New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-23


block or two of the Street IS "on
Broadway Washington Square
Players should be able to offer no end
Of interesting things. The increased
re renue from the greater seating ca
pacity Of the Comedy certainly will
not be entirely consumed by the in
crease in rental, and the surplus should
give the Players a fine feeling Of
security.
As TO that, there is evidence that
the Players already consider them
selves solidly established. They have
purchased a mimeograph.
DOSSIBLY it is incorrect to say that
i the test of play is to be found
in the enjoyment which one derives
from a second and a third and
f urth and fifth visit. We can re-
call many excellent offerings which no
amount of persuasion could induce us
to witness for second time. At the
same time, a show which repays re-
pcated visits should be entitled to rank
ahead Of the entertainment which ex-
hausts its spell in a single evening.
There are two plays now running that
we have found to be excellent repeat
ers. They are not, of course, the only
two. but they chance to be the ones
that We have revisited most frequently
First, there is Mr.. Cohan's musical
revue, at the Aston. Now, we never
have been imbued with a titanic re-
spect for musical shows. In the mat
ter of humor they are particularly dis
amounting, since majority OF llbret-
lists proceed on the theory that no one
in the audience reads punch" or "Un-
der the Spreading Chestnut Tree
Also. musical comedy humor even
woen il is new-never has been re
markable for its subtlety. But at the
Cohan Revue we laughed and laughed
and that wasn't all. On our second
trip to the Astor-we confess this with
a triAe of shame-we laughed at sew
eral points which had sailed fair over
our head on the previous visit.
A third journey resulted in the dis
covery and appreciation OF additional
bon mots, twice overlooked. Now. we
would not think of insisting that
Joke is subtle merely because we can
not understand it. Our claim OF sub
tlety for the Cohan Revue rests upon
frmer foundation than that. II is
based on the fact that the audiences
at the Astor have been equally dila-
tow, and that a number OF too subtle
lines and episodes have been broad
cned since the piece opened.
When the Cohan Revue exhausts its
possibilities which will happen after
eight or ten or twenty visits-the en-
Pertaining power of the audience still
Is 10 be considered. A pleasing pas
tine for an idle evening lies in sp-
praisin- the sophistication Of an Aston
theatre audience by the manner in
which IL receives the Cohan Revue. II
Ia. of course, the simplest of matters
TO decide that majority Of those pres
emf have or have not witnessed GER
tain play that is being burlesqued, but
the Conan show offers opportunities
for far deeper analysis. We, for one,
will be hard pressed to find place TO
spend the openingless evenings when
"The Cohan Revue 1916" finally packs
up and leaves.
The second OF the city's good re-
heater. is "The Cinderella Man." at the
Hudson. The reason for this Is TO be
found in the fact that Edward Childs
CARPENTER has written a play in which
romance is mingled with intelligence
a rare and remarkable combination.
like the Conan chow, many of its finer
points will find appreciation only upon
rendition, and many which arc readily
visible to the naked eye upon first
visit will take on added interest when
ot,erved for a second or third time.
A long, long life TO "The Cinderella
Man!
FOLLOWING a period OF inactivity,
the theatrical season will this
week resume midsesson form. And in
the spring. it seems, the managers
fancy lightly turns 20 thoughts of re-
sn.i t;,,, nroductions will be made