Perhaps it was Monsieur Coue's recent visit to this city that prompted the Boston Stock Company to revive "The Miracle Man", for the play in itself does not merit a resurrection from the land of the dead and gone. When "The Miracle Man" appeared in book form from the pen of Frank Packard it was an effective and striking story, but in the play, George Cohan has treated the Patriarch of Needley, Maine, and his faith, strong enough to make a "gang of crooks go straight", in a manner which amuses but does not convince.

With evil intent comes "Doc" Madison and his gang to exploit the healing powers of the Patriarch. But they reckon without two things--faith and love. On the eve of success, Helena, who is posing as the Patriarch's long-lost granddaughter, suffers twinges of conscience. She finally tells Harry Evans and Michael Coogan that she can not go through with the conspiracy. The Patriarch is too good a man. But, the forces of good have not been working on Helena alone. Both Harry and Michael have found in this little village a love which has shown them the error of their ways and they admit that, with this new thing in their lives, it would be impossible for them to continue the deception. The last and hardest to reform is "Doc" Madison. Not until the Patriarch tells him that he knew of the plot from the very beginning, does "Doc" have faith enough to tear up the ill-got cheeks and marry Helena. And they lived happily ever after? Perhaps.

Throughout the "Miracle Man" is seen the hand of the playmaker who knows how to get his laughs and how to amuse his audience. The crooks and the villagers all contribute to the fund of humor. But in the scenes of emotional stress where the characters should feel and live intensively, Cohan fails to make them real.

The Miracle Man, himself does not make the audience believe in his power. He is merely a nice old man with ideas. And the criminals in their turn, as they one by one fall under the healer's magic spell, never seem to do more than move the plot toward the inevitable happy ending. George Cohan has written too many musical comedies to write a convincing play.

The company did all that was possible with the play. Mark Kent as the old Patriarch and at times Miss Bushnell as Helena performed creditably, though more lines were read than interpreted on the first night the company managed to achieve a certain illusion of reality, which, in such a piece as "The Miracle Man" is particularly commendable.