El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-02-13
European War Calls Forth
Two Plays in New York;
the Newest Burlesque.

TEW YORK, Feb. 13.-The latest
M good benefit which the war has
brought US is the return of Gran
vile Barker. the English producer. to
America. With his talented wife, Lii
liam Mccarthy, he is now giving selec-
tons from the repertoire Of his COM
pany at Wallack's theater. Their first
offering, "AndrOcles and the Lion" and
The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife
are worthy OF the man who did his best
10 make the i'll starred new theater
success.
The coming Of Mr.. Barker his revived
stories that the new theater is to be
reestablished in a new form. I have
not been able to find any solid basis
for these rumOrs, although 1 imagine
that Mt Barker would not have diff
Guilty in getting backing from high
places for any project he may con-
Ceive
"Androcles and the Lion is George
Bernard Shaw in his most roguish mood.
Who but he would ever have though of
making the early christian martyrs
possessed Of an incOrrigible sense Of
humOr2 Or Of having a savage lion
meet an old friend in the arena and
positively refuse to make a dinner off
him?
or course. shaw uses all his oppor-
tunities to take filings at the established
order Of things "All really sensible
men," remarks the cruel prosecuting
emperor to the nearly done for mar
tyrs. "aEree that the prudent course is
TO be neither bigOted in our attach
ments TO the old, nor rash and imprac-
teal I'm keeping an open mind for the
new, but to make the best of both dis
pensatiOns.'
Besides annoying the old line Ro-
mans by seeing the funny side of ev-
erything, the martyrs of Shaw sing
Onward, Christian Soldiers" enthusi-
astiCally.
But the most. remarkable Of all the
playwriglts conceptions is FerrOviOus,
the giant among the Christians. When
the chance comes TO him in the arena
TO make a swift, spectacular end to
half dozen gladiators at once, he
yields to the temptation. But he real
ICES then that the only god he really
loves is the great god of war.
Shaw can be excused from bOasting
of this prophetic note in his work. In
an Introduction to the American pro-
duction Of his play he writes:
Finally. a word must be said about
the prophetic character given to this
play by the outbreak OF war, which
followed it so soon. In Ferrovius YOU
have not only an individual character
OF a familiar type, but historic symbol
OF humanity, captivated by the fascina-
ton OF the christian doctrine and pas
sionately embracing it, only to discover
that his real god Is still Mars"
In a few weeks more, J. Hartley Man
ners's comedy, Peg o. My Heart" which
IS easily the most popular play Of to-
day. will have made S1,000,000. Oliver
has eight different companies
now playing Peg" and apparently the
American public is as eager TO see it
as ever. No other drama has so many
this winter. While many Of
.T~rHr rFrr uH=a al
British actors are fIOcl5ing to this side
ready to accept almost any offer, Lau-
rette TAYLOR, wife Of Mr.. Manners and
the original Peg" continues to draw
splendid audiences in the British CAPT !
tai
Florence Martin, who played Peg |
i'm Boston for 20 weeks, and Peggy ]
O'Neil. who was Chicago's peg" for &c |
weeks, had a curious contest this win |
ter for the honor Of showing Peg" to !
staid old Philadelphia Up to the pres |
emit, the show has not been produced in 4
the Quaker metropolis. 1t was being |
saved for Miss Taylor until MIR. Mo- (
rosco decided to send one Of his other /
stars there.
Mr. A1orosco told me it was a close /
race, as both young actresses have sue /
,eeded in reproducing the peculiar /
DiqUant flavor of Peg" in the most 1
whimsical Irish manner. Miss Martin 1
finally won out
Miss Martin was a musical comedy |
star before she played Peg" She sang I
The title role in Little Boy Blue" under /
the management Of Henry W. Savage. !
She is now "a years old and promises |
4 bright future.
=
This is certainly an economy year
Here we have David BelascO producing .
play i'm three acts with one interior
ierving for all and with only a handful
IF players. Edward Knoblaach's new
1lay. Married dile." is not doomed to
allure for these reasons. however, but
because it is offensive to Germans and
will not be approved by Roman CathO-
les. either
But Frances Starr does add TO her
riumph by her portrayal Of the found
ing girl brought in an Alsatian con-