New-York tribune., 1919-04-23
Drama
dark Rosaleen," Horse Race
Play of Ireland. at
the BeIasco
By Haywood Broun


\ good many types of plays are
combined in DARK Rosaleen," which
was presented at the Belasco Theatre
last night. "ln Old Kentuckvo and
Romeo and Juxet" have been COM
bined. and the resulting product trans
ferrcd to Ireland. W D. Hepenstall
and Whitford Kane. the authors of the
new romantic farce comedy. seem more
interested in the comic possibilities
or intensive studies in local color
'han IN plot. The story of the play
is slight and halting. Although Ozark
Hosaleen' is play about a race horse.
'he authors are seldom willing to give
the piece its head. Most of the fun
OF the entertainment lies in the de-
Vcelopment of the comic possibilities
oi characters who are often SLIGHTLY
GO go}hhected with the theme of the play.
l. neSe interIudes are generally shrcwd-
- deViscd' and IN some cases brill
lahtly acted, and they served to amuse
degree. ~ " ''s'
none of the possibilities Of the Irish
question IS allowed to go by the boards.
" "hcneVer the plaNwrights have been
any DOUBT as TO what To DO next
l"oT nave almost invariably decided to
,ct somebody say something about Ire
land icttcrcd or ireland free. Pessi
mlstic summaries of Ireland's present
S'a'c ana optimistic prophecies of her
future were received with equal on
thusiasm. Personally. we can see no
good reason why Ireland should not be
> rec, but at the same time we ncvcr.
nave Deen able TO understand the emo
uonal stimulus which audiences Of
'rish extraction or svmpathies seem TO
oerlVc from the sight of a number Of
comic characters in a plav sittino
ABOUT and weeping in their beer for the
wrongs OF poor old Erin. We never
could ilgurc out just how this was
SuppVSeN TO help along the cause of
sen dctermlnation for the much dis
u tneIseo country: However, there seems
to pc no doubt that material Of this
sort Is sure fire in the theatre, and SO
1t proved last night
DARK Rosaleen" tells the story of
TWO conflicting households. the vouno-
est members Of which are in love il
goes ON to solve their problem bv all
towing the young man to ride the
morse of the young girl to victory in
Il race through which she earns enough
money to pay of her fathers debts
and save him from eviction. Thc
honor and glory of the exploit on the
'rack suffice to unite the warning fac
tons. II
Eileen Huban plays the part of the
young Irish girl with a great deal of
skill and charm even though the part
is so sentimentalizod at times as 10
make II hard to carry. Henry Duffy.
who played young Whitcomb Riley in
Home Again. has pleasant quality
OF lngenuousncss, but ne sometimes
0utdld even his part in sweetness.
fropapiy the most successful perform
4hce OF the evening was given by
beryl Mercer in the role of an old
peddling woman. She BROUGHT a fine
flood OF humor. to this part and made
every one of her appearances on the
stage delightful. There are also good
performances by Walter Edwin.
Thomas Mitchell, Dodson l.. Mitchell
and Robert Cummings.
Dark Rosaleen' is much too slight
and too scattered to be a good play but
1t contains an abundance Of comic
scenes, little genuine sentiment and
enough OF a crcditable, imitation sort
to make it serve as good theatrical en-
tertainment for the average theatre
goer. That is if we know the average
theatregoers, and inded f there is any
such person For the rest there are
true moments Of fine playing by Miss
iluban and Miss Mercer, which should
be sufficient reward. The best Of the
work Of Kane and lIcpenstal is excel
lent. The worst is a good deal worse.
David Belasco mas assembled Il good
cast and las worked the possibilities of
local color TO the last possible quaver-
ing note of the inevitable blind hddlor
Dark Kosalcen herself appears ON the
stage, and we found her pretty but
rather unimpressivc horse from a rae
ing standpoint. We doubt f she could
carry much weight over a distance. but
then there arc probably few Etcrnals
or Billy Kciys or such like in Ireland
Her price was twenty to one, and she
won in a common canter still, she did
if off stare