The sun., 1916-11-15
ENGLISH COMPANY
IN NEW SHAW PLAY
"Great Catherine" Produced at
Opening Of Neighborh0Od
Playhouse Season.
OTHER DRAMAS GIVEN
Thumb Nail Sketch of Life in
st. Petersburg in Eigh-
tenth Century.
2 OTHER DRAMAS GIVEN

The second George Bernard Shaw play
Of the season had it's New York pre-
m'ere last night. but Il was a long way
from Broadway, or at least tina glitter
ing section Of Broadway which IL the
hub Of the theatrical world. Great
Catherine was given at the opening OF
the Neighborhood Playhouse season.
Kingston. the English actress. and a
visiting company, along with two other
one act plays. The Queens Enemies"
by Lord Dunsany and The Inc OF
Jerusalem" by a fellow of the Royal
Society Of Literature. who prefers to re-
main anonymous.
Great Catherine was produced In
London three years ago. II has been
seen in America only on the occasion of
Miss kings,on's brief engagement at the
Toy Theatre in Boston. Shaw calls IT
"A thumb nail sketch Of life in st. Peters,
burg in the eighteenth century He
says also Exception has been taken to
the title OF this harmless bit of TOM
foolery on the ground that the Catherine
1t represents is not Great Catherine. but
the Catherine whose g~allantries provide
some Of the lishtest pages OF modern
history. In reply l can only confess
that GATHERINGS diplomacy and her con-
quests do not interest me. But Catherine
with plenty OF character and (as We
should say) no morals still fascinates
and amuses us as she fascinated and
amused her contemporaries
Unpublished Play Presented.
Tho Queens Enemies Is an unpub.
lished play by Lord Dunsany and was
given It's first presentation on any stage
last night, The Egyptian stage setting.
we're designed by Howard kretz. ano
the costumes and properties by Aiint
Bernstein and Ruth Deike.
The Inca OF Perusalem' IL described
as IAN almost historical comediettn. u
l. in two sccnes and was seen Tor tn'
first time in America last night.
Miss Kingston and her company vii
present these three plays every evenin,
except Monday through November &c.
Some one has charged Shaw with he
Ing the author OF The Inca OF Perusa
lem" and the charge seems plausible
enough while one is listening to its bur
den Of words. The first part OF the pla!
seems "A caricature OF the Kaiser draw
With "A pen dipped in vitriOl. II Is tn
latter part OF the play, where the I"c'
. given an opportunity to explain him
III. that is sufficiently un-British I
ave been written by shaw. and Is m
doubt the reason why the fellow OF tn
Noyal Society was so modest waite
bingham as the Inca made n truly i'm
perlai figure.
Rrncteristic Dunsany Piece.
Tho Queens Enemies is a truly cha
acteristic ironical Dunsany piece. I'll
gentle Queen did not wish to have an
enemies. She wanted to be loved by al
so she de- owned her The SUI
pense IL maintained to the end. The sc
tings and costumes achieve a truly Esyi
tan atmosphere. but not very much ca
be said for the acting.
But the thing which will bring peop
a long way of the beaten track to reac
the little East Side theatre IL Geort
Bernard Shaw's 'Great Catherine
Great Catherine makes the pilgrima
20 the Neighborhood Playhouse entireI
worthy. So absorbing was the newe
Shaw play to be produced In Ameri'
no one was aware that 1t was holdir
them until past midnight until the Ia
curtain on the last scene fell. II Ia
wonder why such a splendid bit
Shavian humor was three years In eros
ing the Atlantic.
1t was welcomed last night by mo
than the little band Of the faithful al
the Little Theatre was filled with patrol
which were not recruited in the nelgl
borhood. The reception was more this
cordial. Its more p%retentious relative
the Booth Theatre did not receive a mo
hearty welcome. Gertrude Kingston
catherine was superb. Walter Ringha
as the drunken Prime Minister gave
piece Of acting which has few rivals
any New York stage at the present tim
Colin Campbell gave distinction to
minor part and Leslie Austen was exec
lent as the Captain Of Dragons. T
settings and costumes for Great Cat