The Washington times., 1918-04-23
PATRIOTIC PLAY
AT POLLS Wins
STRONG APPROVAL

II you believe in America-Go AND
SEE IT.
II you think our part in the war
a righteous one-GO AND SEE 1T.
II you are a pacihst, but want to
be q patrlot-GO AND SEE 1T.
II you are not doing all you can to
save food-GO AND SEE 1T.
II you want to Iaugh-lf you want
to cry-if you want to see excellent
acting and remarkable stage pictures
If you want to be thrilled-if you
want to be Elad-GO AND SEE 1T.
All OF this enthusiasm IS a morning
after opinion OF Getting Together"
the play with which the Schuberts be-
| gan last night their occupancy and
management OF Polls Theater.
Getting Together" Is frankly and
plainly propaganda But It is American
propaganda II Is Allied propaganda.
II Is anti-GermAn propaganda, and IL
iG worthwhile propaganda. And be-
aide that IL Is good drama and splen-
didly acted.
Two scenes in the progress OF the
| play have a wonderful appeal. The
half hour which Is devoted to pictur-
ing q recruiting meeting. with its APP
/ pealB by soldiers, Its songs by SOL
dieTs, its bagpipe and it's gathering
in OF men to 60 across, is splendidly,
remarkably done.
The scene which pictures the first
line trench, the preparations for go
| ing over the top, and the fnal leap
| into the fray, Is realism without
horror, and stage management that
reaches q very high point OF efh-
cheney. Last night as the audience
entered the theater It passed the
Britannia, a real tank, which was sta
TONED on the Avenue. One stood
ready 10 swear, as the men went over
the top, that that tank had somehow
been brought inside the building and
that its splitting guns and numbering
movements had somehow been made
available to add a reality to the
make-believe OF the play.
Getting Together" r. given under
the auspices OF the British and Cana
dian recruiting mission and was writ
ten for the especial purpose OF arous-
Ing enthusiasm by Major Ian Hay
Beth, J. Hartley Manners, and Perci-
val Knight And, experimenting the
work OF the playwriEhts. Lieut.. GIFTS
Rice, real soldier, a member OF the
hrBt Canadian contingent. has written
some songs of the trenches that have
wonderful appeal. An added inter
est attaches to the songs when one
realizes that some OF them were writ
ten and sung in the trenches cover
there" and real soldiers sang them
as they rested in their dugouts or
waited the fateful command TO ego
over the top" Lieutenant Rice Is a
member OF the cast and plays and
sings his songs with q spirit and dash
that arouses and appeals. One of his
songs, wonderfully well sung by John
Thorn, was encored and encored I'M
til the singer was nearly tired out
The story OF the play is plain and
short and sweet. 1t pictures the af-
fectlons OF a woman, who has too lit
tie to do, wayering between her hua-
band and a Stacker. That she sees
her mistake, that the Stacker eventu-
ally becomes a soldier. that the en-
vironment Of war reunites the almost
severed hearts, is the thread on which
the activities OF a recruiting station,
bit OF the front trenches, a section
OF No Mans Land. and a ruined town
In France and the happenings there
are hung.
The scenes are all splendIdly set
with entirely new scenery and are
wonderfully real.
Miss Bates, who plays the only
prominent feminine role. Is most ef-
fective. But more appealing than her
acting was the curtain speech which
she addressed TO the women OF the
audience explaining to them how they
might most efficiently aid in the sup
porting OF the boys over there and
the winning OF the war.
Holbrook Blinn, the husband who |
IL almost deserted. and who becomes |
the head OF the recruiting movement, |
IL equally effective in uniform and |
civilian dress
Mr.. knight, who Il one OF the
authors OF the play, il splendid |
az character who might well |
have. stepped out OF one OF BARNS |
fathers cartoons His singing OF II |
Want 70 Go Home" was repeatedly |
demanded.
The influence OF Getting Together" |
as an inspiration to patriotism and |
as means OF recruiting Is bound 10 !
be very great