The Washington herald., 1915-12-26
Across the New York Footlights
By GEORGE JEAN NATHAN.

| when the Young Vine Blooms" To the
ST ging Of the Teutonic classic. Mr..
Reicher has brought a definite theatric
skill and directing power (albeit q mighty
poor personal display OF acting). and the
result is. In the mass, praiseworthy.
With the exception Of a production made
some long years back in Chicago, this
is the first time THE Weavers' has been
presented to the natives in English.
Hsuptmann dedicated this work to his
father with the worlds, you. dear faith
er. know what feelings lead me to dedi-
cate this to you. - Your stories of
my grandfather. who In his young days
sat at the loom, a poor weaver like these
here depicted, contained the germ Of my
drama. Whether II possesses the vigor
OF life or is rotten at the core, It II the
best so poor q man as Hamlet is can
offer" The sturdy merit Of the drama
Is, of course. today undisputed. And, ~
one Of the monuments Of modern dra-
matte literature. it has now been given
itssbrief place in the Broadway sun by
this German producer. II Reicher car
ries THE Weavers'' into your territory.
stop playing the victrola long enough to
go see 1t. You may not enjoy 1t half a.
much as you do Peg o. My Heart" or
the six-day bicycle race. but It may do
you several million times more good.
Metropolitan vaudeville seems, from a
studious survey Of Its physiology, to
change but little. 1t is always equally
bad. Evidently manufactured to please
the species of bird who goes into par
oxysms when the second pickle-herring
in turn alludes to the first pickle-her-
rings whiskers as spinach" and into
double paroxysnn when the second pick
le-herring. in turn. alludes to the first
pickle-herring's whiskers as alfalfa"
the most that may be said for vaude-
vile is that It seems to achieve the end
OF this end being. of course. somewhat
less magnificent than that. say, Of the
Jungfrau.
Most vaudeville acts may. in a general
way, be divided into three classes First.
the act in which some one does a clog:
second. the act in which some one in
forms the audience lyncally that
mother spells mother" and follows
up the revelation with a clog; and.
third, the act in which female perform
er remarks. Marry in haste. repent at
leisure" In which her male colleague
thereupon retorts, when you're married
you amt got no leisure" and in which
both then proceed to execute a clog In
a word. vaudeville may still truthfully
be described as the science OF wearing |
a target upon the seat Of the trousers
and getting money for doing 1t!
/ happened into one of these vaudeville |
several days ago. nt was
was raining torrents: had no umbrella: |
I was passing the theater: hence y |
During the ten minutes dalliance neces- |
sary until the downpour abated. my Wis |
ion was intrigued by something called a |
sketch" Obtaining a playbill. I learn |
ed this sketch was called "Petticoats'
The traffic of this sketch" so far as I
was able to decipher 1t. had largely to
do with suit of nejamas. In addition |
to the spectacle oDthe suit of pajamas. |
/ man and a woman opened their mouths
and made sounds, the meaning of which |
was unable to plumb. AS the curtain
came down. the man and the woman
were in each others arms. or something
ike that so I suppose the sketch was
a love story. i am certain that had the
rain not stopped the balance OF the pro-
gram would have revealed not only the
three standard acts hereinbefore describ-
ed. but also a couple of trapeze perform
ers in pink union suits. a Dresden
China" comedienne singing Down In
Bombay" a. joke about not thinking of
he future as this is my birthday and
am thinking OF the present, q couple Of
'Society's Favorite Dancers" and a fat
nussy in red spotlight playing THE
Rosary" on a harp.