Variety (Nov 1928)

Wednesday, November 21, 1928 LEGITIM AtE VARIETY 55 Plays on Broadway MAJOR BARBARA Thoatro Guild presents revival, of. the gliaw play. Second production of .lllh Bubsirlption. season. lUrected by ThlUp Moeller. ' Settltigs by Redlnffton Sharpf. Cast composed of membera' of- the -UulUl Acting Co. at Guild theatre, Nov, 10. Slnphen Undershaft,. ...;Wa.urIce TVe.ls Lady Brltbmart IThderehaXt. .Helen WeslU-y Morrison .iBldore Marci! Barbara Undiershaft. • • • ■ .AVInlfred Lenlhnn Sarah Undershaft........ .Gale i^onderpaard Adolphus. Cuslns.,...... ....... .Elliot Cabot Charles Xomax.-.-,..... :Ghar!eg Courtneldge Andrew Undershaft. .Dudley plKRC-s Bummy Mltchens.,...,.'.Alice Cooper Clili'e Georce C. Tyler's annual production of masK-rpIece, produced under Mr, Tjicf's direction and staged by Douglas Ross. Stage designs by Gordon Craig. Unusually full rendering of the work,' arranged. In 14 scenes. Featured: Florence Heed, Ijyn Harding- and WllUarn Famum, with names In lights. . At Knickerbocker, New York, Nov. 10.-.ft top. Snobby Price. Jenny..,. •... Peter Shirley. Bill Walker., Mrs, Balnes., ■ Bllton . • •' • • • • • .« .......ISdgar Kent ,.Phyllis Connnrd A: P. Kayo ... . Percy Wnrn,m . Ed y t he . Tre.s.s I de r. , . .Ralph Sumpter That venerable white-beard, Georg? Bernard Shaw, began knock- ing down more royalties Monday from this land that sterns to wor- ship hini, for the Theatre Guild's tevival of the 23-year-old . "Major Barbara" hit it off well from the be- ginning and finally worked itself to the point where it looked like, .a moderate success, good for the Guild and great for Shaw. > . Shawl In the days , when ho wrote ^Barbara-' he Was soap-boxing it around thie town, getting lots .of stuff oft his chest. He was soaPT : boxing in this pla:y, too, , telling the world that each mart , must have a different morality, and that all nio- ralities but his own are somewhat faulty.. "Barbara" isn't, dated like sonie Of the other pieces. The re- cent war seems to. have given the blood and gunpowder aspect of it new life and the religion of Million-, aire Undershaft, munitions manu- facturer, seems to be applicable to -a world that Is as torn with its at- tempts at economic reform as was the world of the:play's fli'st days.- Plot's not hard to. get. The daugh-, ter of the munitions maker is a • major In the Salvation Army, AVill papa come see her place and take a chance on getting saved? Sure papa will. Will daughter come to see his cannon casino and take a chance on leaving the Army? ^Sure she will. Both game. Daughter and a drum-beater for tho Army are in love. . The drum buster Is a Greek professor; It Is suspected that he cares more for'her than for his Job, In the windup the futility of help- ing the poor, and the crime of pov- erty having been explained, one sees, the ex-Salvationists, Barbara and boy friend, booked for the cannon factory, convinced by Papa Und6r- shaft's Impressive though faulty logic that the way to reform the world Is to kill ofC one set and let the next work the miracles—Blood and Fire—the motto of Undershaft: aiid also of the Army! . >Jeat production the Guild has given the play, Shawbeing their staff playwright—somebody called him that—they do excellently by him. He does prctt/ well by them, too. The Times last Sunday oarned a story to the effect that all told, the Guild has givisn over 1,700 perform- ances of Shaw wiUiin the last .10 years. Figuring that they've pro^ duced a Shaw piece a year—one year they got hot and did two—it seems that the old boy's plays have a draw all their.own and thJit they usually hit between 80 and 100 per- formances. This one ought to do about that; .. ' Winifred Lenihan is the title role lady. Very nice, too. But the big sliot performances of the show are fired by Dudley Digges as Andrew Undershaft, aS great.a part as Shaw ever wrote into a play, and. Elliott nCTa^bl,'^ the'Greek-Prof.- Digges' good performance wasr no surprise. That man's always good; He will probably be better in a week or two, for he had a whale of a part to memorize and went through it Mon day letter perfect. But Cabot—hero is an actor who has been\ an In-and-outer,. some- times weU cast arid, sometimes riot. '—Here_he-jdays a role utte rly differ- ent, from those In his pas't, but-he- V,...*n ' nnMAM4:1«. Vtn/4 e,.*,Fv-it%otVi1 r, Hi- Duncan, Malcolm , , Donnlbaln.. ,.; . Macbeth, i. Hanquo.,..v.., Mac.duff.-.. i,... jcnnox..., ;,,' , Kbss... Montleth.... Angus'.. ,.,. Caithness.'. i,, Flea'nce. Slward; .,.,, Young Slward, Seylon:...,.;.....,, Lord..;......,..., An' F-nfifllsh Doctor; A Porter........... An Old Man.......'. Lady. Macbeth.. Gentlewoman First "Wltoh.. Second Witch,'.,,,, Third \Wltch. . . Flr.st Apparition... Second ■Apparition., Third Apparition... Klrs't • Murderer...... Second Murderer.;.. Singer,. Piper;......,;..; First Messenger..,. Second Messenger.. has apparently had sympathetic di rection and, more likely than not, he also worked out his part Intelli- gently hiriiself, for his performance, for. all its spontaneity and vervO; was well conceived and riever devi- ated from the laid-down lines. Others were Helen Westley, okeh, too Charles Courtrieidge, Gale Sender gaard and Percy Warom. excellent as a cockney tough guy, very tough and very cockney and very good. Whole show beautifully, directed by Philip Moeller,. One more crack about this ShaW guy. He'd make a hot Hollywbofl =.-.£A£515"z_ Mayljo even, a .sub-title w'ritor!" '(5no^"f"liisr^tt5C7!r^"i opry has the guard of^a muniti'ous plant; telling Undershaft that he rnuslM'L bring- anyUiing combustible near the placet "Sir," says Mrs. Undershaft, the old gal herself, "I hope you're^ not -referring to me!" This revival, last and first seen In this country 14 years ago when Gra:ce George played the lead, will easily stick out the Guild subscrip- tion season, and will be worth do' ins in Chicago next year. . Lait, MACBETH .Douglas Boss .,.'. .Buford Hampden, George Macready ,..', iMollolare OUphant .liyn Harding ......William Farhum ...Basil Gill ..'.,, ■ .. licohard MUdle ..William P. Carloton .. .Frank ■ Holma'h ..... .■. '.. Edwin ■ Lawson .........Bryan Hughes Tom 'Manning ......... Douglas. Boss ;,,. .Burford Hampden Harold Hartscll >,..;;. ..Mfred Dickens ,,:,,.,, ;S.teplicn Parker ....... .Perglyal Vivian .■..'...;,.; Leopold T:^he -, -.;. ...,.., . Florence ' Reed (By arrangement AVlth A. H. Wbods) ,. .Olive Oliver . ,.. .Leonard Mudle ,,', .Gerald. Llndgard '. .Arthur Barry ,;, Clay ton Fielding ..,.. '.. . JSvelyn Ross .Gloria Kelly ,. .■. Bernard Savage „'. . :. . Harold Thomas ,....■,.. Kvelyn^ Boss ........ Alex Ste^wart .Thoirias. Ruthierford , ...;Franli. Raymond Shows in Rehearsal George. Tyler lias made a. thor- oughly fiastidious rendering of the Shakespearean tragedy for. his ap.- proach to the public on a subscrip tlon basis,. ;If anything can atfract: a clientele to the classlcar drama In this era of serisatiori peddling' on the stage; this kind of sophisticated producing technique ought to get some result For the keynote of the entire pres- .entatiori is Its artistic appeal, tem- pered by a wise and measured ar- tistic' restraint.. The stage setting is In a, .new mod.e, a compromise; between mod- ernistic design and elaborate pic- torial background. It avoids, the freakish patterns on one hand and the old-:fashioned paint and canvas absurdities of the old school on the other. . Generally one gets , a sense of elegance, something, likie a simple Paris dress model that expresses its excellence in the eoncealment of its costliness. . The acting lis phrased on a simi- lar scale. It Isn't possible, of course, to play "Macbeth" in the modern repressed manner, but the company does, handle even the .epic scenes with a measure [of restraint that loses nothing In effectiveness. The premiere probably suffered some- what from a cast •playing' at high tension, but their performance grew lit power and effecti'veriess and the play through the. last act had real power and grip. L.yri Harding's iMacbeth is a splendid bit of work, partly because he has himself the intrinsic vitality and vigor to do the part, a role that is. by its very nature beyond mere Stage technique, Harding gives a perforfnahce that at times achieves line eloquence. ; In the flurry of the first performance on Broadway his diction was not Always faultless, especially in the early acts, but his presence always had In it some- thing of the actuality of the Thane. Florence Heed does scarcely more than make an acceptable Lady Macbeth, lovely rather than te^rri- fying as a symbol of the relentless female. Her heavy dramatic pas- sages were rather mild. Such was the dagger scene in this version. But there was a world of pathetic beauty in her, handling of the sleep walking passage later on, a scene in which this actress', striking beauty found play. Th(j scenic scheme is arresting. Equipment consists of a series of groups of large masses,-probably 12 feet high, and arranged with three sides square and a fourth surface curved. These masses, are manipu lated with., the addition of stairways to form stately backgrounds for many colorful groupings. For a rthro ne* rOom. baekg-iMJU ndr-theyluiiakel a high terrace '.with steps leading up through a central depression. For a castle roOm they are grouped in the center, winding steps leading around arid up to a higli door. The background throughout is a solid surface of Indefiriite blue expressing distance. U.pon this 6asel of stage trappings, and with the picturesque coHlumIng of the period, the group ings are Impressive, not for mere pictorial effect, but rather as get ting something Of the somber drania of the play into their visual compo- sition. In fact, all the accessories are made to sei-ve the.dramatic purpo.se =Putli<;i*^than=.to^pJiUiafi^«ih£,lhegj£i. oal .sense. For example, a producer ■would have a free hand in creating ^Jt.irtling color with these inodleval costume.i. . Instead the dress Is rather dark than otherwise, serving the somber spiritual theme, a set purpose to avoid theatricalism that Is evident throughout. Thus the production takes on a fine dignity in Its sincere effort to make a worthy presentation of the clas.Mc, and thl.s element ought to count Iri the enterprise. The under "So This Is Love" (E. Ray Goetz), "Front Pafle," Chicago Co., (Jed Harris). "High Cost of Loving" (Lew Fields). "Bare Facts" (Kathleen<Kirk- wood). "Well, VVelJ, Weill" (Shu- berts).. " S h e K ne w W h a t She Wanted" (J. J. Leyenthal). "The Barn" <Geprge M. Co- han). "Mima" (David BelascO). ' "hiigger Rich" (Santley, Bar- ter & McGowan). standing is that Mr. Tylov h;is on- tered the project with the dolihonuv design of going to the country—the main cities besides the road stand; —asking fOr support on a subsciip- tlon'basis. Proposal Is to offer scat: in blocks at certain rebates for en- gagement of a set number, \y.ith siu-.- clal rates to students in lots of 2!" or more, generally a reduction of 50 cents on tickets at all, prices' In New York the scale Is at $ 1 top. but for. the road this may be re- vised. - ■ The. whole point Is that the pro- ducer has created a., thoroughly .worthy presentatibn of the'Shakes- peare tragedy, and if there is ■lany phance for .the American public sup- porting such an. enterprise, here . is one that merits-eviery encourage- ment. Rvsh. THE SACRED FLAME .Drama In three acts by W. Somers'et Maugham. Presented by MpSsmore Kendall and Gilbert Miller at Henry' Miller's' thea^ tre Nov. 19. SUged by Gilbert Miller. Maurice Tabret............... Robert Harris Dr. Harveote*... ; ........;.., .Stanley Logan Mrs, Tabret .Mary JerroM Nurse Wayland...... .....Clare IJames Alice....,..,...,Bva Leonard Hoyne Major LIconda...,,;.. .Htibert Harben Stella Tabret. Casha Pring'e Colin Tabret,V.. Anthony Bushell I)oari'd in ;u-f<ird ih.u 'Mi's. T:ilirv'i'.s ||y ami ptThai's awing into author- art \v afi'r the lu'.*<t. A sIh'I'L I'a.-^t play, riio.-t of th..^ 'I'liWi- • .\ I •. ■ 1. .' .Vii t ■11; wa.s Olru'i' 10;il)H's a,>< llu> luirso. Sh - did the .shaUiiirt isc.x-siarvo.d unuiai) with fidelity tt> a lM>i', ono that '.s hard to draw: sympalhy. .Slary Ji»r- rold a>! iho mother sovnu'd just -is akiliful in a hardly lo.^^s diiru-ult rolo 1'. !. ivMin^ }>!■ •■'.•\y:i.- !^tvil,a. not .tmnifly, Init. «'i'ft'Viiv»'., vStanU'v Loi;an did svoll a.><.:lho do'o- tor, he lioiiiiT o'lu' those 'wlioi' Had to sit loiii; :ind listen. .Anthony Kushell playo.d OtiVin. a elean-looU'- ing ypiith; .Uotun-t llarr:-^. was. tlu'' unfortunalo Maiirii-o, and lluherl Harboh the polieo hiajor, 'The Sacred..I'.'laino." is luie- of^ th^ most solemn of the array' of serioii.s plays on the aiinimnal boards. tJil- bert Millor'a |)r6ducl'ii)n,.;uuf dlvoc.- tion bring out'tlio best in the Maug- ham piece, though a cast change or ! \ -^.-.i lia\e h^-eiv'tvef. nil^'e. Rut tlio new play impresses as too liihMed in draw to run'. ' '/hrij.. TONIGHT AT 12 ConiiMy I" llii^i-e a.'la i)y Owen n'avls. Iiie.sonicil at IlU'lsuri N'>'V, l.V liy llei'nm;n Shunilln; K.t;n;e'l I'V -Mflvllle lUirUe. Nun f'loil.l:! I'll... Hiirl'Uni \V;\i ron. T)(ira I'.l li-li"K.i'.... All.-c KiMltr..;.f ,)!ine I'^.lili l-iKC,.. 'I'lmy. Keith ... ; . .lolin Keilh . . . . . . I'riifes.M.-r V.\<'.( • inU Wnircn.. Tom ■StoJdarcl, ICllen. .. .. Mary...,.,...., .Joe...,........ , .,. . f'Ditx no Ksnionde . .. Sprint; Hyinn^tbn' . l-'lii.r>^n>^i' Uitleiihouso- .■. ,.. .A nnr t^lioiMiiaUer .:. .. I'lUvii-la l^i.rOlay t "Wi-n lia.vls, Jv. ., .'.. . William lloPoUo .. . . .■.MiilTat Johnston . .. , . ;..\Viili;iin David , ..K.ilwaril 1I-. Weyer I'MiVrenee Short ........ V . Viola • Prayn.v ..,.,-. .Gerald .Cornell Latest Of Mr. Malugham's plays here .Is the quietest mystery drariia evei". It is virtually motionless and, although Interesting, is given to ex- ceptionally" long speeches- The first iiiyiuei-s politely waited ,fOr lengthy, polite explanation, alnripst; a recital, save for a few who departed a min- ute before the curtain. That subse- quent eCudiences may not he so pa-^ tieht is not unlikely. "The Sacred Flanie" has its mur- dered mani the circumstantial evi- dence being againist the lad's young wife, No police investigation, and the play ends with no likelihood of any.' It was Indicated that the audi- ence discerned the identity of the person who figured in the piassipg of Maurice Tabret, whose spine, crushed in an airplane smash, made him an invalid with no chance for recovery. He adored his wife Stella, but his accident occurred the first year of their marriage. Stella and Colin, Maurice's broth - er, back from America, have fallen in love. Though lighting against it, she finally realized Colin was the most precious thing in the world for her. She is to become a- mother. That fact Mrs, Tabret, the mother, recognized, and though her heart was filled with loye for her Injured boy, she felt thajt.. Stella and Colin were riot doing wrong,' Maurice is found dead on . the morning after the play begins. The doctor Is ready to sign the papers, stating death was from natural causes. But Nurse Wayland comes forward with a cha,rge that murder was committed. Five chlorine tab- Jets, enough to cause death, were missing from a bottle, Tt" was im- possible for Maurice to have secured the bottle In the bathroom, his legs- beingf paralyzed. .. . The nurse, aware of Stella's con- dition, bitterly accu.ses the young wife, who declares her innocence. . The nurse admitted deep affection for Maurice, -whichj however inipaJs- sloned, was that of a woman for a •ba-ber--AT-^woma-n-io£_Jii,;_gexr.s,fary she cannot understand the attltuflc' of Mrs. Tabret in feeling tTiat >Stf)l<t had the right to. the attraction of -sex.. The'nurse InsLsts .S,tella rnii.st be guilty. The mother quietly states tha,t Stella was not the last on'- in M.iu rice's room. And she OJtlmly tolls of preparing the potfnn that .sent .Mau- rice Into Iriflnite sleep. The nurse is so stirred by the de-. velopments she tell.s tho doctor to sign the papers, and it ia decide.] that she remain with th'; old lady out of their common lovo for tli'j dead boy. . . The author.carefully pr<'pa.rp.H the be<;n molodramatici . but "The SVi- cred Flame'' in har>ily m^'Unirxii-u At- one time the moth/'r v()U:<-a the theory that people'mlt?ht .Q0jr4e bark to each, reln.carnated, washln;; their sins as other belng.s. A con- fession of Infanticide L-j anything but gripping. It may be ten^o, but the calm among the gathering in thrt "Tabret home seemed almost abnor- mal. The doctor and a former po- lice official, friend of the family, ap- Any report, tiiat Owen Davis took tiho veil is a canard.. The dean of American playwrights, As they call him, came througlv with one of. the season's best light coriiedles, -"To- ri ight at 12." Davis probably didn't think half as much of it aa did the first nijght- ters. He is that \vay about his .stuff. Writing, for the stage is a sort of: recreation for hliri . right now, he having a. fat contract .to writei .for pictures. ."Tonight at 12" should give Her-r man Shunilin. and ' Donald ' Davis, the aiithoi 's, aon now teaniod vyith him, a good managerial start. The new producer recently ilivved with "T-he Command Performance'! but it wasn't a, bad Offort, The casting of the new. play is a much better job and it Is paced jlist about right, via Melville Burke's staging. • For two acts' ."Tonight at 12'! holds interest,'then goes Into cOm- edy for a laughing linale. The au-: thor T^^orks the play, out of ari em- barrassing, situation it seemed. There are four married coiipleS, friends for years. A daughter pi one hoiisehold has just become en- gaged to the son of another. It is all gummed by his mother,. Alice Keith, who acciises heir husband, Jack, of being, unfailthtul. . - Mrs,. Keith has Invited the Ihree other women and their hubbies to dinner. The ladies foregather In: the living r-oom while the men dally •at the table. Alice comcM to the point, saying she was suspicious of Jack .but is now certain he has been cheating—and with One of tiic three wives, her chums. Slie knows it because Jack had left a note in a little box reading "Tonight at 12"—she saw him put it there and demanded to know who took it, Barbara "Warren, Nan Stoddard and Dora ISldridge, the other wives, are Indignant. Alice calls In the husbands and spills the beans. Rather an uncomfortable situation, one which la eased when Tony Keith, the boy, declares the note was for him. The boy adores hl.<j father and is the only one to starid by him. Then the Other men find a dis- crepancy, the discussion and sus- picions continuing in the library of the Eldrldges. It is what the char- acters describe as bad trouble, that "Carioxrs phrase being employed sev-r eral times. A Wop. gardner makes it worse by telling of seeing a man and woman in tight embrace oh' the porcli of the Eldridgcs and on one -of the nights that Jack Keith was not Ih his study. Again Tony goew to bat for his pop. He swears that he was the m/tn and the girl was Mary, tho Uldrldge 'maid, a girl Whom he knew when Attending Co iM.H' laler. Anne ShoomaUtM-, the Alice Keith of the play, if! llie dame \\\u\ steams up the wliv^li> al'f.-iir %\itti h»M- sus- picion. Slie has been married over liO years; lu-r boy Tony Is a ',real- fell.i)iU r-hi'-just We'i't .•^taud for hul.'iiv ftuiliatj. A i)c>>'iii'.v<' charuc^^ liT. \\ 1-11.iil'-'iyed. .':^j'iin,t; . Hyjnixioi^ as r.,irbara W.iirieii handled most' i>f tlu- laugh lines in the early, nets. She iltted ll'ie part wi'U, married 2 ) years too," Indiunant that hei' Kill doesn't al- . .loKOllv.er lru'st her she gives lum the up and • desyii when tliere is sus- picion he ilirted . with.' the maid,. iMarv, That bring.^ a darb line from Bill: "Woll. 'wh.'it of it; 1 wouldn't live with a wonlaii who wasn'tfimch hotter than I am." lUll -i.s played by \y uiiam David, and' well. ' Viola Frayric wa.'^ very good as Mary, hor part growing from a, small one; to tho key character. Edr . ward jr. Wever pluyod one of. the husbands, the one who particularly burned that his wife was accused, .lust when things looked all fixed he would sipeak and start it all over again. William Rbselle as.' Jack, Mofi'at Johnston's^ Professor El- dridge, Patricia Barclay, the eri- gein.ie; Florence Rittcnhouse. and. Diane T-Jsmonde, all conipetoht. "Tonight at 12" should develop good business and deserves to niri the ."reason. ■ itcc. • with but who W.'tnted to get aw.ay from fa.st stepping. Tony ask.s Mary to accompany him to Cleveland, whore he ifi to work. Jane Kldrldge, his fiance, J.m In tears. Second act. Back lir the K'.'ith homo. Jack had - carried', on. .a Utile. , flirtation with Mrs. lOIdridge but. innoct-ntly they claim. Neither will crack, how:ovor, Mary is the life saver to the doniOKti<; mystery, ono which grows riiore autu.sitig by Indicating one'"or"t.w(j of - the w.ivcs' have been incllij'-d t>) .play a bit; Urdng .a go'ifl .'•■porL h1i>: declares t.h'j note, wa.s f'T iK-r and what.alHjUt It, ii:it.s the^.yuj<.'ter_ori Mrs. Jack find be- fore' lr'.'tvrrtfr"ro"r'^tni>"^bfTr^T'ity=f-tiTl=-— drf:-.'-'''^s th" four husbaiidM .s.-iying. it looks like a hmg, hard winter, . -They all had been; on the make. The curtain fall.s a.i the boys start filipplng her coin. The clean, young manlln'-.s's of Owen Davis, Jr., playing Tony, at- tracted much att'intion. That boy la considerable juvenile, I'op Davis may have an Idea that his n.arn';- sako Will learn tho stage thf-rough- REDEMPTION (GERMAN) ■ .'■Revival Play. In.'two acts and ll scenes, preMented oy Morris Gest In asBOclation' with Gdffar Pelwy n. Produced by Max Kclnhardt, From' .Ilusslan l>lay by Lydft. N. ToUtoy, German, version by August SchoU. F«a- turlnjT Alexander ■ Molssl at 'Amboss.'xdor, New .Tork, .Nov. 10, for two weeKs, $.3^o'p. Nurse.v....,.; .Martraret Arrow ■Anna Pavlovn'a,.,..',.. , iCmllle Unda SriBha, younBcr daughter, .IrmRai-d Rlchtef Karenln,............,. .Karl Ludwlp Dlelil Lisa, elder daUpKter.......Charlotte Schultar, Fcdya, Lisa's husband. .. . Alexander Molsal ■Ivan Makaro'k^ltsh Naiitasya Ivanovna,. M,i.sha..,..l..., Officer.,..'..,.......... Musician.. . ^ Physlc'l.-iti... ..-...,-., Servant' to Afi-cmoft Servant to Karenln, Anna DImltrlevna.. Prince Abrczott...'.. .Waller. Aloxhadrorr.-. Vosnc«.'<enskly,,.,, Pyotu,slik<,iT. Artyoiuyert. ;,,,, BxamrrifriK MnBl.stratc; Magistrate's Secretary. naiiirr.; PetruHlilh. Willy Schmleder ..... .'.Umtllci Unda ............Lydla LI .... .Olirniar ■ HIegler .' C. U. KchneU ,,,. Fi'teilrlcb Kuhno OthmarBloKler ......Anton ■Danebore, ..,., Joh'xnna Tcrwln' G. H. Schnell Jiisef Zclslmeler: Wllhelni. DIeffelmann '. Oeltrlch Jenke .,., . ..Tluddlt Aniendt .Friedrloh Kuhno , .Frle-lrlch Kuhne ..Anton Dancborg ..Othtnar Bleglor .Willy Schmleder Marparet. Arrow A. I<ady. Players recruited: from . the companies of tho Dciiir'lie.H theatre, Kamnierflplele, ■Kom- 6edle, Herilner theatre, Berlin, and Theatre in di'r.'Jos'efstadt and Theatre an der "Wion, Vienna. . This mighty production of Tol- stoy's great drama is more like a masterful symphonic arrangement, than a play, far closer In Its subtle conveyance of spiritual feellhg and emotion to the supreme intelligence of the mind than seems possible for mete prose, harmpnlzlng: with the noblest and llnest Instincts more surely and more conHlstently than the simple though clever construc- tions of words and phra-ses most common In the world of the theatre : of today. Jt Is 80 tremendously different because every player Is fitted as an es!3ential part of a score, every action, every gesture, every nmove- ment Is an overpowering contribu- tion to the realism of the whole. It is assembled like a vast instru- ment replete with. Intricate parts, each part keyeid and toned to per- fection, upon which plays a won- derful skilled master. The master is Mol.'isl. Moi.ssi Is a personification of poetry and music. His power of expre.sslon and enunciation, his voJce,_ baffles adexiuatc delineation, His every spolten iFrie rims We 'a " gentle, reisonant chord. His gift Is one which perhaps no other Jiving, artist po.ssesses in a similar degree. '^Thie Diving Corpse," Is the Ger- man title for this play. It Is a story of a man who simulated eui- cido HO that , his wife could marry another man she Joved.. ■ „ „. ^ - . Another outstandor is Johanna lumbia, onlTlTC ircv^r~wa«r-ir^ixed--u-p--^<^wiu,.:.aa..AnnaJ?iroitir;i^ej:n!i^ Imperious grande dame whose son, Karentn, loves tl,sa. She aI,so tow- ers over many others with her life- like characterization. . It Is remarkable that the aged, time worn settings Indicate no trace of di-abnes.s as presented hero. The lighting effects are such a.s "Tiring Into bold relief the features of the playora, I-lach scene is dilTertnt from every other, yet only close ob- .Horvalion would detect the practi- cally n<-^liKi\j]t': ■changes Jn actual ' HCMiic; b.'jcltniound.s, TJi<'"cv iifayer.s so conij^letely uen- tor attention a.n poignant, efferves- cent i'c'ili.tle.«i, tbat background is ^vvu^lJ:rJil«ljLljaimotlco.d,.,jUioutfh' c.on-^ tn'butJng ^treatly to th'-' charrfi ari'tT natural fiuality of tho surroundings. Charlotte ..Sohultz, as JJsa, is a worthy study for' certain ladies with drafnatli- inclinations "whose sote conception of Interpretation is In noisy eriipha.Ml.H. I"n the minor parts are more characterizations of an extremely cletcr n.'tfur'S each noteworthy for itfl «jtcellonoy. Mori,