Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23

9HE presentation Of two new plays
in Washington this week proved
an Intellectual contradiction to
the weather mans Not Yet,
with reference to the opening OK
the theatrical season. The street car rloers
refuse to be lured from the artificial pfeeZes
of the thoroughfare, and the rural eHcur-
sIonist continues to disdain the appeals OF
art as against nature. The production OIL
a play under the conditions which nave
signaIlzed the current September Is hard-
ship enough without superimposinS the Dur
den of technical criticism. which, however
fair minded the writer may attempt 10 De-
must be more or less biased by the heat.
4*
ION Parole" which was given its first
performance on any stage on Monday n!ght
again calls attention to the marked IN
fiuence which George Bernard Shaw, once
ridiculed of all managers, is exertlng on the
current production of plays. true oh
Parole has none of the dashlng, Trespoh-
sible satire of Shaw, as an essential portion
of its plot The story Is as stralshtlor-
wardly romantic as the most exact traoi-
tioualist could demand. But the dialogue
is clever 1t is full of good eplgrammatic
observations. a direct affront to the man
" expansive collar. Neapolitan sunset com
pIexion and ponderous cigar, who used TO
impressively state that the really good play
was one which could be acted in pantomime
without any dialogue at all. The author
Mr. Shipman has broken quite way from
the abiect imitation of the William Gillette
school of war play, which has been SO long
In vogue and the only danger is that he
has gone too far in moderating and refining
his product.
*
1.-THE Great Divide" afforded another in
stance of the embarrassing uncertainty
which hangs over a dog-town critic. The
bills announce with deferential emphasis
that this is to be the first production on any
stage. and the courtly advance agent whis
pers sweet assurances that the city is Sc
lected because of the superior quality of
its audiences; audiences whose discernment
is so clear and discriminating that success
with them means success anywhere. And,
incidently the professional press comment
is of such a character as to be guidance
and a help whose Ike cannot be found in
any other community. Anything To get
away from jaded. contemptuous, irrespon-
sible, etc, New York; There is not town
on the map of more than twenty thousand
Inhabitants in which some literary mind is
not warmed into congenial friendliness by
these soft assurances of faith and esteem.
But the man at the box office who knows
how much every stick of furniture, every
rag of scenery and every member OF the
cast costs, still alludes to the enterprise
merely as trying it on the dog. The work
is not yet complete production, and often
changes are made so radical that before the
end of the week the piece would scarcely
be recognized as the original. The first act
of The Great Divide" which really con-
stitutes the most important part of the en-
tire drama, was at its original representa-
tion a creation whose equal for brutal sug-
gestion had not been seen since the days
of The Conquerors' The Sporting
Duchess" A commendable promptness was
displayed in starting the eXpurgaton whose
necessity might have been recognized at the
first reading Of the manuscript. AS the first |
act stood on Tuesday night it was no longer |
seriously offensive; only insincere and i'm |
probable. Industry may however, transform
the work into piece which is at least APP
proxmately worthy of the efforts of such
distinguished and efficient players as Miss
Margaret Anglin and Mr.. Henry Miller.