The sun., 1917-08-26


interest the spectator has felt seems
to have been the result Of a swindle.
1t appears at last Just why The Del
uge" is less interesting than it ought
to be. 1t is in every scene entirely
insincere. The author Is in reality
| playing a Joke, and this Characteristic
Is strong enough to poison every scene
in the three acts.
No medium seems to offer 80 many
difficulties to the writer as the world
Of music. To those familiar with its
manifestations they are. whether in
drama or novel. altogether wrong.
George Moore, who might have learned
better, made Of the principal incident in
Evelyn Innes" rather pitiful nonsense
to the sophisticated. Miss Sedgewick
In "Tante' drew some startlingly life
like studies of the musical sycophant.
one who Is in a measure a 'grafter'
OF fame. reflected Importance and
selfish notoriety. There Is no part OF
Du Maurier's music in the novel Of
"Trilby" so reasonable as the fantastic
results OF svengali's hypnotic power.
In the theatre, Of course, there has
been even less success in fiction Of the
superior kind that appears between
book covers. The best sellers are
often enough trivial and illlterate to a
degree that makes their popularity de-
plorable. But they do better by music
than the stage does. From poor old
Van Biene and THE Broken Melody"
r,c
max" there has been no play that ap-
peared other than as ridiculous to the
musician or 10 those familiar with the
life Of the professionals in that field
Leo Ditrichste!n in The Great
Lover" provided the most accurate
and plausible picture OF operate life
that the stage has known In our lam
guage.
That credit belongs to Mr.. Ditrich-
stein. But TO the power that gave
Eyes OF Youth" to the world there
must go the distinction OF having fur
nished the most amazing study Of
operate existence that the public has
ever been invited to contemplate.
The play which Charles Guernon
and Max Marcin have so ingeniously
al!ty Of Marjorie Rambeau seems as
sured of some popular success. 1t Is
not probable that the absurdities OF
the second vision will prove tho least
detrimental to the drama. Such de-
tails do not interfere with tho success
OF work vital enough to draw the
world. But to the moro interested OBJ
server the existence revealed In this
passage Of the play is more entertain
Ing than the most extravagant effort
| at humor recently mad on behalf Of
the |atigued captain of industry.
Into the dressing room Of tho prima
donna OF the National Academy Of
Music. commonly called the Opera,
comes the lady. rather obviously un-
der the influence of liquor. And this
in city which has not forgotten the
tragic experience OF Marie Van Zandt.
She has just dined. which Is a coura-
geous thing for a singer, since they
are usually supposed to approach their
task II not in prayer at least fasting.
But this American prima donna gets
her voice into condition with a ciga-
rette and cognac.
But there are other things as ir-
regular about this opera house. Singu-
larly enough there is a negro maid in
attendance on the prima donna. On
the walls hang photographs Of such
international artists as Ann Suther-
land in Cheating Cheaters," Mar
guerite Ellington and we thought we
saw in the background the uplifted
ankles OF the Dolly sisters. STILLS" of
various other stars Of the flllums were
visible to the naked eye II not alto
gether recognizable. Not even a dress
ing room at TIE Folies Bergere ever
looked like this.
But the conduct Of the operatic
performance is still more irregular.
A few minutes after substitute had
| taken the place Of the irate prima
donna, she was heard singing "Vissi
| darte," although that aria is near the
end Of the second act OF Puccini's
work.
"All that merely goes to show" a
| representative OF A. II. Woods ex-
| planned, that Mr.. Woods is a quick
worker. He could give you Tristan
und Isolde In twenty minutes II It
were necessary
The ridiculous improbabilities will
not Of course interfere with the popu-
lar success Of the play They might
easily have been corrected. however.
and thus would Eyes OF Youth" have
lost little Of its glaring crudity.
The season at the Cohan Harris
Theatre will begin Tomorrow. Cohan
4 Harris will present a new comedy In
four acts by Harry James Smith en-
titled "A Tailor-Made Man" with
Grant Mitchell in the leading role.
He is to be supported by Frank Bur-
beck, Barlowe Borland. Harry Har-
wood, Rowland Blackstone. Theodore
Freihus, A. p. Kaye. l.. T.. Conness.
Howard Wall John A. Boone, ]. II.
Greene, Lloyd Carpenter. John Mac
cabee. William c. Hodges. Lawrence
WEite. Douglas Farne. John Ward