Variety (Nov 1936)

66 VARIETY E CCi t I M 4 ¥E Wcdnesdaj, Novemlier 18, r936 (lESLIE HOWAItl)) Leslie HowhxTi's' Production of trogfdy. by S:valv<:!ji>eai'p tH.-vCrs'lon by- Schuyler .Waiw; thve fcks (i:{,Bcenc8); staged by H6\v;ir<l. .~and 'John:'HOuaemiiT)'; eeta ' aiid' costumes. -^Stifiv-iirtT—^C?lnineyi~piayor'.»-^w ije MlHc; fohclng 8ccn«; ShnteUt; .at Imr peiJftt N. A^;:«by; :iO, :.'.aO top (f J.W .oj'enloist, "■ . Kllig Claudius......i.... ;. ..■Wlirrld' t^-^iltei Quesn Gertrude... ...... .iBfary Secvosisi Gho^t of. King -Hamlet.v., .VVJohn Barclay trlnte Hnnilet. ... :'. .. i..Leslie Howunl Lord rolonlua^........,i.Aubrey . Mather IwiPrte.*"..,..... .....'..;. .Clifford . ISvana 0.i)hetfa....,.....,>. i .Pamcja Sftanley V Horatio,;.i. ,',•'« • Joseph .;.HoU!iiid Marcclluis.-..... • i.......».iN'e^ley Addy KarnhrdO,,....'»'».•< . .'...> .'. .'John .Parr'ish FrancIacOi. 1 j.-. i. i..... *.., v.. ..Paul -Genge Boseiicr.intz; '. Denis Green ti.ulldenstcrn ......^...k Winston O'Keefe . First Pla.vcr, ;<.. .. ,. .Hertiert Rqibson Player Klnp....^..'.w.4..Alex'ander Scoiirby JJlnjier Qusen^... '. ..,. v.. v, .Mary .Mc'.Vor Prologue. .\. . .t:t. . r.-Madelyii ■ PhUHps JPIrst Grtivedlgger. j i,... .Stanley LathbUry : iSet'OMd <5rovejiIlgtrer',.\.'..;Q^Z. Whlteheeil •^Chaplain.. 1:.....;,;....;.,.. .Eric. Alansfield .iOsrlc;. . t i^': ;,.i/;.,..;... ..Albert. Carroll ■ A ■ Gpntlenian.... .-. .•Edward 'Potter Vrlrice, JTOUIiibras. i...,.. <. .Wesley Addy Norweigiah Qiaptalni.....•;. . ,>Pa]«l'. Genge Courtiers—Vernon. Thinner, . John p.vrd. J^qies Hayes; Airthar SSwerllhg, Paul •FiMter. lilchard Ggden, jlichard Canleron, ■ ■■.■.Edwafa-Potter. • . . ' . ' • .>iCourt\ Lnidles—Gay. 'Adfrins,- Janet Hill, : ■ Tbiil. Sorek I>aphrie ''Bayh*,. -Maryj Shower, •'ijow' .Splneaiii,' ,Daplm&. .Syjva, .'Joan ;:;:Adrlahvv--v:.•;.-v. . ■/.?■.. ' (pAges^Eligene: Fniiiels; ■ Pblllp - Sudana, Ichuta ;ciiyt9h, ;*Mehj;<»i»'^.*^ v. . . Boldlenr-^eorg^ Jngham, Qeorge -.Vo}k; ' 'llenry L^onordi,' - Keith ilatadall, ugh Noi',toh/.BOurn,Blpod,i : • . After the iirsi-iiight pertormancci we, 'iOr. ai- vqainu^e .and spdke^'about thef diffi- . <!Ulty of d6ihe 'Haihlet' arid how it if^W cbnipjurisons. : '.VMiCKhe'he v):as }u$t prbjpping himself ^- . up ;;for vt^ liiioniiiig-s; j61t he- V cause, th^re is bo'-ytay pf jaVpiding : ■ cbnipdi'isoi^s^speciaUy wheti there :Vjate t#o: pfdductiphs of 'HaMet* clir- >-:::ient.--^ _ , . "-^ ':,'A^ It:'" is p)rohat>iy V iiiifbrtunate for ; Howard ' that Tiev coihei ih "at' this V ' tithfe.^ It i& possible that his versioti : of 'Hamlet' ;would be accepted jnore r~:^i?eBdiiy andMwith ^^^g^^ ..lie didn't IcflldlW (and: iryyi^: cdnipete With):..the HanUet -of jJohh Gielfwd. V' Bi^cause^ thbugh Gielgud is. an .uri■' ■^ known to .the U. S.,: and thowgh ■ Howard ii an accepted istar with an ,. admitted'vbjQ; pull, Howard's Hamlet .. ii^ >yithout: doubt;'apd^ b^^ any standr ' •■ ard., .a •■ bad second: from an-: aciitif' ,'; staha0diht: And > ih .apting. isjarid- point is the only bne that ean beap> i>lied to a berfoirm^nce of 'Hamlet' ; a^ the. gainie. • Gutiotiv tlte- fascination thfa part lia^ for Victors; ..tnie^^^^^ ■ for it isopner Pi* later. Howard's • peirformattc*' p at a' different itirn^; might bie acceptable. 'It is an :.• :iBafey-comei^ecs^^ •sort-, of- perforih- .' ahce. It is hot studied 'or calculafedr V, even though it is .a bit Jorced .m :, frequently '<^over-theatrical.t, Whferbas : Gi^lilud^^giVe^ th.iEi. jlmpt'essiori: of havr .: iifgvy/eighe(| and studied each line, ; ■ each •word, and Us6s' all of them to their iullert, Howafifd. goes through it /. more haphazardly. And thiat is not r"^rgood*ifQr this payt; '. because it is a difjicultvone.- 'Gielgtid's Hamlet;i^ a slightly mad man, fightihg With himself as .well .'. as- his surroundings. Hpward's^Ham- ••->Jlet ''is: that :6f a cool; calculating .: yoimgster: • .bertt '•• bntevenge ' .at " no matter . What cost. • z^,-.-.' " 'A: .-mistiike Howjlrd-rihakes is^in ,p)^Qduction. . Hiij is'.afc.viEiry expehsive^ ; ~;^hQW,>.tbpihtavyr.-ittvfcen^ - -Gost Something Uke $75,wt|>;and looks it Lo6kS;; it so niucHr 'as a njatter. Of . - fact, £^^to' frel^uently'vbedwiarf 'the - script and the: actors. Especially is this noticeable in ; the .'ship-^cene (not usei^yat 'all" byVGiielgud): In this scene the jentife stage is occuf i Ipiied. by a Wfaissive. bii)at;.which : can't he.lp .but .dfaw applause , at ^ sight. Then Hovi'ard clambeirs lip, .way up, on topT aimpst to the curtain edge; ( and. stands alone on the prow of the ship while' he 'igives out a' soiiloo.uy. He looks like a midgut:way,tip there arid he ..can only' barely be hea:rd. In this-' respect it .is notable <that GielgMd's is .'also'a costly productioh/ .having rim. to.'iiomething like' $45,-^ . OOi), . Previously . ?Hamlet' ;ha$ h?trdIy . • >. ev^^ Played against,So mtich ^ scenery. Even the John Barrymore- m ' Aiithur r Hopkins prbductlon' in .1922 ■-£afcas^^-'.a_jcQii5j^^ ^ from a scenic standpoint. .Now come thes6 two big fellows'Bnti Gielgtid's: ; isheavy, but • Howard's is ibver- heavy.'- t'r'om standpoint of Stewart Chaney.vwho designed the.jsets. it all o&pehds. If "he was told to go whole bag: atyd have himself a party, he . tates a bend, .If he was told to de- ilfth • a useful but: attractive: 'Ham* letV produdtion he has failed^ . Gielgud is more fortiinate: ca.st strength, alisp. He managed to get a half-dozeh first-rate .actots to work with hiih, including a: couple naihes. fiPward wasn't s^p interested in names; he has ispmie capable talent with hta). but not enpugh sp; At ]^a$t» Hot ini opmpafison.' And there —ibt^lsoii bugabpo again; W^ter, imported from the part of, the KiiiR, is , _ Ifttetf; 'H(f lopks. ilhd nets h**ift i geW who knows and■ plays:any ..pr .idi^^bf Jthci Shakespe'arean roles. Aubrey.rMathei? makes , a comedian otit of..vPplbniijs. He is ahbther import His is en- grossing, p^fo^manfie, - varied from the usual, run. It is . a cpmpl<itely different conception of the role than has-rArthur-flyrPnr-in-the^'Gielgudv version :and it: is' a 'tOiss-up ■which is best '. They?fe both good in entirely different ways. Clifford Evans, another ;.impprt. is: La6rtfes; he is. rather small; for the part as opposed to Howard, which is. unfortunate. His is :ii fiety and active. performance...' Mary Servoss plays 'the Queen , conventionally and without nieanihg mu<;h; Gielgud h?is Judith' Anderson' in this tble, and giving bp® ot her top-form perforriir ances. ^liss, Servpss gives the im-: pression of npt lilcihg her assignment much;": . •/ Pamela Stanley, still aiiothier im- port,; is okay. as Qphelisi. She cpihes a: bit closeir to • realizing it, perbaps, thaii does Lillian Gish in the Giel-: gud version; :'she's almost believable; in the mad scehe, morie.sp certainly thari the average generally has been in- that incredidible bit of writine Smaller parts are handled, accept- ably, but not brilliantly, by the rest: pf the large, eompahy. :. Joseph Hol- land as 0 Horatio - stands, out, whiliei Stianley 'Lathbury muffs the first @rav^ii;ger assi^ment .and Albert airrpU is 6hly fair" as Osfic. vCbstuifnes are ColPrful and staging good.' with a..distinct bow due . the bhe (probably Jphn.Hbuseinain) re- sponsible for the excellent lightini?: ; Howard is lodged in a very big hoiise With, this producti which feives him a lot of b?lcbhy.. seats to sell;-always-a fins'^-i^ation fpr a ShakesjDCiare;'. piroductioh. ■■: His .matlr nefes, ought tp be . goOd on strenjrth of his femme pull. - But even so he wbn't'be able to cover his heavy, ttut A lohk time in New Yoifk. He should be able to get .the: sho^v's niOney bapk bh the road, hPwever. Kaujr. v ijOUBLE DUMMY Farce lii' two actij presented at Gbldsin;. X; T.v Sov. II, '3(1, by . Mark Helllnger land James R. Vllniftn: :«rrltf,cn'" by , Tom McKnlght ana T)oty" Herbert; ataged .by. Eidttli Meiser;'$3.^30 top. . • Hyriile. ;'. ^i i .l^.-.. .-i ».»iTeddy Bergman Clancy.. ;„,> ....^...V.i.. J Albert O.. West ,Braln» McGlll.,.,.,-. .■. .Charles D. Brown :l»rlftclpar;Ke(>pi?r;Wllllftnii TP. .Nugent Milton Welntraubi;. ..Joseph, ■ Kleeraji -.^Vnrden William' JJuBoae. .Pudley Clements Mrq.\ Graham.;.^..,v........Carrie >Vellcr f-iou..;;.....;....;. .Barl>ar« -Weelta ?rof.' Ohrlstiah, John MoGovern Mrs. Nilssbaiim;."..•..Adelaide Klein Garo.l Grls\voI<t..;.... .'iMartha' Sleeper, Nulio Sykea..;,i..».Hanley Stafford teo. Eothstcin-,,..; i.'. i'i ,. ,'Sanford Blckoi't ,Ml3s Willis..,:..;.- ..".i-..; ..Lesley' Woods Dr. Janies Starr .... .'.. 0\ven Coll Ediih Jameson';.;. . . . .\ . .Cynthia'Rogers .<3ei!getttit Wlnchdl. .'t,.. .Robert J. Mulligan tAzy, .....1:,...;. iv.. •. \ . .William Call liioe.-....;... 1,..;... .,Pnt: Collins Radr*. Anhouihcor.,,....:. .Paul Douglou (!;nlohel Orowlisr.".Albert Smith .Bum......i,,.-.,v..;Marvln .Blackstorie Ted Huplrig;,'.'.. /;..... •..., . . .Ted Huslng , " ' <■■' 'I •• • i Mark Hellingerj ; colurhnist has enteried the mainagerial field, teanied Ayilh : Janiei It ,Ullman,--anbther. younii . prpducer. ; ■ Their . maiden effort is a farce which. will, evoke; a differehce'of opinion but it is doiibt ifjul for^b.b^O- " '•■" ^"....v-;- ' 'Double Dummy'! is proiected as a laugh show, with the game of con tract: bridge principally jibed at. At times it seems too ridiculous, but if all the bridge hounds could be lured froitt the tables in- New Vqrk to the theatrbr the shov;: would fare okay. Tniete. are similarities in the cort- strtiction :;o£ the play: and .th< inanr ner of its';presehtation to, .'Shie:,Lo'\^es Hie Nfot,' a farce r'iot .of several sea- sons back; l3ouble-deck set- is, so familiar it coiild .almost be the same One, but isn't. In both pilayS the L president of a ■ college . is kidnaped, and in eath'instance. there is a^ strong situation, laugh, . Butv in 'Dummy' there r seem; to- be some .extraneous characters cluttering- " the action, play takes in . pleiity of territory, perhaps tbo much. ■ . Radi is rung i . frequently and ;occasibnally the voice"of'Ted;Htilsirig ii' heiird through the amplifier.: Ted; a; pdl bf.''Heilin^er's,"'dOes' hot. aii- ;^.ear, .Paul Douglias, also of the CBS ahnounGing-s,fafF, is in. th^ show. In the laitter :~stages.: of the performance hie appiears in a;'£la'ss-^ahelied'birbth' talking .through a' miicrbphohe, -de scribing the 'bridge .game Of the _century.' s .. ,, ^tikely^hatr-Hellinfeeir-cohtribU^^ some of ..the gags, of which there , iu'e vm$ny. Best giggle of the evening, hpwevfer,' a - ^situation laiigh, Bridge is regarded 'as" a:tacket, ;arid that, draws - the attention" of:, twtf paroled: cons; Brains McGill and his cell-mate,, Hymie, just a totigh guy. Warden .is a 'bridge /expert, and Bi-ai conceives the .plan of 'match.-' : iri'g: im against NuUo Sykes,. a bridgfe, racketeei'i They' hiaVe visions of cleaning up. In- this respidct, 'Dumffiy' 'also • reminds of 'Oi-wi / the track ^sHai-k in '3 Meri; oh a Horse.'- ' Sykes is warned about the Waij- d6rt's ability, 'and: his two ex'^con bodyguards take the fellOv/ out on a'train and send hini to a hospitaL Ahothet opponent is sebured in a isleight of; hand manner^ unbeli - able' nut stuff; 'Cliris Gideon;" pro- lessor of mathematioi^ residing in the ^me boarding' iiousi with Brains and his moll, becomes a, bridge es^ fiiert'bvpr^i T f .g*'*^^ rend.'t over 100 book^ on the game, and, after a few practicb rubbers, is tossed in against {Sykes and-wins. • He is a geniMS and knOws* eybry card;" the hand$ pt fli'e:.oth^i:' iE)layers. " \ FOr-: romance ' there a crapk stenographer in the rbom adjoining the professor's . - roopi. . She goes batty listening to: him one-finger a tiny typewriter.- She takes Oyer his i^piM as'.ai niatter of proteotioh and ifiills in.Ibw withTKiinV' .~r ~" LTrChades D; Brown, whj was in the ■actioni>f 'She liOves-Me'Nbt,^"is the main works iii 'Dummy/;plaiying Brains." He ' all ' over the Ipt 'Martha Sleeper as the stehOg stands but; so dbes John McGovern as the mathematician;; while ' < ; Barbara .Weeks; Dudley Clements ;arid Owen Coll Slsio cbuiit. . - • -r- There .is ' 'thiiK: police: sergeaint named* iaftev' One of Hellinger's coir iimhist .n pals; but . vdiether ;,that is supposed to be a bbitipliment or hot. is' nOt appaireht . ' . ■ r /•ehahces are: the play, will .make a: iveiiy fiinny film;;, Ibce. .: ><!?omedy.. in three .acts .presented at-Plaiy- ♦\ouse, :.N. v.; .Nov. '80, by William A, Brady;, . adapted by . Jan^e? Forbes , and Grace Gi^orSe from Fceneh, :Of 'ljbulB:.Ver- heiill; Miss George atam.l; A. E. Matthe^vs and. Rex. O'Malley -fMatured; staged by JosQ ,Rnbeb^ .|3.t:D; top. . yictoc MartlnotJ >,.......... . E. atthe Andre librrej5...;..;.,......;..,Jote Ruben Mnda Lesalng^...... .v. . . . i., .Grace Georg» Pauline. ...v. w,,.',y........ .May Marataail Irs.; Robert Levy-Dei Coiidrny.SyiVla Field, iaropeds Yon.' Gelderri'...noseAia'ry Ames, 'olohol Jouv'et.;. i...,...... iVlctbr Morley Florist...,A. j; Herbert pr. Robert Xevy7De"^C(>udray..Rex G'Malley I; .. First - half hour of- this hiew com edy .from; the French ;is gajir, Witty; ^d;iparkling. Second act is :a let- down, find, while the third is amusr ibg,. 'Matrimony Pfd.' . just '.manages to nfiiSs iri. total. :^Ijower ;'flpor dra-w' for- a .limited period is indic£ited> ^'So able a pTayipaker ais Barnes Forbes collaborated , with- Grace Geoi'ge, who "is starred,' in' the adaptation. They sucbeeded. in batchi the spirit of the ori'giiial, but there wasn't enough material .to. j^o'arOiind. ] ■ play was ,tried piit in'Westpbrt last 'summer under the title. 'The Difficulty Of Getting Married;' There it was regarded as out-dated. FOrbes ■j^hen ca'me in on the script. Try.^ out cast had Miss Geoirge in the. lead as; now,/ with .Winifred . lienihah playing the part now assigned to Sylvia Field. • -Story :centers around Linda; tes sing and" is localed,; in. her country hpn^ie near Paris. Linda is Pf middle age with 'a grown son :;Epbert, although she was neVer • married.. Seems that just when she was on the. verge of being- married sbrtie- thing always happened. - One prpsr pecfive groom died, another ran pfl with a differbht girl, and a third went, tip in a balloon iand never came, down: At the; moment I)inda and the wealthy Viptor Maihinot.have.set a wedding .day, but a" flossy baroness, after his coin, dates Victor upi for a little trip to: London. Son. Robert^ a physician with a jealous "wife, is brpught in'as his rftbther's rescuer, a(nd 'there is/ an indicated'afTair ber tWeen him and the baroness oh the nicht the latter was to have eloped with Victor.; And so "the marriage plans'prbceed: * ; -'Matrimony' , is nausthty, . yet so light 4h the playing that it's nice Miss George cOmeis back to .the the- atre 'with sp pleasing a performance that first-nighters were diverted ffpm the fact that mo^t of the eve- ning was trbth;. "Strictly, a 'dialog play and dfepbhdeht-on Vthe.^actors, •most ,of whom get:/all there .is to get from;the.script. '. ^ i, A. -E. • Matthews,, who has: griaced the stage, pfrthe Playhouse a number ojf tiiMs, .turns.:^n,:a..caoital.perform- artce as Victor. . Rex. d'Malley seeins selfrCQusciqUS. .iand; hig.''.Robert was rated under that at „the trybut Rbser ihary \Aifhes: is ■ decorative: . - the barohess, Sylvia Field is as i^e j£piLing,:jyife./ ^ . - - Jose Rubbh staged and , plays the fellpw . w.hb has. been . waiting around 30 years for Linda to . marry him. VictbrMorley is also present i -a Sihaller pairt; fbee. • HEDDA GABLER ../(NAZiiMioyA) Plavs Out of Tm ^PRIi^liJDE to XXILE " ' : ' Phiiadelpiii , Np^:ifi/ Play; In three acta by William JjcNuHy* presented, .hy Theatre Giilld; Inc;; features Wilfrid l4twflon, Eva r.,e Gnlllehna; tu» die Watson; at Chestnut; ;5tre:et. Qpera Houae, PhUuUeiphln, ;Nov. lO,:'aO; d.Hedted by Phfllp MoeUer; eettJhgs and costumes, -IiSe-Slmonsoh,.—-—:-U_^ i_;^:.;Li Countess Marie D' Agoult..,. T.iuclle w«tson .VdoIph.>............... ...... .Roland Hogue Cbslma 'Liszt "voU'"BUlow.*. Miriam. Bnttlata. Hanb von Butow.,,..Manuel Bernard fBlcbnM Wagner, .WlUrld -.tnwsort Mathlelde, Wesendonck.va Le Galilenne Otto Wesendohck.. .... .Leo Q., Carroll Malwlna SchnoriM..Beat Hober' Ludwig Schnorr,.;... ... . . Arthur. Gerry Minna Wagner.;....».. 1'.... velyn Varden Theatre Guild's secbhd . new .pro-, ductibn of /the .1036-'37 season, is jhighiy Specialized as to theme, but jthe most unusual thihg about it is its Variability. Seldom have fitst- hight rbviiewet's hei:e in recent years been asked to cast judgment on a Play "which Vsp'rballjr mag? pificent- in - sbinlii scenes .and -do ; weak and ineffectiy? .in Others, i 'Prelude tp Exile* deals with a ■tistic. - daughter. With that the. shpw's ^current importance ends.< 'It is. the , portrait of > a:' iho'rbughly .centrifugal, small-minded . woman who crumbles everything and jeverybpdy .arPund with' her Into rtiih fpr ho reasPn other than her fego. .;■:: . ,. ' • ■'/: ' , While- NazlmPva ,. gets eVery iJ'PsV sible. moineht'$ breath but ;.bf jter titular assignment, she has mianaged to . surround herself with ah Un^ usually dull supporting cast. Ed- ward TreVor as Eilert, stepped into the assignment oVer the weekend .with only a . half dozen rehearsals, but.does.quite well- He suggests, in., fact, that he heeds closer watch- ing in the futurer,; for he may be jaj real star in the ihiaking. McKay Morris is. hopelessly wrOng :as Judge Brack, suffering. from either mis- direction or a complete personal misconception Pf the role. Violet Frayne is another Who doesn't uh- vderstahd her role; she fails to get any -: of ' the inherent ' hopelessness ,and terror: into; her- work as .'Mrs, Elvsted. .Leslie Bhigham. sybils Jtilie by . making it a caricature too sharply' edgbdr instead- bf a char^ acterization.., Harry EUbrbe haSn't read his script as Tesman enough; he thinks - Tesman was ^a cbmolete fool instead of simply a. somewhat itufly sbhoiai'. ■ . Mme. > Nazimova directed and she ''Ives- a - creat perfbrrT»'>nce herself. Maybe that's the answbn Stewart Chane.v hais set the: show in his usual meticulously unimaei'- ; native frame, while the..lighting by A. H. Feeder is good. Kauf. L'HEURE bU BEkGER ; ('The Shepherd's Hpur'i ' ^ Comedy In three hot's ; y Edouard Bour- diBt; preaented by Frerich'Thcatre of^ N. T. ..fljt Barblzon-PIaza hotel,. Cour days weekly, IJeglnDlng'.Nov. 11, .'30; directed by.iGuy de Vbsiel; $2;20 top. ".. Tonto..forge.q. Reltnel . Prof.-. ' • .\.. k.,;. ;•. i .tTncQues Daroy Jea li .Bobcrt Rud te Franclne.,.i, ..; .LInar' Miirtlne Helene Bereerbn.,,......; T.buls Godart Mme. Lartlkue Irhelette Burnnl Ktlcnnette; ;... i Nenette Valloh Tw'igMy In four nctii (with one; Inler- mlsshm)- by HehriU Ibsen; ' stars Nizl- nliovav staged by N.Mziniovn; . set, Stewart Chancy; -at Longacre.'N, Y., Nov. 10, /3C: ^^..Tfi'top.:, ' ; ; . . MIp.s . Julli Tesman :i.e6lle Blnplinm BcilhK.i:..,i.'..Grace ills' Qebrgfi: Te.tnian.i.i ; .Hari-y Ellerbe Heddu -.Tesmanv^.... .., .Minrtie. JJazlmovii Mt$. Elvsted A' IpU . Frayne .TUtlge Urack.i...McKay Morris Ellert Xovbor ,,».;..*.;..> Odward I'revor •• Nazimovai is 100% in charge of this latest Ibseii revival; otherwise thete wotild hardly be aiiy reason fpr it. it is just another digging' into; the" files for a musty old play. Thei:'e seenis Very little cause for dtistihg itioff. arid setting; it up again at this time. . At al| times, this- de- pressihg "bit;of psychological prob- ing was thoroughly unpleasant and it's no less iso today*' ' ■ ■ Nazinjiova offers a splendid',per- formance as General 'Oabbler's ego-: De Vestei, French actor, .thinks Ne^y York, needs ai French language theatre. He tried it last year;' with himself as part pf the cast. Didn't do so badly, nor so well,, for that matter, and now he's back for another try. Except that last year he caUed his .giroup tile jFrench Theatre Guild and this year; the Theatre Giuild saw to. it that he changed the name. By any name it's an amateur trOupe ith, appeal only to element which, Jf/De Vestei cap attract it, won't be able tp hold unless he dishes Up more appetizing. theatre.; This is like all Bourdei plays, a sophisticated ■■■ 'upper-strata'• satire ■■ borderirigv mighty closely oh the •danger-line- from a- ^ex vstahdpbint. .It's about. ; young Wonian so - de* .voted to her papa that she becomes another, man's mistressv rather than mai-ry .hini;' in ordbr to b e ;ab le to cpntinue.fhe jllOsierTtfiat^e's sticlf- ing to . pop. Two or . three, otheir lo-ve affairs, legal arid extra-legal, are thrown in to . spice things, plUs a lot pf juicy (but hot actually dirty) lanEuage. The actors speak French fluently and, that about flhishes the acting subiect It's quite possibly that they're not amateurs^ But they're not professionals, ither, with :'any; rianking or standing,; at least not de- ■ servedly.--' .. . . The Play has, not been done' in English yet, despite Bourdet's rep, and that ' understandablei The direction is as sloppy-as the acting. Sets are cute in an inoflensi've sort of way. The theatre is being picketed by stagfehaiids' union be- cause, it's trying to get aWay: with rton.-uniOn hands. That probably won't hurt i this atmosphere, but it won't help. Kauf. brief period (only two days) in the "life btthe. famous German cpmpo.<*r, Richai'd Wagner, rh that brief pe- riod the audience is introduced tb threb of the many wpmen connected with the:name of thb composer. One is his first wife, Minna; another is ^Mathild^ WesendPhck, inspiration' jor.his;ispld0i ivath -whomJb«:.m^ tp have an actual affair but, accord- ;ing to the bbst histpric spurces^-^uc^' iceeded in having phly an airtistic iaflihity, and the third .is Gojiima, natural :daughter- of anbther-famous composer, Franz> Liszt. Last-named^ as far as this play of McNaily'.s is cpncerned, appears only ;as the ypiihg wife of Hans, von: Bil- low, but it is in the records that she, although 26 yearis ybiinger, later be-., came Waigner's second wife, survived him. by many years, and died only a little more than-10 years ago. In 'Prelude' there is Only a hint of the adoration felt by Gosima for 'The .Master,' and just a hint, also,' .of Wagner's-first famt flicker ,Of in- terest in the'ypung girl. Abcordr singly, she. is hot one of the: play's" Ibading" character's. Those who are include' Wagner, Minha; Mathilde: and Mathilde's hiisband. Otto WesenV, donck,:^'whb wais-the* composer's pa- 'trbn and,. fqr- some time, his only Viisiblb: means-of support. ;; ' i-*. .: Wagner.' :is.' showix at • the stage. when, living in -Zurich, he , is striving." desperatel.y. to find the inspiration for: his last-act-music of-'Tristan and' Isolde.'. At the same time* as; lover. and npt artist, he is ishowh endeavor- ing to persuade Mathilde^to/^lop^ . 5(vith .him.:. . Everrsijfterhig, woebe- Sbne Minna senses either, ah afTair , lat has started ;or is immineiit and: Igoes to Mathilde to ask, her to . give ' up: Bichard. Mathilde's;husband, also aware of the relationship; trie^ to fix things- so: that /Wajgner and Mathilde won't,«eeifeach other any .hibre.: "i(k'v •:'/^:^' jv . ' It's all tofr mui^ fer tte ^eippera- mental comi>Qser iivho^ fn'^Jireatsec'* .; ohd act scene, ^Jbcidbs. w leave. the" faithful' Minna. Ebr .a few brief* hours he believes Mathilde ls. going ;with hini but, at the 11th hour, she tells him the sad news—she's' de- cided to stay with her husband. \ At the end, Wagner, bom'plaining that Minna sbes hini only as a bus.* - band-and .Mathilde as. one desirous Of being her Ibver,. flounpes out the door, remarking incidentally- that Cosima, who has described him as a 'mission/ is-the only ohfe with, the faintest idea of his greatness. „ . Scenes bbtweeh Wagner and Minna are the high points of the play and. although several ' Of - the featured piayefs.give admirable performances' and Wilfrid Law.<ioA (as Wagner) an exceptional oije,: Evelyn Varden, vir- tually unknown here, won . spon- taneous, a.pplaiise On several Ocda- silrng for her playing of the naithetic wife. In hei". perhaps, McNally reaches his highest poiht;, . . Love scenes between 'V^Tagner and Mathilde are flov(rei?y. to. the exti-eme, jprbbably intendediy so.-because the composer was supposed to be seeing •her as his.Isolde, but,the latter char--: acter doeshit ring true. Eva Le Gal- lieiine, looking most, attractive^, has the tbughest role of the play., Lucile Watson is;seen as the Cbup- tess d'Agoult, mother of Cosima. and » at a ' previous , time the. mistress Of Franz Liszt.- In some scenes this fine' cbmedienne is excellent:- in one with Mathilde's husband in which , she de- scribes her career she is not so sat-- isfactory, but that scene shows si^ns Of much recent cutting- Leo G. Car- roll is gbod in the hard'-to-take role of Wessendonck. • ' ^ 1 Lawson, last seen: in 'Li ,' doesn't look like the same man here, but he again show? . he'5 9' consummate artist. Uneven in some . scene,<? (part's a very toUfjh one) he catche.s; the ,^ '.strange genius of the man. suoplies (with the author's helo) a lef<vening dose; of .'comedy, reaches high emb- tioPaV heights and reads Some of the ■beautifully; written ; and almost poetic sbeeches with fine, ferypr. . Play has beien haridspmelv si'a.ced arid'nicely directed ,bv , Philip Moel- ler. However, it is hiithly .soecial- ized and. aUhbUffh litely to finri fa-, •vpr With: the subsbiribers, wbn't. go ' ver-v' much 'past the ;subscr'»^+'''»n ve^^ rlbd.: V Waters. ■ i>(m% bp IT, 1^ Baltimbre, NoVr ll. ' Cortiedy In. three''acts . b.'i!' Asti. T^abant^ --Htttge<h^by—"XWHIirni—Prtcdlandei"-:—set-r^^ ' Amehd:-presented by ,'Ren Ford, st'MnvV- •■ land, IhUtlmore, >vcefc No\v 10, '30; ?2,20 top, . ■ • - ■ ■ Dr. 'Abraham Moses.;..WiUlhm Davi Dr. Lionel Moses.....,... . .-.Paul, Marion . Sadie-..... .........Osceola Archer Ming Wang;. i. .\ r,;..'.... Mlanim Plsko Clirlgtopher St. .... . :. .Paul Kverton.. LUa, St. .Tohn.v..v.Lottft LIntliicum,;. Rodney ^t., joli .......i.GlIbi^rt S^Quarey • Helen Turner.-..,-,..iS:vlvlii, Leiprh ■ Murphy.. i ...;..;... F.ni nk J-yon : A Reporter..... *..'..;...... ..Sylvia RolHn.s •A Photographer,;:.i...;..L*on Stern , Dorothy (Dodo) M ~ ;.....:Janet: McLeay If or when this piece comes into N, ,Yv, it vi'ill he .wearing a. new title, ,'Cjbod Neighbors.' But a change of tag won't give it : any brighter chance'and, by the looks of the play here, when 'thrOwn -into; the Rialtp puddle, it Won't even make a ripoie. Inexperienced writing; inept act- (Continued on page 67)