New-York tribune., 1918-04-07
=
Mars Takes the Stage
The Heroes of Antiquity Meier Saw a
Cannon Ball, Nor Kneuv the Force Of
Po.uder to Scare Their Foes Withol
By Alexander Pierce

! these, many bombs are exploded "a =,
ulate an enemy barrage. The ho~s
made of magnesium Photographic A..
powder, are suspended on iny;.a,
wires conveniently close to the oh;. ~"
tive and exploded by electricity.
Along the line of the trench ,...,
ing upstage, are disseminated nunh..
Of profile guns, from behind which ~.
ming emery wheels shoot forth ie.. :,
dazzling sparks. The carnival of bp,,.
ing bombs is augmented by ,i.l..
flashed behind transparent cyclor,n.
representing the sky.
The most gratifying "effect" a, ~.
play is undoubtedly that in which
Prussian guard gets the big kiet,s
from belfrv. The Ace and Be.,.,
girl defend the tower against host =
Huns. The moment the head Of G.,
man soldier, mounting a scaling laaa.,
appears above the parapet the 4.
swings q clubbed rifle, and the result;,,
smack sends grunt of satisfacN.,
around the theatre. Stunned bv y.
blow, the soldier topples off into sD,.
Every night stout oaken gunsto,l
shattered in this manner, and the s
der is not dummy. but real ma
His protection is steel helmet and,
fire net into which he falls.
A panoramic trick is employed 10 h.
dicate the height Of the tower. n.
scenery is lowered in three section
showing successfully the base. the mid
die and the top of the structure. vh.r
the Belgian girl plays "My Countr
'Tis of Thee," on the chimes as sipu,I
to the devoted American forces.
! Another war play offered to the Nev
York public last week was "The Man
Who Stayed at Home" and more ar.
promised for the near future.
The first worthy play of the Civil
war was Bronson Howard's "Shenau.
doah," which was not produced until
1889. The backwardness of the Amer,
can drama may account for the want 0.
an earlier play of any value concenps
the great rebellion, but the perspective
of time is undoubtedly a help to tbs
dramatlst as we'll as to the historian
Now that an inundation of plays Of the
world war is apon us, it is pertinent to
remark that none of them so far com.
pares in point of dramatic power wifi
Augustus Thomas's new play of the Oh
Civil War, "The Copperhead." Inter.
esting as they are for novelty. thew ar
marred by artifciality, and above all BY
the banal and ubiquitous spy. In "Tbs
Copperhead" not only is the spy trv.
and vivid character, but he is preseuted
sympathetically, instead of as the obi.
Gus person of the drama.
Such plays as "Billeted" and "Cenersl
FosS are not specifically war plays, a..
though the scenes are laid in countr
at war and the men are in khaki. The
war plays that have already been re.
veaied to New York audiences include
Marie-odile." "Under Fire." "lnsds
the Lines" "out There" "The Heights
and "Her Country" Two that will
soon be offered are 1.-THE Rape of Bel.
gium," by Max MARGIN and Louis K
Anspacher, which A. H. Woods will uro
duce, and Henri Lavedan's "Seyice,oi Il,
which Mrs. Fiske Is now on tour. A
number of incisive war playlets have
been produced in vaudeville, among
which the most conspicuous to date
have been "War Brides" and Ball
Gaines "The Iron Hand" which opened
at the Palace last week.