New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-27
Reprinted from ucsfcrdnvs futc editions
Drama
east Is West" Has First Per-
Torrance mt the
Astor
BY Haywood Broun

There is a favorite formula for
writing plays about China which is
closely followed in east Is West"
the new play at the Astor Theatre
The formula consists of putting an
"l' in every English word in place Of
r. Thus we get Mclean. nelly
Chlistmns, lum lubbsh and so on
The formula might even be adapted
Tor dramatic review, in which case
we should get one thinkce it's lotten."
Ihe humor OF Che new bioco by
Samuel Shipman consists almost en-
urely IN showing the artless manner
IN which a little Chinese girl picks up
such cute expressions. as "chicken,"
"chink' and 'bum.' The heroine is a
slant-eycd sister of the Brat, Remnant
and score of others. There have been
many cute plays devised for New York,
but none like east IS West, lals
fairly swcats cuteness and wheczcs
with sweetness. 1t is easy TO imagine
Mr. Shipman alone in his study at
night spurriug ON the heroine Of his
lancy with a BE cute, damn youl"
And yet in some respects East Is
West" is remarkable play. Until last
night we did not believe that any man
could write four acts without once
bringing some semblancc on illusion
of reality to speech or situation. Mr..
Shipman has done that.
The play relates The history Of q
Chinese girl who is sold by her father,
some place on the Yang -tse, TO IA Chi
ncsc merchant from San Francisco.
The merchant has only q fatherly feel
ing for the girl and buys her at The
INC sfr.4
friend, who wants her saved from Il fe-
rocious Chinese bidder.
In the next act we find the girl in
San Francisco living as a daughter in
the house of the merchant. Unfort-
unately she causes him to become the
butt OF scandal because she leans out
OF the window to wink at passers-by.
Accordingly, the merchant promises to
give her to Il Chinese friend whose
morals are not as scrupulous as his
own.
This character. Charlie Young, is the
most striking in the play. He is a Chi
nese who affects Occidental dress and
something of Occidental manner, but
wicked heart. George Nash empha-
sized the cosmopolitan character of
the man by playing him for the most
part with we'll developed French ac-
conf Hc >,rind th;c NV occneiopal
flashes If Itaiian dialoc{ hit Of
brognc and an occasionsI dash of
Scofrh b"r,, p,,t ,nSon we boc ave-. oy
cited his accent was nnrc .nro-Slav
Mr. Nash,s art has orown. IN cverv
other Nav in which We havo enon INN
he has bren won't ia ovnrass deem emo.
zion bv ranninr his knuclSles WIN =
visiting card. Realizing the unusually
exacting nature of lis present role. he
uses a heavy cigarette case.
But enough Of tho analysis of subtle
Charlie Young. Sweet little Ming Toy
refuses to 90 to his harem, and when
her young American friend suddenly
returns from the Yang-tsc they effect
an escape to his home, where she be-
comes his sisters maid. After that it is
the old, old story. Love knows neither
race nor creed. Charlie Young seeks
out the girl in her new abode, but She
and her lover defy him. The young
mans father wakes furious at his sons
unwisc passion and refuses consent to
his marriage in an eloquent speech on
the elf-detcrmination Of alien races.
Cbarlic Young comes a second time
and at night. He lets his pigtail down