The sun., 1916-09-10
ELlNOR M. COX 81
Me COMEDY #EXTRE

1 Idiis 10 tne lou OF the dramatic
reporters TO observe more fire.
Quently probably than any other
class Of workers that Biblical process
down O steep hill into the sea. Rich
ard Watson Tully gave the latest ex-
Inhibition Of Il at the Lyric Theatre on
Monday. when his play THE Flame
WA acted for the first time. 1.-THE en-
tire production" the programme SOL
EMMY announced. has been staged by
the author"
It was perfectly clear as the unfor-
tunate play progressed that some am
eteur stage manager was responsible
$or the repeated bungling and inept
OF projecting the play which
kept the audience in laughter when
the intent Of the author was most Sc
rious. II Mr.. Tully engages q stage
manager for his mex play the first
night audience will DO grateful.
There is. however. much that 10 in
teresting in ''The Flame" ana II u
doubtless still possible to make II into
a play that may enjoy wide popular
ity. II Is entirely unnecessary that
the amiable padre should turn out to
be the father Of the New England
heroine. Tho mother 10 entirely too
important in the action and she should
be reduced to what she accomplishes
in the first act. Then the racket Of
the tomtoms should be carried further
from the audience. They might have
been in the orchestral pit IN Monday.
IT 10 true that all the noises should be
more remote. There is not the least
illusion about them now.
The millionaire with his donation IL
also a figure to be eliminated. The
character Of the mysterious girl who
comes out Of the we'll like the Nickle-
man in die Versunkene Glocke' Is
poetic. and with the Qualification OF
the voodoo episodes will be a more
vital figure. It Is not In the least
necessary to tho significance that
there should be a baby carried about
In the procession. Cannibal.sm is no.
essential to tho impressiveness OF
these episodes Mr.. Tully may still
carve out Of THE Flame" a dramatic
and above all a timely play. 1t Is UNI
fortunate that he has not the assist
noe Of some capable stage manager
70 put his plays before the public. II
the in which 1.-THE Flame was
acted Is an example Of his skill in his
particular Richard Watson Tully In
oorporated ought to object violently to
Richard Watson Tully unincorporated
taking any such liberties with his
property.
Come Of the best farces on tho
American stage used to be written by
George Broadhurst. What no had to
do with Fast and Grow Fat" at the
Globe Theatre the other night It 10 not
eNsy to tell. Avowedly tho play Is
founded on a book. SO there was no
necessity OF %inventing the fiction. The
pieee lasted from $40 until 10:40 the
opening night, 80 under any circum-
stances the piece was very short and
could not have proved . tax on any
writer. Whatever fun the book may
have contained was not observed in
its dramatic form.
30 why was Mr.. B%roadhurst neces-
sary7 There is about enough fun in
Frank McIntyre's new play to make q
twenty minute sketch for Mr.. Kings
ley's palace Of refined Worldwide. A.
It is the time Of actual playing Is
little more. But there is not yet n
evident reason why Mr.. B~roadhurst
should have been called in.
But he did something novel In pre-
senting a scene of intoxication which
continued throughout an act. Zelda
Sears after showing the effects Of a
pint Of whiskey on an empty stomach
TO the amusement Of the audience
once repeated the effort several times.
There was no means of adding variety
TO tho recurring scenes except by tho
adoption Of a mechanical device Of ono
kind or another. In the case Of Miss
Sears It was the frequent change Of
frocks in which she appeared from
time to time. It must be admitted to
the constantly diminishing delight of
the spectators, by which the impossible
task Of carrying on the humor was
attempted.
farce Of tho present DAY II rsp.