New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-06
In the Playworld
Negro Players Score Success
in Interesting Bill of
Short Plays
By HAYWOOD BROUN

Formerly, negro lie mas meant
little to the stage but burnt cork,
lumbago ard the word "massa.
Ridgely Terrence has pictured the
real negro in three plays which were
presented at the Garden Theatre last
night with negro players. The per-
formances were a triumph for the act
ors. for Mrs. Hapgood, the producer.
and for Robert f.. Jones, director and
designer Of sets and costumes.
Granny Maumee" aroused great at
tention when it was played by the
stage society few years ago. but il
was another play which made the deep
est impression last night. THE Rider
Of Dreams" IN spite of a certain loose
ness Of structure, is a capital one-act
comedy. The play tells the story Of a
huge and lazy negro who wants 10 live
life as his dreams tell him TO live, and
finds that the things he wants are all
tangled up with moral and religious
restrictions. Man. he learns. to his
sorrow, must go roundabout for every
desire. For instance, he wants a
"gitar," but when he gets an instru-
ment by direct action, he finds he may
keep it only if he will give music les
sons.
The comedy is finely tuned to the
mood in which one laughs at char
acter, but knows all the time that the
person deserves something more. TINS
play was acted better than either Of the
others. A huge negro delight'ng IN the
name of Opal Cooper played the
dreamer with fine feryOr and humor.
Only his detection seemed little lack
ing in sincerity; and, indeed, Opal
Cooper smiled so broadly after the
sixth or seventh encore that II was
easy to see he had been having the best
sort of time even when he was called
upon to sulk.
A portion Of the play would be i'm
possible of performance by a white
player. We do not think that anyone
but a negro could carry the scene in
which the black man trlumphantly
chants of the dream which has shown
him the way to fortune. Here the actor
was at his best. lie revelled in his
lines. We can remember hardly any
other performer who conveyed the
sense of ecstasy as this negro actor
did last night.
good Alexander Rogers gave a kindly
and sympathetic performance of DR.
Williams, and little Joseph Burt was
a perfect pickanlnny. 1t Is difficult 70
understand the prejudice in some fam
lies in favor of white children, since
the small blacks seem so much more
interesting. Perhaps the best arrange
ment would be TO have them black ur
TO ten years old, and then exchange
them for white children. Blanche Deas
a. the wife Of the dream rider. gave
an intelligent performance. but she
was handicapped not little by hel
seeming unfamiliarity with negro dia
lect.
Granny Maumee" has some impress
sive moments. and Marie Jackson Stu
art gave an interesting performance a.
the ancient negro woman, who fnd'
sight after years Of blindness. only tC
learn that the great grandchild fol
whom she had longed is tainted witt
white blood. The play rather break.
down at the finish because the dram
atist brings il 70 a conclusion which
is by no means inevitable. All sorts o
horrors are indicated, and while goO'
many may be glad TO avoid them, Their
is no getting away from the fact tina
they are promised. Still. there is mucl
good stuff in the play, and the wori
of Fannie Harrington and Blanche Deai
supplements the excellent performance
of Marie Jackson-Stuart.
The last play would amount TO LITTLE
on account Of its complex and obscure
beginning, but it can hardly be dis
missed lightly. since it affords Robert
Jones on opportunity 90 present one
of the finest stage pictures Of the year
The moment when the crosses are seen
passing behind the high wall at the
back of the stage captivates the eye
and there is beauty, too, in the final
tableau as well as in the grace OF
Frederick Slade, who plays a herald
from Egypt.
This play concerns the story Of 81
mon. the Cyrenian. who carried the
cross for Jesus. There is sharp dra-
matte awakening toward the end OF the
play. but it suffers not little iron
the obvious effort to use the words oil
Christ and at the same time keen thu
character off the stage. This seems
fnicky. or at least inept. John I. But
Ter is strikingly in the picture o.
Simon.
All in all the bill is one of the most
interesting Of the season and worth the
attention Of theatregoers. We can par
ticularly recommend THE Rider OF
Dreams" It's opening Is just about the
most skilful we have seen in any ono
act play this season. Again and again
the play was interrupted by applause.