Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-23

RToBoDY can profit from a compari-
Z in son OF the two charming comedi
ennes who spent the past week with u.s.
I Miss Adams and Miss Tempest are too
utterly different in personality and aims
And they are gone.
There is room, however, for an autopsy
over the scenery of their plays. Miss
{ Tempest's setting for MARY Comes First"
was only the usual thing in the usual
way, with a terrible back drop that at
+ tempted to pretend that its skew-eyed
perspective was real room seen through
double doors. Nothing more antiquated
or in worse taste has been shown here
this winter.
Miss Adams, on the other hand. gave
both her plays with that attention to
detail which means personal supervision
by d star who knows what is happening
in thu new stagecraft. Her room for the
first at OF "The Legend of Leonora" was
little masterpiece of the simple and
genuinely artistic. It's fiat, buff-gray
walls were devoid of ornament, beauty
In themselves. The arrangement of win
dows and fireplace gave the impression of
room modelled on the Italian by people
OF some artistic sense who knew just
what they wished to achieve. The ar
rangement of blue and gray draperes and
odd bits OF furniture-colleoted apparently
as the family went acknowledgement the
effect
Maude Adams Takes
to the New stagcraft
But It was In the three settings for "The
Ladies' Shakespeare" that Miss Adams
showed her real knowledge OF what the
artists OF Germany have been doing with
lights and colors In revivifying the art of
production The warm glow of the light
was much heightened by the use OF a
direct stream from the gallery calcium
ard OF special rA ectors in the "foots."
a blue light thrown upon the sky drop
from the back-it appeared-gave lu-
minous quality to the heavens that no
other production hes shown u.s.
Against this blue for one scene, there
was set a simple row of coumns-only
two visible They were comparatively
near the footlights and aglow with a
mellow cream against the green hedge
and trees and the rich sky, A variation
made as excellent last scene, while in
between was set an absolutely simple rem
aiasance room that suggested the Italy
or shakespeare's imagination far better
than tons of carvings and draperles.
The outstanding impression of ''The La
dies Shakespeare" was that here at last
We had a hint Of what might be done |
10 make Shakespeare jolly. romantic |
entertainment. instead of dreary essay |
in literary uplitt
Quality Street"
as a War Drama
'ouality Street." which Miss Adams re-
xived at matinees. gave an Impression
AL its own, and an impression that Bar
rie's quiet little comedy never before
achieved. Under the stress OF current
events In northern France 1t became the
very latest OF war dramas.
The war OF Quality Street" Is the war
against Napoleon, but In spite OF its lack
OF up-to-date machinery, II is war Just
the same. 1t opens with women knitting
-for the Belsiana as II happens. 1t sup
plies its tale Of atrocities in the terrified |
query OF Phoebe Throstle; rs Il true
that the corsiean ogre eats infants?"
And there are those monuments OF hero
Ism. the "bums'' who find their first con-
genial Jobs as soldiers Barrie spreads
them remorselessly through his quiet lit
.le town. terrifying meek maiden ladies
lns0 the complaint that 'lie closed one
sye at me ana then quickly opened Il
xou get q queer impression from the
contrast Of quiet Quality Street 10 the
nurdefous STRINGS on the Continent.
hat gou are really seeing war from the /
nslda-much more sharply than in any
azadera. Anlariean-mada or even English
Jay on the iniquity OF war. All OF which
saalf probably surprise Barrie immense
S L he could ses It.
UAat , Thing
Is Applausei
a rasrlas rocking hoass fuli Of demon
aalIss palma. Eriamphing over TIE turn
$50 ashss q tae aaaiforium. And on
= a.sss asaFe beaten anoa = the
80 4zzIeH azaz al lAe chandelier
A e# a#m aIazHa e carefully