Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-20

AS THE BLUE ENVELOPE" expires
"A at the Broad tonight. there is no
need of further recrimination. Justice has
been done.
But II Is interesting to reflect on the
paucity of theatrical material in sight this
season. The failure of a frank try out"
gives the Broad week of darkness on
top of none too prosperous engagements
since "Pygmalion." The Forrest has been
given over to movies since the withdrawal
of "Fads and Fances. " AS yet nothing
new is announced there outside of the
Mask and Wig Clubs show. There Is
no doubt of what hard season 1t has
been for the managers. Expensive musi-
cal comedies are always n good barom-
eter; only 20 first-class productions are
listed by the Dramatic Mirror as on view
in New York and on the road.
The one promising result of all this
financial embarrassment and loss is
good deal of talk about reorganization.
On the one hand, managers propose pay
ing smaller salaries to the players who
hnV" hitherto demanded eXhoTbitant fig
ures. On the other actors as well as
managers gossip over schemes for stock
companies of the first grade more or less
comparatively organized. One thing is
certain: there can be no escaping the fact
that something must be done to put the
tuedlIe vi Il SOuHu DdSlS.
The best piece of acting this week-and
pretty much all the season, for thar mat
ter-is ALA NaZimova's in "War Brides"
at Keith's. All her familiar and vivid
powers are at their best. rhe result is a
singularly moving figure.
AS always, the first impression is of
Miss Nazimova's ability as "A plastic ar
tist. The woman in WAR Brides" be-
comes in makeup, costume and carriage
character distinctly, sharply different
from the Others of her long gallery. No
American actress of so evident a per
sonality' achieves such a physical meta
morphoss with each new character.
The voice is the voice of old; hard, a
little hampered by the Sibants and Ii
ouids of the English tongue. but tense
with vitality and relentless in it's pur-
Inse. Hardly another character has fitted
that voice so well as this war-hardened,
esperate woman fighting for the lives
OF men.
As for the rest of the impersonation, the
infections, the pauses the turrs OF the
lndy and gestures of the arms. they are
q c ything that the average American
actress can't achieve Instead of driving
the over-rhetorical speeches of the pay
VIZ ght to absurd heights in the search for
climax and points" Miss Nazimova cuts
6 OFT the stress of many speeches with a
sudden. angered drop of the voice or
sharp turn away from the person ad-
dressed
All this is realism, touched by the emo
tion of the moment, such as few Ameri-
cans achieve, and all must be ablc to
accomplish, before our theatre becomes as
fluid. as responsive. as II must be to mir
ror great dramatic art
The season is not 20 go by without a
visit from William Faversham, the actor
manager who has raised himself from
matinee idol to a position of just proml-
nence in the American theatre. On Easter
Monday he Will come to the Lyric in THE
Hawk" a play which has enjoyed much
prosperity on Broadway this season. 1t
gives him the part of a man who makes
the living OF himself and his wife by
cheating at cards The discovery of this
k:lavery by the wifes lover brings things
10 the necessary dramatic pitch for tense
excitement. With Mr Faversham is Miss
Pnllini.
John Bunny, who comes TO the Walnut
next week in his own proper person, has
had plenty OF curious experiences since
he played Bottom In Annie RusselPs
Midsummer Nights Dream" some eight
years ago. The natural advantages OF his
huge and mobile face for the pantommic
expression OF laughter and sorrow have
made him probably the most popular
star IN the movies. 1t isn't so very hard
to believe that he has been photographed
100000 times by the fiuttering movie
shutter. Bunny better than almost any
living man, has demonstrated the inter-
nationality Of the photoplay-A pantomime
that needs no translation 70 touch an
races. The result has been AN embarrass-
ing amOunt OF involuntary publicity in
whatever country John Bunny has
A face more easily recognized
than even Roosevelts means incessant
publicity for the man who walks the
streets with IT,
The coming OF Ethel Barrymore to the
Broad. which has already been announced
n these columns, Is now definitely set for
Easter Monday. She win thus add what