The New York herald., 1921-04-03

last he is free to WOO her as his hear
him. So the delayed victory eventual
1t is not easy to see how Mr.. Law
renee or any other playwright could
make this posture of circumstances
plausible when it is set forth as COM
edy. There must be in the first place
the death of the husband. There Is
the struggle Of the widow. who recalls
the tragedy by appearing in mourning
in the second act. When the husband
discovers his wife the victim of an
Others attentions 1t is difficult to make
the scene other than serious IL 1t Is to
he true to life. His final conquest OF
the woman who merely bears his name
is more interesting when it is serious
1t is also more in accordance with the
experience of life.
The Italian playwrights have in
terested themselves in this theme-the
influence OF the first beloved on the
lives of those who come afterward-
but their treatment Of 1t always has
been serious. In His House in Order
Pinero made the spirit OF the first wife
As it affected the life Of the woman
who was made TO feel herself an In
truder In the family almost tragic In
IFS results He attempted to draw -
comedy out of this dead love. Nicodemi
in 1.-THE Shadow" made the dismal recol-
lection haunt the woman's life until she
was forever under the shadow OF her
husbands love for another. There was
IN none OF these plays an effort to draw
4. laugh out Of the old affection for one
who was gone.
Managers Incline to Comedy.
Mr.. Lawrence. according to a speech
made by Arthur Byron on the opening
night OF the play at the Thirty-ninth
Street Theatre, has been waiting for
fourteen years to have one of his plays
produced in New York. Probably he
understood the prlsent attitude of the
managerial mind lyell enough to know
that his play. II he treated its theme
seriously, might haye to wait for four
teen years more bi lore It reached New
York The public n supposed to be In
tolerant now OF any play that does not
amuse it, The serious drama Is frowned
rpon by the impresarios. It's chances
were never less than in the springtme.
Probably Mr.. Lawrence knows as well
AS anybody else that the material of
The Ghost Between" would be more
effective were il treated seriously and
also realizes that his opportunities to
be too limited for any hope had he fol-
lowed that line in his work.
Ditrfchsteln and French Farce.
1t is difficult to associate seriousness
with French farce, but even such friv-
olous specimen as Toto" in which Leo
Dietrichstein is appearing so success
fully at the Bijou Theatre, still possesses
The quality with defenders Of boulevard
farce courageously call its saving grace.
This wholly standardized drama of the
rhilandering husband survives In the
French theatre as in no other. It has.
~ course, travelled to every land. Its
vitality, considering that 1t Is not every
where homogeneous, is astonishing. Per-
haps there was before the war a lessen
ing demand for these plays OF marital
intrigue. Yet they recur amazingly.
Labiche may have been the father of the
school. although there are traces OF this
patterned humor to be found also in
Moliere. But to the present generation
they are too mechanical In their watch
work precision TO suggest the humanity
OF the famous French playwright.
IL is the morality OF the French ma
tion which exacts the touch Of discipline
even in the plays from the Palais Royal.
The sinner must pay Is their motto. ac-
cording TO the sociologists who seek TO
find an excuse for the excesses of con-
duct that stand so far from our own
code OF manners.
II is true that the husband and father
may indulge in frolicsome departures
from the straight and narrow ways OF
life. He may linger with unnecessary
procrastination In the primrose path OF
dallisnce. But he viii get his comeup-
pance In tho end. The family will turn
against him. The sons and daughters
viii disown and rend him Tho wife
with whom he would again be on the
hest or terms will put him on a long pro-
hation. The siren who lured him TO the
rocks will scorn him. Nor will puuish-
inent be meted out only to him. His
accomplices will be taught ere the end
Is reached that the way OF the trans
grcssor is hard.
The Wages OF SIN.
Thus is French farce purged for It's
admirers Of all evil. The punishment
Svnits the crime in every case In
Toto" BY Maurice Hennequin and
Felix Deduesnel. there has been. OF
Course some abatement OF the heros
gayeties. Tho intent is obvious to
purify the play for American uso. II
accomplishes the purpose most COM
pietely, since there is no diminution IN
the punishment. So the transgressor Is
punished In the English story for a
good deal less than he did IN the French.
Leo Ditrichsteln plays the role n the