New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-20
Suggestion That Shaw Be
Treated More Like
Ty Cobb
MISS KINGSTON UP
FROM GRAND STREET
Little Women" Revived
by Brady at the
Park Theatre
BY HAYWOOD BROUN

Tor some strange reason playgoers
Of Now York pride themselves upon
suppressing the emotions. II is per-
Missile to cup the hands and call tho
umpire rotten" but one may not even
hiss an actor. We don't believe IL
would do any good fc hiss actors, even
though greater crimes are perpetrsted
upon the boards tnan Bill Klein or
Steve Evans ever committed on a dia-
mond.
Il IS on the positive side that tho
lack Of emotional expression is appall-
ing. After all. there is no great
sense in humping the back of your
neighbor because Ty Cobb has made a
hit. He makes two hundred or so
every season, and, furthermore. he is
almost Indifferent 70 the applause Of
the crowd.
We hold that il is arrant folly for
folk TO scream their heads Off when
Casey gets loose. II they will not dis
play equal enthusiasm when a Dursany
breaks through the crowd and speeds
down clear field which is all his own.
By all means, let us shout for Brick
ley. for Mahan and Larry Doyle and
Mclaughlin, but may that worshipful
roar cease 10 sink into the mere pat
ter of palm against palm when we
watch n stage instead OF gridiron, dia-
mond or court,
Why can't an audience give nine long
rains for Gertrude Kingston or shout
cat boy" when Shaw puts over a
good one?
Acting is e subtle business and one
should part grudgingly with his super
latives in writing about it. Thus. much
against our will, We are forced TO de-
clare that after seeing Great Cath
crime" at the Maxine Elliott Theatre
we can by no means avoid the state
ment that Miss Kingston is just about
the ablcst English speaking actress
now playing in New York. OF course
"the English speaking" bars Sarah
Bernhard and a number OF American
actresses.
The bill which Miss Kingston has
brought up from Grand Street has not
suffered in the journey. The Queens
Enemies is much better than it was
at the Neighborhood Playhouse, both
in staging and in acting. IL is not as
good Dunsany as the plays in Stuart
Walkers repertory. The gurglings
and gaspings and choking noises which
come just before the curtain are some
what too literal for our taste.
II is in the setting of the play that
Dunsany's imagination has worked to
best advantage. There is no denying
the effectiveness Of the first entrance
Of the Egyptians down that stairway
steep as that of a family circle into
the blacsacss Of heaven knows what.
TO Che -..e of the little queen Cath
icen &c., brings skill. She succeeds
IN taflr. tlc audience into her conf
denco .u e. much greater degree than
did Miss Lewisohn. Unless there is a
CLINT OF the claws the play is without
proper suspense. The final catastrophe
should come a. complete surprise
only to the guests of the queen. Miss
Nesbitt also plays we'll as Nsrinka in
Great Catherine" This part WAS ad-
mirably played by Dorie Sawyer during
the stay in Grand Street.
Seeing "The Inca Of Perusalem" a
second time convinces Us that we were
much at fault in CHASING it as the
worst of Shaw's productions. At first
hearing the play was teasing in its
slow pace. We were always expecting
something to happen, and were annoyed
al disappointment. But in watching the
play with the knowledge that il would
be mostly talk we found rare pleasure
III much Of that dialogue. There is wit,
and beyond that now and again wis
oom, and in one instance earnestness
and eloquence. The Inca's speech. in
which he declares that il is not life but
death which nations love, is mastery
in conception and expression.
Little Women" which reflects much
of the spirit of Louisa NJ. Alcott's story,
is at the Park Theatre for a holiday
season, which will include matinees
every day. Marian De Forests dram
atizaton was great success when 1t
was nrst produced one or two seasons
ago. The dramatist has followed the
book closely and has taken advantage
Of the picturesque possibilities OF cos
tuning and setting offered by the book.
Florence Huntington is bit more
husky than we had pictured the tomboy
10 in our mind, but she has q good
sense Of comedy values. even though
she works little too hard for her ef-
fects. Cherie Coleman. "A newcomer 10
the legitimate stage, Is very much in
the picture as Beth. The death OF Beth.
by the way. is one of the best played
incidents in the piece. Eleanor Sey-
bolt is effective in the small part Of
Hannah, and Mrs. T.. 4. Eberle plesses
as Mrs. March. All In all, ID is a good
performance OF robust type OF popu-
lar drama. William A. Brady is the
producer.