Doyle's Play is Rather Tame
Doyle's Play is Rather Tame is an article published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on 18 june 1899.
The article is about the Arthur Conan Doyle's play : Halves and William Gillette's play : Sherlock Holmes.
Doyle's Play is Rather Tame
"Halves" Said to Be Devoid of Dramatic Features.
Clean, But Tedious.
Gillette Puts "Sherlock Holmes" on the Stage.
News of the Week in London of Theaters, New Plays and the Actors Who Represent the Characters.
Special Cable to the Post-Dispatch
LONDON, June 17. — Conan Doyle has made his bow as a dramatist with a play called "Halves" at the Garrick. Two brothers agree to share their fortunes at the expiration of twenty-five years, and a simple story is told in a prologue and three acts, which consist largely of conversations, soliloquies and asides.
Pleasing in idea and wholly unobjectionable, the effort is curiously devoid of dramatic instinct and suspense. It leaves the impression of a magazine story presented under disadvantages.
William Gillette's detective play, with Sherlock Holmes as the central figure, was given a copyright performance Monday. Herbert Waring and Ida Conquest took the leading parts, the others being intrusted to competent English actors.
Mr. Gillette, Annie Russell and Charles Frohman composed the audience.
The play, though founded on Doyle's story called "A Scandal in Bohemia," is mainly Mr. Gillette's invention.
After the performance Mr. Gillette expressed dissatisfaction with the work, which he thought required a thorough overhauling in order to have a chance of success. The others present were enthusiastic in its praise.
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