Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-17
Two New Plays
Seen at Shore
For First Time
"The Lady in Blue" and
playing the Game
Produced
saf Seetion
Arr.ANT1c c1TY. Iune II.


II Is noticeable that the producers NAL
ing new productions here this year are nc
adopting the old maxeshRt methods {
using the settings Of old plays. but are pr
viding entire new equipments Of scener
and the necessary adjuncts TO make IN
plays a success. II shows they have fait
in the new offerings and that they expec
them to make one grand leap from Broad
way for the summer and TO have a pros
porous tour on the road next season. o
course, all ambitions are not fully realizet
but the new plays have n much better shoy
for success with new scenery, painted II
Keeping with the locale Of the play, insteat
of using interior and exterior acts whicl
have done service in other productions ant
/, which are familiar TO the discriminating
public who patronze all first-nights here.
There were two 'try-outs' here this
week, two plays making their debut, ant
The theatrical canine barleed joyously at one
and whined bit Mt the other. While first
impressions may be lasting. still iudicious
tinkering may fix UP the weak play and the
theatregoer may not like the other play
which seemed TO please everyone here.
The Little Lady in Blue a new ro-
mantle comedy by Horace Hodges and T.
fWisney Percival, authors Of Grumpy"
had It's initial production on any stage at
the Apollo Theatre on June 12 Frances
Starr was the featured actress in this and
II was produced under the personal man
agement and stage direction Of David Be-
lRsco. The comedy Is OF the 1920 period,
with costumes of that date, and the scenes
are laid in France and England. The
story tells of a hoydenish young Irish miss,
Ann Churchill, played by Miss Starr who
is in desperate financial straits in France
and about to leave for England. She has
day dreams OF attaining great wealth, but
absolutely no chance of securing same until
a wealthy admiral of the English Navy is
brought to her home. He is desperately Ill
and unable to continue his journey. Ann
attends to his wants and he appreciates
what a woman could do toward saving his
nephew from the drunken habits he has
fallen into
His attorney is ordered to draw UP a
will, leaving his nephew the sum of 100000,
providing that young man gives up his
profligate life and re-enters the navy on or
before the following goth of September
Ann, although n stranger to both the ad-
miral and his attorney, Is made acquainted
with the terms OF the will, but she is sworn
to secrecy and no one is to tell the young
man of the good fortune coming to him,
80 that his reformation may be brought
about through his own desires and not for
the purpose of receiving the conditional
legacy. The first act ends with the serious
fitness of the admiral and broad hint that
he will pass away shortly.
The other two acts are laid In England.
The nephew is q frequenter of an inn at
Portsmouth, where he Is the constant COM
panion of drunken friends and without am
billion or money, Ann comes to the inn,
the nephew falls In love with her at first
sight, and the story of his reformation,
through infatuation with comparative
stranger, begins. The third act tells the
story OF the young mans hard work to pay
off his many bills and his studies to regain
hainR IN
these good resolutions by Ann, who is
living next door TO a cottage he has taken
I'm the country Much light comedy is in
Jected in this act with Just a tinge of melo-
drama when the trustee of the estate in
forms the young man that he is TO receiye
an unexpected legacy for his good behav-
ior. He gives all the credit to Ann, but
she informs him that she Is naught by an
adventures, who only helped him in his
work because she knew of the provisions of
the will and wanted to make him fall in
love with her so that she, as his wife. could
enjoy the wealth. She tells how she has
run into debt to buy pretty clothes and
live close to him, and that. therefore, she
Is unworthy of him. OF course, matters are
righted when he forgives her and a unique
proposal for wedding 1t made by asking
every one II they have anything TO do on |
the 2sth of September OF course the query |
when made to Ann brings forth negative |
reply, and the nephew then tells her she |
can marry him on that day.
MISS Starr played the leading part ef- |
fectively, showing much skill in light COM |
edy. her only failing being tendency TO |
pitch her tones too low SO that the audience |
could not understand her One of the au- |
thors OF the play, Mr.. Percival, gave a de- |
cidedly Grumpy" touch to a character in
the first act, but as he did not appear later
in the play the line of comedy was lost.
Other parts were taken by Jerome Patrick
Frederick Graham, Carl Sauerman. Frank
kemble Cooper, George GIdden, Lucy Beau
mont. Roland Rushton and others. The pro-
auction was beautiful one and the play
VIII more than likely make hit in New
York and on the road.
The Harris estate presented a new melo.
arama. entitled playing the Game" by
Sada Cowan and Traffarn Whitney for the
1rst time on any stage, at the Cort Theatre
Pm June IL. The universal opinion was that
"a its present shape it would fail TO meet
Tith approval It has the bad handicap of
being newspaper play. with the evident
Intention OF showing how a powerful news.
paper, on the rocks of financial distress.
'ould be saved by the publication of a big
tory OF scandal duplicating an actress,
BOB WATT.