Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-09-01
Play Now Running at cohan Theater
Taken from Short Stories by
Montague Glass.
WELL ADVERTISED IN HIS
cLEvER TALES OF JEWISH
People Anxious to See Character on
Stage After They Have Read Of
Him for Many Months.
By BEAU R1ALTo.
written for the United pressl

written for the United Press.)
New York, Sept. 1.-That clever
stories, even if they are devoid OF
thrillers and plots to grip the attention
of readers, may be made into clever
plays, has been demonstrated by the
instantaneous and phenomenal success
of "Potash and Perlmutter," now run
ming at the Cohan theater. The play
is taken from the short stories by Mon
tague Glass, built around the trials
and tribulations of Abe Potash and
Mawruss Perlmutter, manufacturers Of
cloaks and suits by wholesale, which
for several years have been running IN
various magazines Of America. Abe
and Mawruss have become familiar
characters to readers all over the Unit
cd States, which may account for the
fact that while the play opened a week
earlier than Broadway usually begins
the season, and the night was one Of
the hottest on record, the theater was
jammed to capacity at the premier.
Seats were quickly sold for as far in
advance as ten weeks and the play
promises to be the season Is biggest sue
cess.
Plays like "Potash and Perlmutter
are popular, not because Of the drama
they contain, not especially because of
the ability of the men and women in
the cast, but because the public knows
Abe and Mawruss and recognizes them
as old friends when they see the ad-
vertisements of the play. Few people
there are who can read who have not
at some time or other laughed at the
antics Of the two Hebrew partners and
their cronies, and they want to see
them in "real life Also there is an
other human quality that perhaps the
managers take into consideration, and
that is the curiosity of the reader to
know how story can be made over
into play
These things which characterize the
immediate success Of "Potash and
Perlmutter" were noticeable two sea
sons ago when "Get- Rich.Quick Wall
ingford" was dramatized George
Randolph Chester's humorous storie.
of the fat and jovial business bucca'
neer, Wallingford, had appeared in
weekly and monthly magazines for sew
eral years, and when people heard Of
the play they went out of curiosity and
their admiration Of the hero Of the
Chester stories. When people read
week after week, and month after
month, the doings of a character ere
ated by clever writer, they come tC
feel they know the character, and wher
they have an opportunity to see him OF
the boards they feel almost like he had
"come to life. ("
Almost every night nowadays seei
the premier Of some new play. The
Broadway season has opened, ant
though it is early, a lot Of the new
plays are being tried out. Some have
been "tried on the dog" in Boston
Atlantic City, Chicago, st. Louis ant
Kansas City, but many Of them frs
see the light on Broadway. Josepl
Hantley, comedian and dancer, mad,
his first metropolitan attempt as a sta
the other night in "When Dreams
Come True" at the Lyric. 1t was
musical comedy that was tried out il
Kansas City and the had a successful
run in Chicago The west liked it, bu
its reception in New York was bi
luke-warm. Santley, who is very clever
and has done some great work in sup
porting others, somehow suggeste,
George cohan in his singing and dane
ing, and much Of the music aud actor
of the piece reminded old playgoers o
"other musical comedies they hav
met, However, "When Dreams Com
True" has good qualities as well a
bnd and II may hold on until the fal
rush Of importations from Europ
starts.