It is extremely difficult to pass judgment on an old-fashioned melodrama of the type of "After Dark", now playing at the Shubert Apollo, chiefly because standards of criticism have changed so greatly that for one whose theatre-going has all been in the present, so to speak, there are no comparisons on which to base an opinion. Hastily constructed standards will have to suffice.

In a curtain speech before the performance on the opening night the directress of the production explained that the stilted acting and formal speech throughout would in all probability seem strange and exaggerated, but that in reality it was only very slightly overdone. It may be that she was correct in her statement, but it seemed to us that there was a very noticeable emphasis on the sweeping gestures which was being put on for effect almost entirely. The effect was produced and had a very happy result as far as this reviewer was concerned at least. It was unquestionably amusing.

Strangely for once a Boston audience seemed to warm up and get into the spirit of the piece. By the middle of the second act very nearly everyone in the house was hissing the dark sleek villain and wildly cheering the hero and his virtuous sayings. It was indeed an unlooked for pleasure to see spectators young and old clapping their hands in high glee in time with the music and stamping heavily on the accented beat. The atmosphere was extremely contagious, and few found it possible to stand aloof from the general merriment.

The plot of "After Dark" is scarcely worth mentioning as much. It is the traditional story of the hero who gets into bad company at once, and the intricate complications which follow are all in the best melodramatic style, and lend themselves perfectly to phrases like "Unhand me villain" and the like, all of which are greeted with uproarious cheers from the audience.

Fortunately enough Mr. Casey, Boston's estimable censor, was either absent or could see nothing wrong in cheering so long as there is no pecunlary advantage in it. Consequently the production was allowed to continue on to its ultimately happy conclusion much to the satisfaction of all present