Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-25

THE WILLOW TREE-Japanese fantasy in
ee som RSo5s. RsSSts By J.. Harry RenTimo and Hsrrl-
NGso .........,..,,..,... Graham velsey
SaIiIura =. ............... Harold DE Becker
Edward Hsmiit.n, ''''''''''''' Harold salter
:Iohn rhn Charles Goto ....... Rerthold crawford
'be 'VIfrua I,n '.,..,..... George W. Wilson
4 Bira rd"eSe s.i,or, ''''.'.,.. Miss Fay BANTER
Fish hiS' Seller pSErel yg!oG
Mo2y Syrert TtrSn Sinser ...... Miss CoTalnn Wade
,cogrssy OF Mr wilism" Ma Hsrris rsy Jr5 Sa5n'er
den h,,usummer hous Place-Japan. SccneN-A gar =
Fuller. '"e Srounos OF MI HeoHrsy
thcnanting. exotic settings new fem
,llne star whose luster is undimmed through
tnree hours of fantasy, text instinct with
slncere feeling for the Orient are virtues
OF Inc Willow Tree" that make its shadow
welcome to starved imaginators. Surren-
uer 10 its spell is easy. The eye is feasted
mlth beauty. The necromancy Of Fay
ba'nters art thrills one like n new melody.
% retreshlng Is VI L be whisked away into
the realm Of fancy that to break the charm
win analysis seems at first to be a need
iess cruelty Of criticism But as the piece
p'osTesses lts alurement is not always sus-
tanned. Most potent as the curtain rises
on the delights Of an eastern garden. in the
cen.er OF which is set complete and per-
iectly fashioned Japanese house. convincing
in every subtle detail the novelty of the
picture partly fades as the antiquity Of the
plot material becomes more and more an
parent and as very obvious padding pro-
longs what might have been n gem of a two
act play into one designed for a full eve
ning's entertainment
j. Harry Benrimo who colloborated wit,
Harrison Rhodes in THE Willow Tree" and
some years ago shared with George
Hazleton joint honorabilty for that imagiI,,
ative masterpiece. THE Yellow Jacket" has
once more sought to project delicate Oriental
poetic concepts across the footights He
mas succeeded less well in the present in
stance partly because the high standa rd
set by Miss Banter is .unrealized by the
other most important member of the cast
and partly because mis- theme. stripped OF Ito
embroidery. Is woven of fairly familiar
theatric material For "The Willow Tree"
harks back In passage after passage to W.
y Gilberts "Pygmalion and Galatea"
That delectable semi-ironic semi-poetic
play was conventional. too in basis but the
authors lines snapped and scntilated with
piercing paradoXical brilliancy. now hard
and biting now touching and profound The
image, galvanized in life, who Is so deltc-
iously and sympathetically portrayed by
captivating Miss Banter, philosophises on
love life, the world, mankind. on all the
riddles OF humanity In lines that strik
ingly suggest Galatea's. but robbed OF the
glitter and inspirational glow. Two-thirds
of "rhe Willow Tree" is devoted to one sit
uation that OF the statue become human
enmeshed In the tragi-comedy of the world
and beloved OF the youth whose passlonal-
wish called her, as Pygmalion did Galatea
into being A new and heart-quickening
note is struck in the finale in which the
image. true to the legend formula from
which she sprung. orders the Telling OF the
willow tree on which her human existence
depends in order that her adorer, an Eng
lishman, may save his honor by fighting for
his fatherland in the great war Tine renun-
citation which she enforces restores the
youth to the arms OF his original sweet
heart from the far western world,
Miss Banter, comparatively a newcomer
here, although the theatrical records re-
veal her as having participated in an OBJ
scure operetta some seasons ago, not only
embodies the Japanese Galatea, nut also
the English maiden. To triumph over the
mere mechanical difficulties of her task
would be no mean achievement. Her quick
changes are accomplished with startling
celerity Add TO this her polished histron-
ism and it must be realized that "rhe will
low Tree" owes to her an infinitely great
measure of its appeal. Unfortunately NAL
colin Fassett as the romantic Britisher
steeped in Oriental mysticism, is stilted,
artificial and unconvlncing He has trick
of Swallowing his final syllables and OF af-
fected utterance that mars some of the
most poetic moments of the piece. The
aged Japanese image carver Of George w.
Wilson is delineated with sound authority
and the other roles are all capably handled.
Mr. Benrimo's achievements as master
Of lighting effects are superbly manifested
throughout the performance. H. T. {.