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u WHY?“The‘Lamb/Remarbble
T HE most impressive and remarkable pro
test against the needlessness, the bru
tality and the wanton wastefulness
of war was voiced recently in New York by the
world famous theatrical organization known
as “The Lambs." “The Lambs" is a unique
club, of which the foremost acton in America
are members. Each year they give what they
call a “Gambol,” At their Gambols The
Lambs always hit the keynote of the moment.
It was to be expected, therefore, that this
year, with its cloud of slaughter hanging over
the whole world, something remarkable in the
way of a war play would be produced- In
George V. Hobart’s extraordinary allegory
which he called “Why?" this note was struck.
“Why?" is really a morality play. The
drama has its root in morality plays.
This form still retains its direct appeal to
the human heart, and in it Hobart found his
most effective vehicle to bring forth his pic
ture of the underlying causes, the development
and the futile end of war. In “Why?" mo
tives, principles ani all the other abstract fac
tors of life are personified by actual men and
women.
This remarkable play, which moved thou
sands who saw it and which is really the pro
test of the theatrical profession of America
against war. could only, because of the few
performances given by “The Lambs,” be seen
by comparatively a limited number of people.
It probably will be produced in amplified form
during the Winter. In the meantime, not
wishing the lesson to be lost, this newspaper
is enabled to print some pictures of the more
remarkable scenes, pictures never before
shown, and through the courtesy of Mr, Ho-
bart is able to present the powerful allegory in
the following abridged form.
f*WOTQS
r MITR * N
Devotion,
Innocence
and
Duty.
DEVOTION—Look! In her baby eyes she’s asking why her father has
to go?
DUTY (to the child)—Because, dear, your father’s name is Duty—and this
is the hour of sacrifice.
Discontent—'Valor! your father calls!
(Buglet heard.)
Courage—Yes, your father calls—damn
him!—why do you hesitate? (Btriket Valot
across face with glove.)
Valor (about to strike back)—You!—
Faith—Valor!
Valor (restraining himself)—Oh, God!
the dream—the dream come true! And
only through self-sacrifice and Death can
peace return from the wilderness where she
Is baDlshed. Go on, father! 1—I follow.
(Exeunt Discontent and Valor. Bugle calls,
voices, Cfc., off.)
Faith (in agony to Content)—Father,
what does tt mean?
Courage—War!
Oontent—There’s a holiday In hell, daugh
ter; a holiday in hell!
Faith—God In His Heaven! Why, why,
why?
SCENE I.
Where the storm begins.
A garden with a beautiful landscape on a
Summer afternoon.
Faith, a girl in simple white Summer dress,
it gathering roses. Sensible, a quaint,
old-faahloned character, Is sitting on a
■tone. Faith talks with him and then
Valor enters.
TJAITH—Valor, dear, I didn't expect to see
* you to-day.
Valor—No. dear—but 1 just had to see
you. My father. Discontent, Is In one of his
mad moods, and I <^ime to you, Faith, dear,
for comfort.
Faith—That Is as It should be always,
dear Valor. But your father’s mad mood
Isn't everything that's wrong. Tell me,
what is it, dear? Your eyes are troubled
and your hands unsteady.
Valor—A dream, Faith; a dream.
Faith—A dream! You, Valor, troubled by
a dream?
Valor—Yes, dear. It was so real. An
hour ago In our own garden I sat to rest
from the sun—and I slept and dreamed.
And In that dream the hevaens changed.
The blue sky was blotted out In the blind
ing smoke—the voices of the birds were
drowned In the roar of guns, and Death—
Death stalked abroad and grinned and
reaped his harvest.
Faith—It was of war you dreamed?
Valor—Yes, dear—war! I dreamed that
all that were human became as beasts, and,
shaking themselves free from their llgnt
covering of Christianity, tore and gnawed
at each other’s throats. Hell vomited forth
her legions of destruction and the stars
around us stopped In their flight to watch
a world gone mad with savagery and hate.
Faith—It was but a dream!
Valor—Of course—lr was a dream—that's
all—a dream!
Faith—And how can such a dream of hor
ror live for a moment In the bright sunlight
Of reality?
Valor—True! true! How can such a
dream live In the sunlight?
Faith—My father would have to quarrel
with your father—and—why, there’s noth
ing for them to quarrel about, Is there?
Valor—Of course there Isn’t I'm sorry
I apoke about the dream—let us stt over here
and talk of other things. (They go to a
bench and sit there.) You love me. don't
you?
Faith—Forever and forever!
Valor—God bless you! (Embraces her
Voices heard off.) Who Is that?
Faith—It Is my father, Content! (Enter
Content, an elderly man, soft-voiced and dig
nified. Valor tells httn how he loves his
daughter Faith. Courage, Content's son, en
ters. He is overjoyed at the love between
his sitter and Valor. Valor and Faith exit.)
Courage—Don’t you think they will be
happy together, Father?
Content—Yes, my son; they will be .happy
together always If Fate, the Jester, doesn't
happen to notice them and choose them as
playthings. (Drum roll heard off—not loud.)
Courage—What's that?
Content—Our cousin, Discontent, per
haps.
Courage (looking off)—Yes, Father. It Is.
But why the drum?
Content—His moods are many. And It
may be that the music of the drum makes
his footsteps lighter. Since his visits are
few and far between, we shall forget the
manner of his coming In the warmth of our
welcome. (Enter Discontent, tall, dignified,
iron-gray hair, nervous, irritable, clad in semi-
military attire. There are three of his sol
diers with him.)
Content—It Is so good of you. Discontent,
to come to see us here In our quiet garden
—you are more than welcome.
Discontent—I know. You say that to
everybody—and you mean it. Oh, I give you
credit—but 1 can't say It—there are few
who come to my garden and welcome.
Content—Have you ever tried to make)
them welcome?
Diecontent—I don't see the sense of It.
Content—I feel sometimes that my smile
reflects the happiness of my people.
Discontent—How do you know they are
happy?
Content—1 know—because they are care
free. They are happy In their work—happy
In their homes—happy In their children.
Discontent—Well, they're tooling you. But
my people don't fool me. I know they’re
not happy. Why should they be? This World
wasn’t made for happy people.
Content —In this best of all good worlds
why shouldn't I find good In everything?
Diecontent (who has been sipping wine,
suddenly throws glass away and gets up
quickly)—Ob, to hell with this stuff! (Cour
age takes a step toward Discontent.)
Content (dismayed)—Cousin, I’m aston
ished!
Discontent (angrily to Courage)—Why did
you take a step toward me?
Courage—Because you
Content—Quiet, son! (To Discontent)
What’s the use of quarreling over nothing?
Discontent—Nothing! There must have
been some reason for It or I wouldnt quar
rel. There was a reason, wasn't there?
Content—I don’t know what it Is—unless
the wine was not to your liking. (Content’s
three serrants in background snicker.)
Discontent—There! you hear that—they
laughed at me! (Turns to his three soldiers,)
You heard them laugh at me—your duty!
(Three soldiers aim guns—fire—the three
servants fair—dead. Courage goes to them.)
Discontent—Npw, there’s a reason—Isn't
there? (To soldiers) Go! Call my people
together! (Soldiers exeunt. Faith and
Valor run on from right).
Valor—What has happened?
Discontent—My son! stand here by my
side! (Valor starts).
Faith—Valor! (Valor hesitates.)
SCENE II.
Where the storm Increases.
A rural landscape, a field of corn anfi fence
in the foreground.
Sensible Is standing by the fence. There is
a gun lying at his feet A bugle call is
heard as curtain Is rising. Phlegmatic
enters, dressed in street ciothes. Sic
carries a gun.
S ENSIBLE—Welf, Phlegmatic, you’re go
ing, are you?
Phlegmatic—Yes, Sensible
Sensible—I don't want to be Inquisitive,
Phlegmatic, but why are you going?
Phlegmatic—Well, If it’s written that way
I don’t see what I gain by dodging the Issue.
I’ve put my house lu order, and, well, what
ever is to be will be! (Buglfr call.) There
It Is. So long! (Exit Phlegmatic. Enter
Energy.)
Sensible—You're off, too, are you, Energy?
Energy—Look at me—see the life—the
vitality—the strength—that’s what is want
ed, Isn’t It?
(Exit Energy. Enter Venture.)
Sensible—'Well, Venture, why are you
going?
Venture—Why? Think of the mystery
of It—I don’t know what is In store for me
and I’m curious. Out there, the plank I'll
walk between Life and Death will be so
narrow that my nerves will be all a-tlngle
with the uncertainty of every moment.
(Bugle-call.) That’s for me! (Exit Venture.
Enter Thrift.)
Sensible—Well, my friend Thrift, why
are you going?
Thrift—Because It’s twelve dollars a
month and no board to pay. (Enter Boast
ful)
Boastful—Hello, Sensible!
Sensible—Oh! Boastful! so you're going—
and why?
Boastful—I’m going because I can do big
things—because single-handed I can cap
ture a trench myself. Yon know what I've
done In times of peace—ever see any man
could lick me? Well, wait till you see iqe
now In times of war. (Bugle call.) That’s
me! Say! watch me—that's all! It’s m.v
war from now on! (Exit Boastful. Enter
Cowardice. He walks on reluctantly.)
Sensible (turns—sees him)—Well, bless
my soul, Cowardice You don’t mean to tell
me you're going?
Cowardice (t ear full y)—Y es—yes—l—I'm
going?
Sensible—But why. Cowardice?
Cowardice—I don't know—I’m frightened,
1 tell you. I’m afraid to stay borne—and
I'm afraid to go. (Bugle call.) Oh, my
God, that’s for me! Oh! what’ll I do—
what'll I do? It’s no good for me to go—
something In my brain telling me—telling
me to hide—to run away and hide. Oh!
God help me! God help me! (Exit Cow
ardice. Enter Patriotic.)
Sensible—Well, Patriotic, all ready for
the uniform, eh?
Patriotic—Yes, Sensible, I’m ready, and
I’ve been ready ever since I was old enough
to lift this gun!
Sensible—And,why are you going, Patri
otic?
Patriotic—Why? Because my beloved
country calls me—she calls—and If I had a
thousand lives I’d give them all to help save
her honor (Exit Patriotic. Enter Duty, a
man; Devotion, a woman, and Innocence, a
child.)
Duty—Now, Devotion, dear, we must part.
Devotion (smiling)—Yes, Duty, I know!
Look! In her baby eyes she’s asking why her
father has to go?
Duty (to the child)—Because, dear, your
father's name Is Duty—and this is the hour
of sacrifice!
Sensible—And this Is the hur or sacri-
fice—I wonder if -that is the best reason of
all.
SCENE III.
In the Fury of the Storm.
The battlefield. A trench. In the distance
tree*.
The telephone in the trench rlnge, Courage
take* the order. The sound of rapid fir
ing is heard. Bullets strike the trench
embankment. Indifference enters. He is
warned by Sensible, but exposes himself,
and falls dead. Boastful falls asleep. Duty
falls backward, mortally wounded, Into
Sensible’s arm*, who binds a handkerchief
about hit head.
D UTY (holding handkerchief)—Look in my
pocket, Sensible—that little shoe—have
you found it?—his first little shoe—hold It to
my lips! (Duty kisses the little
shoe.) .Put it back—over my
heart—let it be there when they
—when they— (Growing
weaker.) Give me my rifle!
Somebody hold that handker
chief over my eyes! (Sincer
ity docs so.) Now help me for
ward—aim the rifle for me and
tell me (Sensible does so.)
Courage Meets Valor.
VALOR—Come on—let us try to put the mark of Cain on
each other’s brow!
‘SfifW
Death and
Famine
in
the Trenches.
FAMINE—I have helped you Death!—I h
the sheaves.
DEATH—Yes, Famine—you »ve done we
unavailing if the hearts of men w« i tuned to g<
against brother, the wise and the d wise, the poo
my feet, like leaves upon the winds f Autumn—
So I stand and smile and watch ini wonder—wl