The sun., 1916-12-03
AT the old ladies' home in
"Old Lady 81"
%RAcHEL

0y NAShEk (NOI HENS,
Aaskor Of the Play. cold Lady a."
T TERE are four scenes from "old
- Lady 81" which the audiences
1 L at the Thirty ninth Street
Theatre seem to like particularly well
and this latest experience with n
New York audience has been a very In
tsrestins one. comparing It, as l have
Gone, with tho three weeks on the road
before coming in.
The surprise has been that New
York cries more than 'the road" and
laughs Just a. much and as loudly,
and does II all with quite as much
spontaneous Inconsistencies as our
country cousins. One audience in
particular interested me last week
because II was SO very much dressed
and looking SO Indifferent and so
We'll, show me and get through with
IT," that I thought Here's where we
come a cropper." but by the time
Emma Dunn had stood on her door
step a few moments in her dear little
old fashioned dress and bonnet, IL
Eliminating the character of Angie
with her exquisite art, there seemed
to be tears enough and sympathy
enough In those formidable folks TO
supply the whole world with the MIX
Of human Kindness.
And when the other characters
came along and won their way TOO
the laughter that came from that
starchy looking audience certainly
proved conclusively that the whole
world Is akin.
It's also interesting to hear the dis
cussion as to whether II play Is
"saddcr than funny" or %"funnier than
sad" and the only answer seems TO DC
the old safe one-that 1t depends upon
the point of view. for it's impossible 10
tell by merely watching the theatre
full Of people. because they always
seem to be laughing loudest WINE
they are wiping their eyes hardest
though one dear man settled 1t when
he exclaimed audibly. "Well. speaking
Of laughing and crying. l don't kho"
which I'm doing"
A look over the pages OF manu-
script to let them go into print / am
well aware that these scenes are COINS
TO read like very small and common
place stun without either %eloquence or
"punch," proving how absolutely a play
Of characterization this n Is ana
how only so per cent. of 1t can be pu'
on paper, while the other so must be
brought out by the actor. have
cause for great gratitude to the cas'
that has made these people V TOT
each n from Emma Dunn. who IL the
soul as we'll as the star OF the play
down to the smallest part brings 10 II
the tremendous value OF personality
and makes these homely, humble. COM
monplace people tell the story through
the force Of their own characteristics
and I am more convinced every time
I see a performance of the deep
standing an audience has OF human
nature. 1t may not know much apou,
plays, but about the traits, foibles anc
shortcomings OF each other they are
all specialists.
And because the old sea captain an
his little wife, Angie, are sold out io'
only a hundred dollars and three cents
and are shutting up the little CAREER
forever in the prologue m trudgln
up the road to the first act, which II
the veranda OF an old ladies' home
whore Angie must take refuge, whil'
ABB must go four miles on to the pool
farm-because these people are 50
lonely doesn't remove them from you
but brings them closer. You VII
understand them the better and car
the more for their sorrow and theil
final happiness,