New-York tribune., 1920-09-14
''Welcome Stranger,'' - at the
Cohan & Harris Theater,
Gets Much Fun Out of
FamiliarDevices ofDrama
THE CAST
By Haywood Broun


if it is prefaced with wink. One of
the most engaging qualities of Aaron
Hoffmans amusing play called "Wel-
come Stranger" which was produced
at the Cohan & Harris Theater last
night, is that the author never uses q
familiar strategem without making
what amounts to frank confession. 1t
is evident that he neither asks nor ex-
poets that anybody will consider some
Of the time-worn devices which he in
PRODUCES into his play as anything but
time worn devices. He is even moved
upon occasion to make fun of them
himself
This, however, is not the only grace
of "Welcome Stranger" Some of it
is brand new. Not great deal, to be
sure, but its flashes of truth and in
of very old gold. In touching life now
and again Aaron Hoffman is enormous
ly aided by George Sidney, who gives
performance which is in all respects
comparable to that of Barney Bernard
in the various numbers of the "Potash
and Perlmutter" series. The play, how
ever. is hardly as good as that, for
Hoffman has no true stuff left for any
of his other characters after he has
finished clothing his hero
Personally we are always greatly
puzzled to know just when the play
wright leaves off and the actor begins.
1t seems to us that Mr.. Hoffman is
entitled to the credit Of having de-
vised an exceedingly skilful opening
scene for his major character. lsidore
something more than anything brought
up by the old hoakum bucket, and
that after that George Sidney is chiefly
responsible for making Isidore per-
son. The portrait is not quite that of
Potash or Perlmutter. Isidore Solomon
is a character in whom true kindliness
and an abject humility are so gen.
erously mixed that it is hard to tell
where one leaves off and the other
begins. At least, that is the opening
impression which George Sidney de-
velops bit by bit, until the realization
comes that the humility is only the
shell and the kindness is the kernel.
Having a character soundly sketched
and an actor capable of playing it su-
perbly, it became necessary for Aaron
traditional in the theater that play
should have plot, although the result
is not always for the best. In choos-
ing. the author confined his selection
TO those incidents which are listed
under "normalcy" Like Senator Har-
ding, Mr.. Hoffman has expressed
fondness for getting back to things
as they were, for the days of McKin-
ley, or perhaps earlier. Accordingly
we have an old and despised inventor
whose creations make a million dol
lars in the last act, we have an inno-
cent girl unjustly suspected, and we
@,.pr e. Il
by the genius of the hero and his
PARTNER into last act paradise of
bright illumination and fur coats for
everybody.
Technically "Welcome Stranger" may
be described as an anti-mystery play.
It is one of those dramas in which the
playgoer is asked to supply the missing
i"sters in an Y-rk." A child can play
it. There are no blanks. There is
prize for every one. Each character
is plainly labeled good or bad from his
first entrance so that there shall be
no mistake. Nothing is planted with
out proper and full publicity. The seed
packages are on exhibition before any
thing goes into the ground. Accord
ingly, whah Mr.. Hoffman wants us to
know thaF all 1sidore's possessions will
be burned if a certain switch is pulled,
he intrusts the information not to one
but at least ten characters. Anybody
who does not know that the switch will
be pulled has no business being at a
thcater. AS a matter of fact he does
no+ even deserve TO he at large.
This may sound dull, but as a mat
ter of fact we found it extremely di-
vcrtin.. After a season in which drama
tist after dramatist has made perfect
fool Of us by inducing us to suspect
buffers and maid servants and even
hcroines who had nothing on earth to
90 with the murder it was somewhat
rcstful to have Il play in which there
was no possibility of going wrong. 1t
was almost as if one had been lost
underground for hours and then sud
denly looked UP and found a green line
Much of the dialogue is smart and
brisk and little of it is real. "Wel-
come Stranger" is good entertainment.
and George Sidney is much better than
that. The cast is adequate through
out, though the tasks assigned to the
supporting members Of the cast drQa
too easy to make it necessary to single
any Of them out for special mention
with the exception Of John Adair jr.,
who does uncommonly we'll with bit.
The play deals with the story Of
Jewish storckeeper who comes to a
small New England town and not only
lives down the prejudice of the com
munity but sets ali the inhabitants to
saying, "Some Of my best friends are
Jews"
I'D leH