New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-20
Daylight Saving Set Back
by Midnight Show at
Century
EAST-WEST PLAYERS
AT THE GARDEN
Crude Company Has Pos
sibilitieS in Producing
Plays from Yiddish
By HAYWOOD BROUN

BN HE1 " OOD BhOiN
The Cocosnut Grove. on the roof OF
the Century Theatre. which was opened
Thursday night and Friday morning,
suffers somewhat from a lack of the
intimate atmosphere Of its downtown
ally atop the New Amsterdam. The
costumcr. IL is true. has been frank and
the producer kindly to the extent OF
including one of those terrifying
scenes in which the girl trapczc per
formers take of things. Yet most vet
Gran theat-egoers are not likely to be
supremacy thrilled b. such antics.
since, in the light Of previous expert
cncc. they know that a halt will surely
come some little time before inevlta-
bility sets in.
The location Of the new roof garden
IS superb. with it's view across the park
and the big room has been gayly decked
with the decorations of Urban and OF
Krchner. The prevailing color rs
gold. which is perhaps not the most
restful shade in the world for the
wearied broker and banker and NUM-
ton maker. but tncrc is relief for eyes
20 which all gold does not glitter IN
more restful greens ana blues.
The show Of the first night was
amazingly rich in well known perform
crs and indeed a bit too long and slow
paced in wonders. A little hrmness
and a deal more tact will attend TO
that presently. OF the numbers winch
stood out were Van and Schenck, the
popular ballad singers: Gertrude HON
man. i'm some novel dances, and the
thin but sweet high notes OF Janetta
t!e-hvcn. Maurice and Walton were
called upon lac night and won deiight
with their dance, but we presume they
were merely an opening night @ttIac-
tion.
Leon Enrol was amusing in noop-
skirt number with Vera Maxwell, bul
distinctly lugubrious in bit OF goii
comedy with Willie Archie. Harry
Kelly succeeded better a. the ION ioi
4 dittv entitled "Msry Brown whlch
was sung by Miss Rita Boiand. Otner
ncrformSre were the skilful Joe Jack
SON Edith Hallor. Irving Fisher. Hattie
Rurkes and Dolly Hackett. In spite OF
tho call which the Midnight Froilc mas
oxercised upon the service OF some OF
The Century beauties, there seem TO be
nlentv Of others left for the Cocoanul
Grove. not 20 mention number "
comoly and hithertho Unattached ie-
cruits. Al civ
This midnight resort above the SLY
ties and below the skies BIDS iair 10
be potent lure, or oasis il you VII
not only for the seeker. DIV TOT nv
va. one who had already started ior
home before ne thought better OF
worse. OF II.
Tho performance Of the East-NeS
rlarors o.. the Garden Theatre Thurs
de, NIGHT might furnish an OBJECT res
eo2 foT nlavers and playwrights. that u
Is better 10 write and 10 tct IN ~ ~
Giuo7s with which one is familiar. Inc
Companv acquitted itself credltaDly III
pcrez Uirschbein's fantastic COMEDY o.
Icu,ish life. called THE Stranger, oui
cvervthiug went smash bang IN faUl
80 Virginia" which followed LEI u
bc said that Paul and Virginia IS
society skit laid in "Binglewood-o me
Uackensack" and played ana written
18th about as intimate knowledge O.
society as the Hattons possess.
In Justice TO the author 10 may ne -tI
down that one actor inddNeftehtE
skinned two pages Of dialogue ouI 10.
cur part. We regarded the player NO.
unkindly. James ROrty. the aulhoI, ~
oopving playwriGhts and not me. &c
casionally he has succeeded ID PIouoo.
inc 3 scrap Of flip cleyerncss, but not
often enough or well enough TO Hl@Ac
mis- play worthy Of attention.
I'M l. ,ts,.r a AaTTA0fU. UE
Gustav Rlnm and Elias Lieberman,
proved an ambitious bu. not particular
IL interesting dramatic treatment
lf an Arabian Nights tale. HOW
ever. the bills last number Is
Sbolom Asch's interesting sllegory'
"Niebt" AS in the more familiar
"rbe Sinner" by the same play
wright the symbolism is sometimes
hit indecisiye and pulling. but 20 is ID,
terestinc for all that. Asch rs well
Known TO patrons Of the Iiddish hca-
ire narticularly for his God or ven
ccarco." sex thriller, which has been
done M Berlin by Max Rhcidhardi: ne
German producer. IN fact. has produoc9
several PLAYS from the liodisn schooI'
which is almost unknown 10 hnglsh-
sbeaking thcatregoeTS.
The East-West Players can serve an
important junction il t"'H HuNN ''
making this school more widely know +"
,bropgL tho medium Of translation. The
Hiddieb drama is rich enough 10
achievement to merit attention, but u
i richer still in promise. Here is a
drama backed BY the poetry and TO-
r'Incc of the Bible and face TO face
with the realism Of city life. Through
The Yiddish playwrightS may come the
Grama which will express the Ire oil
dark rooms and mean streets IN other
terms than those Of realism. ALREADY
there 81, "a hint OF this drama IN such a
nia, "a David Pinski'S poignant ouc-act
niece Forgotten Souls" Moreover the
East-West Players should present some
OF Pinski's one-act plays which dea.
with tho loves OF David. Abigail Tor
instance. is brilliant enough TO deserve
a wider audience.