New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-01
I hi Dram a
The Washington Square
Players in Four One
Act Plays

The Washington Square Players. in
their first bill of the season. at the
Comedy Theatre, presenting Blind
Alleys by Grace Latimer Wright;
The Avenue" by Fenimore Merrill;
in the Zone" by Eugene O'Neill. and
His Widows Husband" by Jacinto
Benayente. translated from the Span
ish by J. Carrot UnderhiH.
By Ralph Block
The Washington Square Players,
whose business it is 70 shunt the
drama out of the well beaten road Of
the commonplace that Broadway does
its best to travel, assumed again the
performance OF their duty at the Com
edy Theatre last night. The brother
hood at the Comedy has more or less
established its right to claim the at
tention Of playgoers who seek THAR
entertainment in something beyond the
old furniture, the wax flowers and
harcloth upholstery Of the play
house. The programme Of last night,
the first Of the season. ia set in pleas
ant places and does not lack variety
although il is not so distinguished at
any point as TO rise above a passing
entertainment of the fancy 70 an act
usl stimulation Of the Imagination.
OF the four plays that found the
light last night, brief comedy BY
Jacinto Benavente, q Spanish play
wright who is available now in sew
eral English TRANSACTIONS, is probably
more nearly Of the stature to which
the Washington Square Players might
be expected 70 accommodate them
selves. His Widows Husband" is a
light satire on modern provincial
Spain, rising almost TO the point Of
ouriesque at several moments, but so
well refined by cast which included
Helen Wesley and Arthur Hohl that
the eXsggeration of the humOr was
not so publicly exposed last night as
it might Otherwise have been. The
occasion is the day before the unveil-
ing Of statue 90 the local hero. the
gentleman in question having been the
husband Of the chief lady OF the piece.
now welded 10 mis- best friend. The
problem Of propriety involved in the
lady's presence at the unveillng, es-
pecially in view of newly published
book exposing the intimacles Of the
now happy couple before the death OF
the man now in process OF being nom
ored, composes the subject matter or
the comedy. The setting, By Rollo
Peters, is admirable and shines with
all the binding atmosphere OF Sorolia
Bastida. -,
Of the other three plays. Blind Al
leys.' by Grace Latimer Wright, is a
bit Of the New England complex, IN
which a young man whose wife has
left him is taught by more human
sister. and through the fateiul sgen-
cies of a storm, 10 trust MS instincts
and intuitions rather than the &C.
gu red inhibitions Of a Puritan house
hold. Miss Wesley acts eXcellenty
in this piece in the role Of New
England mother. and Katherine Cor
nell. as the sister. exacts admiration
for the fine accents OF ner speech
Frederick Roland is rot so happy IN
his playing as he is in the BenaVente
piece. and. indeed, does not AT any
time carry the conviction Of being at
ease on the stage. 90,
The Avenue" b. Fenimore Merrill
is the confection Of the evenings Oh
fering. though il does not come at the
end. The setting is the exterior OF
costumer's shop. and the play relates
the episode Of two young dressmaker ;
assistants who reach the successiui
elimination of window filtration by
walking or the stage to dinner and the
theatre. The wax models punctuate
the end By a few contemptuous re-
marks on the extraordinary simplicity
Of all human beings.
AIN the Zone" is an up-to-date sea
tale BY Eugene O'Neil, set in the fore,
castle Of a small tramp steamer loaded
win dynamite. The nervous crew, un-
der the impression that they nave as
covered a German spy in their midst
gag him and soak his supposed oomo IN
a pail Of water, only to discover tnat u
IA loaded with love letters. Intended
doubtless. 20 be shocker, the piece
somewhat fails of its effect by the pre-
visus assurance on the part OF the au-
dience that the bomb is not a oomo.
The acting IL not impressive, buy Is
spafcien,. The setting is interesting.
Miss Wesley, who appears tnree
times. has a dryness OF speech ana
s,yiftness Of delivery which adds I'M
-1enselv 20 the qualities OF her play
INC though il is doubtless best SUITED
10 the accents OF comedy.