New-York tribune., 1918-01-27
"SeYenteen"

0CvEMtCClA
"Sevemteen," play from the boot
By Booth Harrington, by Hugh STAN
islaus STANCE and Stonnard Wenrs,
produced ut the Booth Theatre last
Monday night by Stuart Waller.
a Lam DALE thus records his emo
n tions in "The American":
"All old people will revel in the
play of youth and love and summer time
dramatized from Booth Tarkingtons Seven
teen by Hugh Stanslaus STANCE and Stan
nard Mears. 1t is delightful entertainment
for all those who have lost the gem that the
comedy advertises-youth
"Nobody really appreciates youth until it
has gone-and then only because it has gone
For is it not the most overrated commodity
in the world? But it is lovely to sigh about.
The halcyon days of youth. When all the
world was young. Et cetcra.
Seventeen is play for the old person,
and very amusing and piquant affair. 1t is
not worried with any 'plot'-and only the
most immature demand plot; it is sketchy;
it has droll characters, and it's central figure,
IA youth who at seventeen yearns to be mar
ried and gathers all sorts of statistics on the
subject of premature marriages-is really
admirable
about him. He will make no appeal to those
who are in his boat. But the vast crowd of
people who have left their adolescence far
behind will find in Seventeen capital fund
Of entertainment
civilian Sylvanus Baxter with his crav-
ing for dress suit his abstruse researches
into the subject of carly marriage and his
cub scenes with the coquettsh little Lola
Pratt, is worth seeing There is humor in
fhn tvpo },oro ic -
is perhaps little exaggeration-just enough
to leaven the mass-and there is the always
gorgeous suggestion that-just as he is, we
were The past tense!
"'Seventeen' is excelently acted. That
clever boy Gregory Kelly, is almost star
Probably Seventeen will spoil him. AS it
is, there is strong tendency to over-act
which should be nipped in the bud Young
Mr. Kelly has everything in his favor, par
tlcularly youth-the youth that would be too.
youthful to enjoy Seventeen Little Miss
Lillian Ross was admirable that although
she had a prominent role one sighed for
more.
"A loquacious young colored man was re-
markably we'll done by George Gaul whose
sense of humor made the role stand forth
conspicuously. Judith Lowry, Lew
Medbury, Neil Martin, Beatrice Maude and
Ruth Gordon may all be mentioned favora-
NY ihey were nearly all young and trolIc-
some"
j. Alexander Pierce, in The Tribune.
wrote:
seventeen which has been one Of Booth
larkington's most popular stories, is likely
to realize in its stage version the wish which
It's producer expressed in curtain speech at
the New York premiere, that it would keep
MN here with his company during the sea-
SON. Besides being unhackneyed, and a capt.
tai juvenile story, it has the kind of senti-
mental appeal that finds the heart of the
public"
Charles Darnton, writing in s'The Even
ing World" found the play
can amusing sketch Of bov-it could
scarcely be considered a play Although Hugh
Stanlslaus STANCE and Stannard Mears have
put Mr.. TaYkingtons stories into four acts
their work is without definite form, The gu.
thor, with his knowledge of Che stage might
easily nave done better. But thanks to him,
the characters are real, live, human BEINGS"
The opinion Of Louis Sherwin, of "The
Globe whose review was keyed to 2
spritely and very unhackneyed pitch. Is
set forth in these paragraphs:
Il am perfectly willing to admit the merits
Oh these yarns The comic side of calf love
20" NV, as LAX as can remember, been moro
skilfully or sagaciously treated the trials
and tnbulations of lad in his most TRYING
age, the contumely and ridicule that he suf-
fers from vlllanous younger sisters and breth
zen, from unapprecative parents and nm
sympathetic neighbors. are set forth with
Keen sense of proportion. Every man will
recognize at least portion of himself in
william Sylvanus Baxter, and every woman
VIII recognize either or brother. The
revolutionary crisis of the first dress suit. |
the tragedy of the first serious love affair
the terrible internecine conflict with an un-
sympathetic family the storm and stress of
every every normal life, will be found here.
nevertheless and Notwithstanding four
acts OF the dramatlzed version of Seventeen
gave me pretty much the sensation / imagine
l might have if l were constrained to cat
four-course dinner of marshmallows. fudre
caramels and Turkish paste, with plenty Of
Worcestershire sauce"
Lies Freres Karamazov"
LES Freres Koramosov," odoDtea