Evening star., 1918-02-26
ADJUSTMENTS
Belasco.

The weeks engagement of "Old Lady
81" opened at the Belasco Theater last
night. The plot of the play is slight.
glimpse of situation and q sigh of SEN
timent like the aroma OF old rose
leaves.
The story of the play-that is. the
history of its struggle into fame-is
this. Faith in the element Of popular
taste that appreciates. play that
studies the human heart instead Of the
human anatomy led to dramatizatlon
of Louise Forssland's novel. Tne
old ladies' home provided theme OF
merriment. The picture of afecttonate
sacrifice which made the old sea cap
tain willing to accept such sneiter
rather than be separated from the
partner of his life's hopes and disap-
pointments makes the study one OF ex-
quisite pathos. The play was produced
in Chicago Wise. practical heads sus.
pected the comedy as too attenuateo
for popular taste. An idealistic man
ager in the person of Lee Kugel held
his faith in the face of expert discour-
agements, then refused offers which
would permit him to unload without
loss. and finally found himself. thanks
to this little play. securely in the ranks
of the successful producing managers
There is curiosity to discover if pos
sibie. just what quality could account
for so great a success with material
considered 50 unpromising. After see
ing the play the mystery hightens.
though il shifts its ground. The puzzle
is that there should ever have been
doubt of ultimate triumph for SO
charming a revelation of the twilight
moods of the characters whom the
orchestra saiutes in its overture with
the me- dies of when You and I
Were Young and sBeiieve Me II All
Those Endearing Young Charms The
play flashes with the vital spark OF
youth that time is powerless to extin-
guish. the something that persists and
makes life worth living to the very
end.
The subtle allurement depends much
on the acting. 1t is real acting by vet
Grams of the footlights who renew by
right of modern conquest the plaudits
that were theirs in bygone days. At
last they find play which gives them
opportunity to meet the requirements
OF a system which selects players as
physical types rather than for talents.
There is just a suggestion of quiet sat
iSfaction ambng these wonderful old
to show the struggling younger genera
tion of the stage what acting really
was in those days" Delicacy of ex-
preston is combined with the deep
intellectual sympathy which enables
the player TO be the role itself instead
of only Stimulating.
The comedy is truly comic. the pa
thos il truly pathetic and the dignity
IS truly dignified. series of effective
contrasts is shown in the dramatization
made by Rachel Crothers. The list of
names has been printed again and again
and the program looks like a tai blet in
the shrine of theatric tradition. But
the players ask no odds and give indi-
vidual performances that make them
stage idols of the present. with no ia
vors to ask of generous reminiscence.
Emma Dunn, who has to her credit so
many artistic achievements, enacts the
role of greatest responsibility-that of
Angie, whose gentle life story goes lit
tie beyond proving how ''the heart that
has truly loved never .forgets." She
has smiles and tears for her auditors.
as well as their admiration for the
tactfulness in managing the subcon
scious- vanity Of the eternal masculine
when surrounded with feminine atten-
tiona.
To minutely describe the production
would be to botanize upon a, flower
whose delicate and fragrant beauties
must be experienced to be truly UNDER
stood.