Evening star., 1915-02-28


hat and begin to cheer the an
,onncement that the classic element
vas strong in last weeks entertain
,,.nt II was classic dancing-not
,I,s.tc literature True, Miss Joan Saw
,,.r.s; dancing is mostly modern; 1t is
of the era of new things now oelhs
,sbered into international conscious
ness with the fearful prelude OF war
ye+ lady who can step out of gold
nicture frame, dance and continue 10
Ioolsi1ike the picture is entitled 10 an
adierfiye that implies enthusiasm with
out sacrifice of dignity.
So aclassic" is as good word for the
occasion as any.
C-uriorsIv in touch with the spirit OF
later ideals is Miss Sawyer's dance pro-
duction.
It brings the colored musician for-
ward for a degree of recognition 'hat
was not expected for him. His muslcai
performances are not initiative. The
Instruments in his orchestra are select
ed not with regard to scholarly prece-
dent If the intuitive and emotional
sense calls for a banjo and bass vfol
in neighborIy association. there is no
hesitation about putting them on terms
of acquaintance. Only pioneers in
peculiar field would employ the drum
tap and the snap of the banjo to pre-
sent rhythms of weavy grace. The as
semblage of instruments is character
,stic and nationalistic almost as Is the
Bala1aika orchestra of Russia.
This dance music is carrying a more
extensive and thorough influence than
would be formally admitted in idealis-
tic musical or literary circles. The rag
time song comes pretty near being the
American folk song. The words which
fit the syncopated swing must them
selves take on peculiar Tilt as they
portray a whimsical idea in terms OF
abrupt grotesqueness. Few really mas
ter the ragtime style. Will some fu-
ture archeologist cropping amid the
debris of a newly excavated city lend
scientific authority to the opinion that
Prof Europe was the leading musician
of our time and Bert Williams the
leading poet?
"A Pair of Skies" is a reflex of the
business fiction which has been so con-
spicuous. The effort to surround COM
mercial operations with the fascina-
tlONS Oh TOIfldHSC li<hS uCSh SoAA AASASAS 80
evidence. The pursuit of fortune is no
longer utilized as theme, only In
connection with the fabulous wealth of
Monte Cristo, or the peril-fraught
plunder of the highwayman. The man
who is trying to build up substantial
enterprise Is having his day, and a very
interesting figure he makes.
- TO- &c.
more in the case of the Girl from Utah.
Light and frothy; charming because
of its very lack of substantial quality,
the girl was welcomed without ques-
ton Enthusiasm was unrestrained
and the entertainment was one for
which the phrase of the rural social
Journalist might be borrowed, "A
pleasant time was had by ALL" The
preceding Charles Frohman presenta-
tion, "a Girl of Today" was a play of
carefully expressed ideas in which there
was acting in the interpretive sense
and not in the aspect purely of arti-
fcial diversion.
The defects of "A Girl of Today" were
not subordinated in the impression
made by the play to the wealth of
admirable material. In SO carefully
fact about it would be that there is
any defect at all.
j every field of effort, the serious at
tempt is the one which calls for serious
censoring. 1t is not remarkable that
the musical comedy star, fattered as
he is in success and gently condoled
with in transient failure, should feel
justified In regarding himself as the
real legitimate actor, after all.
Yet Shakespeare is not dead. in spite
of the fact that Robert Manten has
announced, to the regret of many play
goers, his intention TO act no more.
A stock company in Boston. in which
r D. MacLean is playing the big tradi-
tionai roles, has been presenting
Shakespeare with greater success than
has been vouchsafed farce, problem
Or song melange.
A somewhat serious tendency has
been manifest in the pictorial enter
tainn1ent, the study of places involved
In the war being a favorite one. Uncle
Sans Workshop" has found great in
terest, and the attention given the
Lymaes4lewe lectures on the navy
shows that, the affairs of the world are
hoidIn Il ffeir own with the creations
Of 4 sssHflnlsasss;DER ssfnsiss; JOHNSON.
Lew ieIds and shakespeare.-'1
3nd,'' Lew Fields. that in putting
sn musical comedy and in playing farce
:here is no one who can teach me SO
gluch as Shakespeare l don't know that
can explain just how he helps me TO
shape UP farce. but he does; ] get
play all muddled up some times. and
then drop the rehearsal and read The
Merchant Of Venice That always clears
ahe fog out Of my brain and 1 go back
to the other. 1 seem to learn how to
Build scenes, to use words, to rewrite
passage that were hopeless before. But
ne public does not want to be bored
with my enthusiasm for Shakespeare, so
/ Will keep him to myself as sort Of
private and personal delight
When Mr.. Fields was asked II he ever
dreamed of playing anything from
Shakespeare, he hesitated and then made
the confession:
For my own pleasure I know every
line of The Merchant of Venice. 1 find
Shylock an inspiration for all the things
I do. But this is purely personal en-
thusiasm. There are many parts 1 have
learned in Shakespeare. but only be-
cause / felt / should be able to play
those parts in order to do the things