"THE HOUSE OF GLASS"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3033, 21 March 1917, Page 8

"THE HOUSE OF GLASS"

AN ADMIRABLE PLAY "The House of Glass," a play in four acts by Max Marcin. Cast:— Nellie ; Stella Payter Margaret Case Florence Rockwell Mrs. Brandt Maggio Knight Prank .• Prank Harcpurt Jimmy Burko Leslio Victor Jfr.' Carroll Boyd Irwin Mr. Crowley .....D. T. Lalor Policeman M. Pirtli Watson William Lockhart Harvey Lake ..: Prank Harvey Judson Atwood Chae. Brown Air. M'Clcllan Arthur Styan Wada / Leonard Stephens Edith Pose Kooney Governor Patterson L. Hart Max Marcin's play, "The House of Glass," is another addition to the long list of plays that set out to weave a story on tho basis of a person wrongly accused of a crime, and establish the worrying unpleasantness that Nemesis may follow tho trail of the innocent as well as tho guilty. Written at a time when plays dealing with "crooks" and their ways were a cram in America and drew bigger money than any other "types," Marcin looked for a now facet to this jewel of an idea, hitting upon the samo notion as Bayard Veiller in "Within tho Law," by making his central figure an appealing woman, who is outstandingly ■ innocent of the crime for which she has been conrictod, and ono with spirit onough not to He down under the blow. Margaret Case, a typiste, is found guilty of the crime of a burglary sue never committed, is imprisoned, but released on parole. Burning with the wrong of it all, she breaks her parole, and goes West, where in due time fortune beams on her in the person of Harvey Lake, a railroad president, and the wedding bells ring out for .the happy couple. But. Nemesis in on her track, in the person of Carroll, the, detective who secured her original conviction. When Mr. and Mrs. Lake go East, Carroll is about to show up the prisoner who broko her parole, when Lake is able to exercise clemency towards an erring youth in whom the Governor of tho State is interested, and the latter in return exercises his prerogative in staying the hand of an altogether worthy, but in tin's -instance misguided, sleuth of the law, whose deadly persistence and obstinate senso of duty has shakon tho house of Lake to its foundations. But Mrs. Lake (neo Margaret Caso') is not released from her troubles before sho has been the moving centre of several emotional scones of rare strength and logical truth, which enable an able actress to display those nervous forces and temperamental nights which, if correctly conceived, draw forth the sympathies of the audience. The play has one' little weakness. In order that Lake shall have some sort of pull over the State Governor when favours are flying, there is much falk of an erring young man named Jackson, who is nevor seen and in whom no ono is tho least bit interested. A happier idea is tho introduction of an interesting "crook," a veritable pearl in the gallery of American play "crooks." When the play opens Margaret Case is radiantly happy at the prospect of an early marriage with, this party, whom she'believes to bo a straight young man of the Y.M.C.A. type. But even as they are packing for a flight tho police, enter, and Carroll arrests both. She is found with rings on her person and pearls in her trunk, and so both arc tried and convicted. Later on, as a reformed convict of unimpeachable probity, with a fine sense of poetic justice, this person tries valiantly to outwit tho shrewder Carroll, when the latter is determined' on exposing Mrs. Lake'as tho. defaulting Margaret Case.

The play is admirably written ,_ lias sonic tenso dramatic situation, with a fine element of surprise here and there, and, thanks in part to a strong east it gripped quickly, and sustained the interest at high' tension. Miss Florence Rockwell, who made lior debut in New Zealand, is a dramatic actress of undeniable, emotional power. Not_ magnetic in horself, she- yot commands that.clusive virtue' in a dramatic crisis. Sho is able, so to speak, to turn on the switch that makes a circuit with the hearts of her audience. She was not so interesting in the light and airy comedy of tlio opening, but threw out barbs to catch the sympathy of her audience as soon as the story deepened and the plight of the character sho was representing was realised. She will be liked for her sure human touch.

untheatrical methods, and virility. Miss Koekwcll is well supported. Mr. Frank Harvey, us Harvoy Lake, was as crisp, incisive, and interesting as ever. His fine gifts of repression and reserve help in it strong purposeful bit of. acting. Mr. Arthur Styan lias a lovely character to revel in in Mr. M'Clellan. Hore is a case wiioro it' the typo was searched for—a big, full-blooded, broad-minded, shrewd-headed man—Mr. St.yan woul at once be placed in tho cast. That admirable actor, Mr. Leslie Viotor, was altogether ton undeniably English for a New York "crook." Nevertheless, on the lines selected, Mr. Victor was always vivid and finished | in" his work. A capital eharaotorisai tion was that of Detective Carroll, by Mr. Boyd Irwin, whosu ready tongue

and dauntless asscrfcivenes wore capitally tuned to tho part. His lack ,of tone variation is just right, too, for tho audience tires of Carroll's voice and boasting Just, when it should. Mr. Chas. Brown was well cast as Judson' Atwood, and Mrs. Brandt was_ capitally portrayed by Miss Maggie

'Knight. "The House of Cilass" will be played up till Friday night, and on Saturday will give M placo to "Tho Land of Promise." Owing io the lateness of tho hour when tho scenery was got off the Sydney boat, the curtain did not rise u»r,ii 8.35 p.m., a- contingency that will not occur again.