The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-06
THE CHALLENGE Is
SELWYN'S OFFERING
New Walters Play Proves In
teresting as Drama of
Unrest.
HIS HERO ACCEPTS BRIBE
Thereby Proving That Radi-
Gals Are as Dishonest as
They Are Blatant.
HIS HERO ACCEPTS BRIBE

The beautiful selwyn Theatre opened
last night for the present early season
with a new play by Eugene Walter.
Mr.. Walter is easily the most interest
ing Of the American playwrights active
| to-day. He is not always equally in
teresting. II he had a little curl right
in the middle of his forrid II might be
possible to say that when he was not
very. very good he was horrid. In his
, most recent apparitions the playwright
has not enjoyed enduring favor. But he
has been in THE Knife" in ''The As
sassin" and even In Nancy Lee"-well
| interesting. There was something cheer
| ing in that thought while passing
through the tasteful lobby Of the Sell
wyn last night.
One OF the Plays OF Social Unrest.
Tho Challenge IL one Of the more
or less numerous dramas Of social unrest
said to impend. Mr.. Walter. beginning
his action at n French hospital near the
front. has passed at once into the turmoil
Of political life In this country. The
three acts. begun and tipped with pro-
| iogue and epilogue. move In the atmos-
phere Of radical politics. Contrsstsd
with the home of the hero are q news
paper ONCE on election night and later
i a committee room and n meeting room In
| the House of Representatives in a New
England State. The action takes place
| in manufacturing town and the talk Is
| full OF It's AFFAIRS.
This large canvas the playwright has
peopled with men and women OF wealth
as well as those from humber walks Of
life. There are the members Of a news
paper STAN as well as the representatives
of dissatisfied commerce in it's less inn
pressive phases and the small fry of po-
liticai battles.
The Unworthy Agftator.
For Mr.. Walter has taken as his
| thesis In a drama Of labor and COM
mercial discomfort the theory that the
rnen who are responsible for the frequent
agitations are unworthy and decelvIng
| those who are honestly seeking the bet
/ terment of living for their fellowmen.
To show this conception OF the hollow
ness OF such pretenders to reform the
playwright carries n man to the high
est post in the State. He Ia its Gov
ernor when there comes an alternative
possible in his conduct. He will act on
behalf OF his socialistic supporters who
have carried him so far. or he may ac-
cept a bride and throw his people. He
does the latter to demonstrate that the
motives of the men who are struggling
to upset society are selfish and usually
ignoble.
The Love story.
The inevitable fable Of human hearts
which could not be allowed to disappear
even from such a discussion is expertly
lentwined with the political complications
OF the story. It IL indeed brother or
the young girl infatuated with pro-
nounced social reformer who makes the
bride possible. He wants to prove
that tho happiness OF his sister may be
assured-the unworthiness of the man
who has become the FIRST officer of the
State Government and influences the
opinions of all his followers
In order to make his fiction plausible
Mr.. Walter has supposed a very ad-
} vanced state of Socialism. The char
acters even speak OF the naturalization
of women at one point. but the hero re-
quests an end OF this testing as he takes
the subject too much to heart. But the
disillusionmeit of the hero is interest
ingly accomplished. MT. Walters long
speeches are well written. The view Of a
newspaper office on election night was
lvivacious and some Of the more polite
humor OF the other scenes made its
points
In THE Challenge" however. Mr..
Walter is the sociologist rather than
the dramatist He has kept his theme
CLOSER tnbn inc uraIuhliS pIokItSS VI tHc
/ story to his eyes in writing. But his
I play IL a notably fipe effort to picture
a current phase Of society,"
Allan Dinehart, as the young hero,
, opposed with the truth OF his socialist
? opinions, played with n delightful nat
, uralness and revealed the possession OF
, n wider range of emotional expression
: than he ever suggested before. HIS
voice is uncutivated and not of agree
I able quality, but he speaks with such
intelligence and naturalness that every
, line OF his part has nll the eloquence the
: actor can impart to It,
Holbrook Blinn combined experience
of the world and an easy authority In
1 his portrayal OF the arlstocrat who
= finally convinced his friend OF the false
, ness Of the political agitators in whom
! he trusted. Jessie Glendennlng was
prepossessing as the heroine who
! thought her lover had abandoned her
altogether for politics, but continued
a rather persistently adolescent in the mat.
: ter OF speech. There were several ad.
! mirable scenes TO illustrate the story
with an uncommonly attractive living
room In q colonial house