The Washington herald., 1915-12-19

company lOea, out the enterprise IL
still In a formative stage and she Is
| quite justified in trying the abilities
OF a number of artists before any of
them shall become q permanency in
her forces. e \.
In the present cast she retains from
her other efforts. her own valuable
| self. Mary Nash and Ernest Lawford.
Conway Tearle and some actors for
the less important parts. She has
strengthened the organization for this
effort by the addition of Mr.. Calvert.
Clarence Derwent, and Charlotte Gran
willie, the three really essential to the
present excellent performance. Mr..
Calverts bigness of body makes him
dominate almost any scene In which
. he appears on a small stage. but in
the present instance. this Is not a
detriment. The same facts hold true
of Charlotte Granville's impersonation
of Lady Britomart. She Is overpower-
ing as a mother. person OF social i'm
portance and in the amount Of talk
the author allots to her. This last she
put over SO ably that II fails OF the
fatiguing possibilities IT might possess
in less competent delivery. Although
Grace George has the title role. 1t Is
really less conspicuous in the acting
than several of the others, and self
effacement. even to this extent. Is an
unexpected quality in an actress who.
besides acting. also has the power to
choose her plays and cast herself in
any part she pleases. What she has to
do. which is more wistful and appeal
ing than brilliant. she does we'll Mary
Nash. who got out of her own sphere
when she played a woman of fashion
In The Liars" Is picturesque in this
play as a Salvation Army recruit and
inspired enthusiast. Ernest Lawford
is delightful as the Greek scholar who
is connoisseur in religions and also
has an eye to the main chance in
business way. In the character Of
London tough. Mr.. Tearle give. an al
mirable demonstration of the fact that
he is something more than an actor Of
parlor parts.
As a rule. Mr. Shaw's plays are bet
ter in the reading than the seeing and
hearing. In this case every particle
of his wit and teaching is brought out
emphatically. perhaps to better UNDER
standing than the printed page con-
veys to most readers. The play is in
teresting and very well done. but II
makes us wonder what would have
become of England today IL this anti
preparedness teaching Of Shaw's. made
public ten years ago. had been put
into practical application.
Socialism in Earlier showing.
Social discomfort in various phases
1. voiced. by Mr.. Shaw and 1t is also
shown in humber and more element
airy phases by Gerhart Hauptmann In
The weavers," the second OF the
plays in the dramatic experiment
being conducted under the direction of
Emanuel Reicher at the Garden The
ater. Although the piece has been
previously done in German at the Irv-
ing Place. this is the first time II has
been heard here in English.
The weavers" is not in fact a Play
but a succession of scenes in the lives
of the poverty stricken Silcsian work.
ers some forty years ago. 1t shows in
connected episodes their wretched con.
dition caused by starvation wages.
their discomfort. their Indictment to
revolt. their riotous uprising and
ends with their encounters with the
troops sent to suppress the disorder.
1t has no plot and makes no argument
save the inference of capitalistic op-
preston. which the spectator may
draw from vividly drawn pictures of
some aspects of lsmentsble industrial
One may we'll wonder why such
composition is chosen to be staged in
America, particularly in translation.
which means loss of a large part
OF whatever literary value the piece
may have possessA in the original
German. As said before. 1t presents no
argument and sheds no new light on
what sometimes happens in industries
when greed is permitted to rule un-
checked by law and through the ig-
norance of those employed. The Sc
cret of this presentation and the sur
vival of such plays lies in the actor
interest. Abroad the influence of the
actor in the theaters Is far greater
than here, except in organizations like
the present one conducted by Emanuel
himself an actor. The piece is .
full OF character parts Of the kind
dear to the actors heart and its set ,
tings and groupings give wide scope
for the stage director to show his
ability.
1t is a drama Of the mob and in the |
the development and hand |