. almost lovably, her
self The complete smoothness of the
performance was increased by the skill
full playing of Annie hughes and Will
lam Devereaux as two rather uncommon
Indeed, ii was an old time
Empire Theatre night.