The sun., 1916-12-03
By REAMER.

r AURETTE TAYLOR'S sotourn in
London has had q marked effect
- on the quality Of her voice.
II, IL still an eloquent and touching
organ. somewhat more nasal than It
used TO be. and more addicted to the
rising infection at the end of a sen =
tence. IT is now of a long drawn out
leuto, with links in its sweetness,
which were put there altogether BY
the actress. In other words, her
method OF pronunciation follows the
rhythm which appeals to her ear
rather than the divisions Of tho dc
tionary. Miss Taylor does not hesitate
10 add a syllable or two to a word
when such q change increases its
euphony. Nobody IL likely to quarrel
with her for adding to the charm Of
her speech in any way. Her voice Is
too delightful to listen to. II might
almost be said that It Is impossible to
hear too much Of 1t. Yet there Is. after
All. grounds for believing that the
audience at the Globe Theatre last
Monday night was quite satisfied with
tho silence that followed the fall OF the
curtain on the last act.
For such lovely utterance was cer-
talnly wasted when the speeches which
fell to her sounded like Cosmo Hamil-
ton trying to talk like Eugene Brieux.
But the voice Of either on the theme of
"The Harp Of Life" Is no more than an
echo Of Franz Wedekind. Sex hygiene
a. Il is expressed In the drama began
with his "%Fruhling's Erwachen.'' which
Max Reinhardt produced in Berlin. Its
success there led Antoine to do the
same play in Paris. At the local Ger
man theatre there were no artistic
forces adequate to a performance of
the play, from which many scene were
emitted when the too ambitious Gustav
Amberg tried to let New York see the
Drama
It u uncomfortable hat such an en-
bodiment OF the spirit OF comedy as
Miss Taylor Is should be condemned to
utter the platitudes Of sex hygiene
which have for years been the COM
mon property Of the scientific world.
The theatre is always behind the other
arts. Inevitably 1t Is eons behind the
scientific world. SO 1t Is entirely posi-
Die for a playwright naively to put
into the mouth Of one Of his characters
such phtitudes with the belief that au.
diences may be led to believe in the
originality and daring Of his views.
Maybe the tired business man will
wonder at Mr.. Manners's knowledge.
On the other hand. most OF the thea
TRIGGERS who arrive at the Globe Thea
tire would feel much more grateful II
the author had been satisfied to write
merely a good play.
But the cruelty Of the whole affair
ID that such a gifted and irresistible
person as Miss Taylor should have to
make the stage a rostrum. She should
never leave the realm OF a and
humor. imagination and beauty. That
i. her world. Few adorn II so brilliant
ly as she. On the other hand. there are
no end Of declaimers who can talk
birth control and kindred topics until
the cows come home. But imagine such
an irresistible being As Laurette Tay-
Tor. with the genius Of Comedy az her
fairy godmother and all the muses.
showering her with their gifts. com
PEELED to spout in her drawn out COLDER
tones the platltudes OF SCI hygiene.
Stage traditions die hard. However
did the theory obtain that existence II
the country is evcr pure and beautiful
while urban life is the reverse. Is in
deed the abode Of wickedncss and sin
As a matter Of fact. the monopoly Of
the virtues is not confined to any part
OF the world. In one OF the essays OF
"lntentions"--is 1t THE Critic as Ar
t~st'?-Oscar Wilde said hat nobod,
deserved credit for feeling good in thu
country. II was difficult under such
conditions to feel any other way. But
since The Green Lanes of England
which may have fixed the convention
II Is to the country that wickednes.
from the town always comes, and or
the other hand the evil OF city life soor
takes the bloom from the cheek Of in
nocence.
All this is exemplifed in "Mile-a
Minute Kendall" which as the work o
owen Davis is certain to be respectful
or theatrical tradition. Another equal!
Characteristic quality OF such plays 4
the!r entire lack Of morality. o
course "Mile-a-Minute Kendall" |
not 80 wholly without moral principl
as some Of its rivals. But they mus
at least be ~disinfected by recommends
ton in the list OF approved plays
Imagine recommending Turn to tn
Right on account OF its morality