"WITHIN THE LAW."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13307, 17 February 1914, Page 4

" WITHIN THE LAW."

CROWDED HOUSE FOR OPENINt N-dHT. ■ *

The J.C. Williamson Company always has something good m store for Gisborne, and.. -whether-, m -opera, drama, or comedy the name of the company is accepted as a guarantee oi" satisfaction. Bayard VeiUer' s drama ''Within the Law" was presented to a crowded audience at His Majesty's Theatre last night, many being turned away. The drama is remarkable for its rapidity of action, its realistic tensity, and the strong' emotional scenes. The playseemed to take the audience by storm ; a grip was immediately obtained, and the attention was closely absorbed until the -finish. The drama served to introduce to a Gisborne audience an actress of marked ability m Miss Muriel Starr, who proved herself to be one of , the most accomplished artistes seen m New Zealand, and her appearance as the heroine made the production quite a noteworthy one. Upon her a great deal of the success of the play depended, and she achieved a distinct triumph. . The. plot -.is, ..cleverly, contrived, but easily understood. . Tlie story opens with- Edward Gilder, a hardhearted proprietor of a New York "store" employing some hundreds of girls, discussing with his private secretary the .case of- Mary .-- Turner, one" of the coiMlter-hands convicted of theft. Mary Turner (who l is , innocent) .is, sentenced to three years' imprisonment', but before she is "sent-up" sit© is allowed an interview with Gilder. Instead of pleading for. mercy, she* gives"- Gilder a s.ojjnd . .lecture on fhe way 7 he should treat his .girls, declaring that he does riot' pay 'tlrem a living wage.,.,. . This : merely incenses Gilder the moire,. arid when she finds he is immovable^ she , cries ; as -she .-is led away handcuffed -to Detective-sergeant Qassidy : "Remember ! Iqu're going to pay me for all these three years !" ■ Four years later finds Mary a fashionably-dressed woman, at the head of a gang of "crooks," -vriio keep as far as possible m their doings within the limits of the law: Brooding for years over the -injustice- of- '.the law m her case, she has never allowed the thought of "get/ring .., even" to dull her frits, - and; wnpn , the chance comes she, grown wise iii the wiles of the.. world, clutches at it ; .. She has met young Richard Gilder;, who succumbs to. tlie magic of her -ways. The plan she considers is marriage— he . eager and <en,*thusiastici, : she cccl and .toalculaiting. After the marriage, Mary returns straight' to her 'flat' to find' that the poli ce • have, warned the gang*-** to ' quit— and quick upon -that comes Mary's coo] defiance and the fact that she is young Gilder's wife. The youngster is staggered, but tremendously loyal, and will not give her upj and his father ]iassively despairs at the ways of Nemesis. Police-Inspector Burke, full of ; .crude cunning, seeks to fix everything., Jfe tries to frighten Mary into clearing out under divers threats usually effective with those of the underworld:, bilt Mary does not budge. Then he conceives : an idea that will inveigle the whole gang. One of his paid "crooks" calls on Qarson with a proposition to rob Gilder, senr., of **ome smuggled tapestry of fabulous value. Mary will iave nothing to-do with the 'job. Garson falls to the scheme, plans everything .with Gjriggs (the police "crook"), whilst Burke plahts his men for the capture. At the eleventh • hour Burke has a brain-wave. He 'conveys to her that the theft ig a "frame-up" against the gang, knowing perfectly well that she will attempt to save them, and thereby implicate herself. She arrives at the Gilder man; sion at midnight,- and is imploring the gang to quit, when- matters are complicated by. the entrance of her husband. He grasps the situation like lightning, and fervently presses his suit with the woman who has rejected liim-immediate-ly after tlie marriage ceremony-Ale will oven let, them all. go . free if slie will but listen to him. Mary, thinking of the gang! more than of her husband, pretends to agree, but wishing -to 'ascertain who has led.. 'them into tho trap says she must seb theru all, and .of ders , the lights full up. She immediately sees Griggs as the "stool-pigeon," and m the tense scene that ensues Garson shoots Griggs dead frith a silent pistol, and all get away save Mary, who is horrified at the deed, and who sits staring at the corpse, as a step ig heard-, It is Burke who ,had ; planned to make the arrest m person. Young Gilder plays hint for a moment or. -two, but the wily police officer, flashing on the light, sees Griggs' body, calls m his men, and places -Gilder and.' Mary under. arrest for murder. Mary even' says that Gilder did the deed and he does not deny it,, moreover the silent pistol that he had wrenched from Garson is found upon hiinl " The next morning gives more 1 thah v a .suggestion cf American police methods. Most of the gang -have been ; arrested -unknown to one another, and each is put through the mill by the inspector, Ills encounter' with ...Agnes Lynch is the best bit of comedy m the play. Joe Garson, . the last arrested, is dealt with subtly.AHe* is* 1 nervous," imaginative, . and quick*- tempered, and toj play . upon those qualities Burke has placed a chair for Joe m such' a position that he can witness each member of his own gang being placed ih the cells, the doors of which, can be seen through the office windows. The process gets Joe jumping, and finally/when young Gilder and Mary are admitted to the worn and a c,lever climax has been reached, Joe confesses that he killed Griggs. "Whep I cpme biack here," says "Burke t© the- Gilders as he makes to leave 'the office, Al don't want to, pee none of you here — -not none of you ; d'ye get me?" Ths climax shows a most affectionate , scene, the young couple clinging -to one another. Miss Muriel Starr, - as " Mary Turner, is the pivot; of the piece, and though 'her-act-ing is natural she has a striking personality and revealed great powers as^ an emotional actress. .She gave a viyid portrayal of the scenes m which the mental resources of the heroine are matched against the powers of the police. Immediately she enters she is the central figure m. an, intense-emotion-al scene, and then throughout the four acts she keeps m .sympathetic touch with the audience, and both m the stirring and lighter shades of the .drama gives a fine performance. A capital impersonation is' that of Mr Lincoln Plumer m the part of an American police officer. Mr E. W. Morrison;- as Joe Garson, the forger, acted, with convincing effect, ap(i m .M?e devout worshipper of the 'heroine, who does not reciprocato the affection, he played with forceful effect without casting aside the necessary , reserve. A clever performance, with humorous phases, is the portrayal by 'Miss Mary Worth of the role of the "slangy" Agiies Lynch, < and the comedy scene with Inspector Burke was especially fine. Mr . Eric -. Maxon. acted effectively ap the volatile but faithful hero, Ricl.ui'd q}lde*-y -and <M> .Winter Hall gave an excellent impersonation as the employer, Edward Gilder. Mr Boyd Trvvin acted well. as the blusff.. DetectiveSergeant Oassidy; as a . plump and smart Sarah Miss Marjorie Sfliver sustained the . part well, arid others who performed effectively were Miss Sylvia Bioiner arid Miss Rose Emerson, Messrs Herbert Ford ; Geo. Chalmers,, and lon Maxwell. The drama, which was wall mounted, will be produced . again this evening, when the Gisborne seaspn will conclude, the company proceeding south