Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-18
IN DEFENSE OF
THE GIRL USHER

f - IL NAA1NL Wi LII
II It were possible to ask an audience
it's opinion of feminism in the theatre
or, in other words. the girl usher move
ment-the. answer would probably depend
on the complexion of the particular young
ladies at the particular theatre in ques-
ton. But recollectlons of lordly young
gentlemen condescending to shove you
into the wrong seat with a Here's yer
checks" might do something to decide the
Vote.
Chicago has had worried spell over
the girl usher and has even tried TO make
a law on the subject. It didn't object to
the fact that girls have been employed
largely for the reason that they come
cheaper than Industrious students work.
sng their way through law school. The
Chicago City Council took up the ques-
tion of whether girls weren't a peril In
the event of fire.
The ultimate answer was no. A bill to.
REQUIRE masculine ushers was killed. The
arguments apparently established the
fact that In the event of n fire panic
physical strength is small matter
against a mob, while the moral courage
of woman and the example OF the weaker
sex unafrald are a good deal more efilca-
cious.
OF course the whole thing is a matter
OF theory and burning down a theatre
20 put It to the practical test-as ex-gire
Chief Croker burnt his non-infammable
house-is hardly a plausible proceeding,
even for a city council But, anyhow,
Americans can rejoice over not having to
tip the usher in order to get within optic
range of the stage, as YOU do in Paris
T1ArhafS flint acrI1lITftg the war.
Shakespeare la Barrie
Nobody was ever quite satisfied with
''The Tanning of the shrew" unless 1t
was Christopher SLY In the prologue, and
we never meet him on the stage nova
days. The managers sometimes take out
a lot more besides Sly and they used to
go so far, as to name the result what II
s really is, "Kathcrinc and Petruchio." The
audience In these days of votes for
women. Is usually quite as much dissatis-
ned with Shakespeares wife-baiting. So
it's only a wonder no one before Barrie
had thought of turning the whole thing
upside down as he does in the little
piece, "The Ladies' Shakespeare" which
Mande Adams Will bring to the Broad
in January, together with The Legend
OF Leonora.'
Barrie revitalzes the old legend that
the play in It's present form Is due to the
way Christopher Sly chose TO take 1t in
Elizabethan days As a matter of fact,
aRys the Scotch playwright and friend OF
the ladies'. katherine woos Petruchio
through the whole play. BY some little
prologues and the alteration OF not few
lines, he makes Katherine the one who
had fastened upon "Peter"-pet name
for spouse and who proceeded TO win him
blythe old, old trick of indifference. Kate
merely pressed It to gigantic, epic pro-
portions. The Western reviewers have
found the little piece very amusing.
The Castles Watch Their Step
After a long career of extracting money
from an eager public by vaudeville. spe-
oial tours. the Castle House and the
teaching of ALI the intricacles of modern
dancing, Mr.. and Mrs. Vernon Castle
have returned TO what might be termed
the legitimate. with the accent on the
les. New York Is watching them nightly
~ the New Amsterdam In "syncopated
musical comedy called Watch Your
step" IL has naturally been suggested
that Watch Your one-Step" would be
. better title.
But watch II they do-very successfully.
They have the assistance or some other
very excellent loOkeTs-on in Elizabeth
Murray, who ought TO be entertaining
Fhiiadelphia IN her original part In High
9inksNi Elizabeth Brlee and Harry Kelly.
>
fact that Mr.. Kinney waits TIL the second
act to come ON looks like a waste OF
material until he Informs the audience
fhet the first act had story and he Is
aiways bad for plots"
The plot" consists OF a law once de
dance stage door, palais de fox trot
and the things that are appropriate 70
them, After that comes grand opera at
the Metropolitan. Ia irving Berlin, who
eiq Az the tunesi sleeping car and a
broadway cabaret In spite OF the dar-
ing originality OF that final locality tha
critics found Watch Your Step" dis
tinctiy amusing when the Castles weren't
q evidence. and captivating when they
Blanehs Bates, eomedienns
Wlsat pity Ameries and Europe can't
supply enough expert writer's Of high /
eomsdy 70 keep Blanche Bates busy.
Hele We nhd ourselves with such excel
lent eomediennes az Miss Bates and Allss
anEiin, and We have to send back 10
aarapu and Wilde Tor parts 10 suit them
ezl now az the Broad Miss Bates is
slfn4 g slngulariy charming demonstra- |
asn ~ her ability 10 characterize ana /
4Anse Her Countess Hicka, the spy is I
pH1 g those bits of subfleiy 90 clearly I
snd surely accomplished that thsir suc- 4
e4a. = as sreat rs any piece of ordinary 4
aat'a4Fness AZ which the crowd apDiauds /
aHe = Atteriy charming in aspect ana /
Hsst hsE accent = g deliEhtfuI sha8ins
s Foasn variety in hef eyes ana I
fsH #--t4res there ia the pIQuancg Of 4
naNf ana she caps the performance
HIta peLtiah nttle aidHnE walk thaE I
~ iazf tae alr ~ pretended elIleIasa- I
tnas toanksss 1'cka's profession des /
asa
Es Notes