New York Clipper (Mar 1923)

14 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER March 14, 1923 LOWELL SHERMAN AS DOPE FIEND GIVES FINE PERFORMANCE "MORPHIA," a play in Ihrcc acts, from the GmiUD of l.uilwig llerzcr, adapted bjr R. Duncan McNali. Pretcnieil at the Eltiiiee The^itrc TucsJay aflerooon. March 6, 0\ST JoJian Wade ...Lpwell Sherman Mrs. Morrison Alice Flemtog Dr. Grant ; .Allieit Taveirucr Nurse Margaret Olive Tell The play is being preseated as the newest of the special matinee series. Lowell Sher- man gives a remarkable performance as a dope fiend who straggles against love of the narcotic and a woman. ' From a prac- tical and medical standpoint the show is apt to mislead the aodioice when the ad- dicted one manages to satisfy the terrible craving for the drug by merely fighting against it, and taking the woman who of- fered her body in an effort to save him. Sherman has the role of Julian Wade, a writer, addicted'to the drug habit for several years, doe to the fact that he has been abused by a former love. Olive TeU, OS Nnrse Margaret, is the childhood sweet- heart of Wade who has always loved him, since both were - children in Scotland. .Nurse Margaret comes to the apartment of Wade, clad in her regnlation outfit, and wants to help the writer give up the use of opiates. In the struggle that follows, she offers henelf to faim, or as he says, became his wife. In the early hours of the morning he. is through with drugs and dirows aw^ lus' hypmlermic syringe. Sherman in the meantime Aoea some; sensa- tional work, reproducing all of the facial and other expressions that go with the plight of a fiend who is nnable to take his dope at his osnaL time. . . Olive Tell shiaes also with her art 'and docs unusually well in her part of the strug- gle and sacrifice. Between the two principals of the cast the play is done minus any jttgma that might ordinarily attach itself to a play of this so^J^- _ Others in the qist helped considerably, Alice Fleming doinp; the'613 Scotch servant and Albert Tavemier was the doctor. Probably, to adapt the play in a way that would be more truthful to the hard and- &st &ct3 regarding the stopping of a hmg standing drug iiabit, would nave de- tracted ftvm the-<ua^tic force-and heavy moments. of the piece. A dope play that. would really help the thotisand. and one drug ' addicts- wotild not.be amiss. However, there is nothing about "Morphia", that is repulsive in any . w^y antl. the perfbrmance of the actors is worth seeing. ENCHANTED COTTAGE REHEARSING Azthur Wing Pinero's latest play. The Enchanted Cottage;" was replaced in re- hearsal this week by -Willtam A. Bradiy. Hw play will op$n «>i|t-o( tpwn the early part of next moalfa aind will be.brought in the fen^wing wedc for' a metropolitan .tlNA ABASBANEL SIGNS Una Abarfaaoel is to .be featured by Carle Carleton. in "A Javanese Doll" the latter part of April. TTie play is an Aus- trian product, written l>y Rndolph Lothar, which is being .adapted for its American presentation by Qaia Knmmer. -MR. BLIMP" NEW PLAY NAME. jnitn Heniy Meara has -dianged the title of his piece from The > Blimp" to "Mr. BUmp." The piece.is' sow at tiie Olympic Ttati^ Chioga Herbert.. Cortfaell is feBtnred In tbe cut. "MINNIE AND ME" NEW MITZI SHOW "Minnie and Me" has been diosui as the_ title of Mitzi's new starring vehicle which was placed in rehearsal this week by Henry W. Savage. The piece is a fan- tastic comedy, with music, by Zelda Scars and Harold Lievey. authors of "Lady Billy" and "The. Dinging 'Vine." It will open out of town the early part of April. In addition to the' diniinutivc star, the cast will include Boyd Marshall, Sydney Grecnstreet, 'Vira. Rial, Adrian Roslcy, Worthe Faulkner, Jeannette McDonald, and others. Ann Grosvenor Ayres,- general press representative for Henry W. Savage will blaze the trail for the new Mitzi show, while Charles G. Washbume has been spe- cially engaged by the Savage office to han- dle special exploitation for "'The Cling^g Vine," the otiier Savage musical piece now at the -Knickerbocker. ' TO BE "PAPA JOET AGAIN "Mister Malatesta," now pbyiog at the Princess Theatre, is to be renamed and commencing this week will be called "Papa Joe," the name under which the piece had a tiyout performance in Stamford before coming into New York. "SPORTING THING" CLOSING Emily Stevens will conclude her run in "The Sporting Thing to Do" at the Ritz Theatre on March 24. Oliver Morosco, producer of the show had the theatre on a five weeks' lease at $4,000 a week. "THE BLOND BEAST/' WELL PLAYED AT SPECIAL MATINEE "THE BLOND BEAST," a anedy by Bout McTom. Prooited mt the Plynaotith Theatre, fecial matinee, Friday after- ooon, hfaxch 2. CAST Urm. HalUda Gretorik.'...Alice Lockatone Vltginia Baldwin Jcinie Begg Ura, Hannah Baldwin........Rita Harlan Dr. William Nagnt Joseph Sheridan Adam Gretorik, .Ph. D Arthur HoU Chanoa Effmgbajn Pinto In "The Blond Beast," Henry Meyers Ills selected' for his "^east" a burly in- liabitant of our own West Side, and around him has showered dialogue that smacks .more of some foreign sage than it does of a new American author. The whole is fairly amusing and supplies an entertain- ing hour or two, for it has some excellent spots, despite a few absurd stretches. Arthur Hohl, as Adam Gretorik, Ph.D., the title role, is a sort of-modified "Hairy Ape," for with his brutal activities is mixed a certain ,amotmt of mentality. He might .enter a drawing room, and is apjiarently a very- intelligent person, yet at the slight- est provocation he' is ready to enjoy any sort of fistic fray, and is not altogether averse to a verbal scrap. Although big mentally and physically, the beast is finally tamed by a woman, 'Virginia . Baldwin, played by Jeanie Begg. TJils girl refuses to be either laughed, or argued down in any way, and soon the beast changes from a lioa to a lamb. In the meantime the action is more material than it seems offhand. Qianna, a disciple of Buddha, spills much Hindoo philosophy, and does some stimts effectively. As the blond beast Arthur Hohl put much force and vigor into the role, add- ing a bit of the fantastic at times. Effing- ham Pinto, as the Hindoo, proved to be wholly adequate, being suave, as such role calls for, yet. alwajrs plainly- understood. Jeanie Begg, as. the. heroine, managed to get throng ^ci; performance in commend- able styles and 'die rot of the cast helped .to e imiuiJ ge.tlie. pi od mn to try the {day for an eveuiug pruducljou. "PASTEUR" NEW HENRY MILLER PLAY AT THE EMPIRE "PASTEUH,'* a drama in five episodes, by Lucien Guitry. Adapted for tbe American stage by Arthur Homblon*, Jr. Produced at the Empire Theatre. Monday evening, March 12. ■ CAST Bigo Hartley Power Dalimier Frederick Lewis Raulio Lyons Wyddand Roux Hubbard Kirkpatrieic Bergeron Edward Mackey Edouardcs Frank Hay L.ouis Pasteur Henry Miller President of Academy .-..Howard Kyle Dr. Poggiale Wilson Reynolds Dr. Guerin Leslie Stowe Dr. Balard Elmer Brown Baron Larry Stephen Wright Prof. Colin Louis Renault Joseph Meister Willtam Pearce Theodore Meister A. G. Andrews . Dr. Grancber Albert Bnining Henri David Belridge President of Republic £. Fielding Attendants, students, membera of the Academy of Medicine, etc Henry Miller, who plays the leading role, is not altogether new to the vehicle, having played in it last season on the Pacific Coast. Consequently, his perform- ance was smooth and well done through- out the five episodes. Last year the drama was seen in France when the centenaiy of Louis Pasteur's birth was celebrated. The play itself has a moral lesson, it being brought out that, while many great steps have been taken to combat disease, by science, nothing has been done to do away with the causes that make nations go to war with all of its subsequent suffering and destruction. In the first episode Pasteur is seen in his laboratory, having been made a pro- fessor at a university three years before. As his students assemble for the lecture, news of the impending war is in the air, and soon the war braks with the subse- quent dispersing of the students. The pro^ fessor is saddened as he sees his students go away and is thinking of returning the decorations received from Germany. In the second episode he is seen deliver- ing a lecture in the assonbly room of the Academy of Science, while doctors of course are skeptical and ridicule his theo-. ries. This is made effective by having various physicians attending the address seated in parts of the theatre and heckling the speaker, etc The third episode concerns a true inci- dent in the life of Pasteur, the checking of hydrophobia by inoculation, the first ex- periment being made on a boy who was bitten by a mad dog. This took place in 1885. The boy who has been treated is seen in the fourth episode, and the doctor's love for children is shown, etc., and the next scene shows his hour of, triumph, when the President' of the Republic and other ercat men pay tribute to him at the Sor- bonne. Mr. Miller's impersonation of Pasteur is done with care and artistry, being at the age of 23 at the opening of the play and then appearing as middle aged and older in subsequent scenes. .^U of the character- istics of the great physician are produced with minute care by Miller and the con- trast is well done, when he is a feeble old doctor trying to prove his theory. His performance gives one an excellent idea of how the discoverer of great things must have lived. The rest of the cast -was ex- cellent, being composed wholly of men and one child actor. The piece has suffi- cient dramatic force and easily holds the interest throughout the five episodes. Andrew Hack is now. playjpg the role of the Irish father in "Abie's Irish Rose." CHILDREN TO PLAY "MERTON" With an all-children cast from the Pro- fessional Children's School, the board of directors of the school and a group of prominent women, with the permission of the authors, will present a special matinee production of "Merton of the Movies" at the Cort Theater. April 12 for a building fund for the school. Billy Janney, who plays the part of Jimmy in the oriidnal production, will be Merton. MOROSCO CASTING FOR STOCK Leslie Morosco, artists' representative, who recently cast the entire company for "Mon Papa," Oliver Morosco's next pro- duction, is engaged assembling two stock companies for Henry Duffey, the Wash- ington stock company impresario, who re- recently acquired two new theatres for stock productions. "KING LEAR," WITH REGINALD POOLE LATEST REVIVAL "KING LEAR," by WUliam Shake- speare. Presented at the Earl Carroll Theatre, Friday afternoon, March 8. CAST Earl of Kent Moffat Johnston Earl of Gloucester Arthur Hu^es Edmund Lawrence Cecil Lear Reginald Poole Goneril Winifred Johnston Regan Kirah MarVham Cordelia f Genevieve Tobin (Courtesy of Arthur T. Hopkins and F. Ray Comstock) Duke of Albany Paul Hnber Duke of Cornwall Frank Arnold Duke of Burgundy Jameson ReiUy King of Franc** Gregory Safranac Edgar Lawr.ence Tibbett Oswald William .Austin Curon Norman Cope Fool Beau Karm Knight.... Charles Bradley Gentleman to Cordelia. .Gregory Safranac Servant to Cornwall Jameson ReiUy Old Man Norman Cope Messenger to Albany Jameson ReiDy Doctor Norman Cope Captain employed by Edmund. Frank Arundel The season's newest contribution to the Shakespeare revivals is a scries of spe- cial matinees done by Reginald Poole, who has selected as his play "King Lear." Practically everything connected with the production proved disappointing to the patrons, who could not see either Mr. Poole's idea of costuming, or his choice of cast for the various characters. Be- ginning with Poole himself, who played Lear, who failed to make any impression at all as voice for one thing, is not suited to the strong lamentations uttered by that character, and foing down to the minor characters, few seemed to have been fitted for their respective roles. At best the play is one of the most diffi- cult of Shakespeare's works to produce and few have attempted it. Yet Poole has gone so far as to costume the players in the dress he thinks worn by folks in that period -ivhen the Bard of Avon was a boy. For this there is an explanation on the program, and the student Poole defends his course, meantime telling what he thought of Shakespeare's intelligence. A few bright spots among the cast, and very few, were supplied by Moffat Johnston as Kent, Arthur Hughes as Gloucester, and Kirah Markham as Regan. "The Cor- delia of Genevieve Tobin was impossible and worse; Beata Karm, in the fine role of the Fool, did what might have been expected of a slim little actress wholly unfitted for the part. Outside of its being a Shakespearean production, the play was presented about as poorly as anything seen on Broadway in some time.