Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-09

bination of traits Is familiar enough I'm
real life and when their due fusion, ns
Pinero conceived It, is not presented be-
fore the footlights the verify of the
dramatists creation evaporatcs
WlTH this important character out of
w focus. with nearly all the auxiliary
roles inefllciently acted. with the con- |
densatlon of n play that was in its
original form model of dramatvrEy
SO ruthlessly executed that the divert
ing part of Mrs Jack Eden Is alto.
gethcr omitted, the burden OF this fine
play falls upon the luckily can1hlc
shoulders of John Drew. That he saves
the day FOR Pinero and by sterling art
enables some of the most stirring scenes
IN the modern drama to get over" with
enthralling vigor, with a conviction
which renders patronage OF the piece
still emincntly worth while. Is not the
least of the laurels which he has been
amassing in stagedom for many years.
Surely It Is Tina to lay forever to
rest the pathetic fallacy that John
Drew doesn't act" that he merely plays
his likable self The penalty of natural
ism Is heavy one. Mr. Drew has
been playing it SO long and so consist
emily that even the variety Of his
achievements from his modest debut in
Cool rs a Cucumber" in 1873, the
wonderful DAILY days with thcir stimu-
liting range of comedies from Shake
speare to Schoenthau, to the delightful
productions with Maude Adams and to
the period of the later vehicles by
Jones. Chambers Vaughan and Pincro,
occasionally escapes the popular attcn-
tion. There are, 1t Is true, sporadic fail
ures In the long, impressive list, but the
average of excellence IS perhaps un-
surpassed by any other American star"
With the sanity of the experienced
player to WHOM the tickle fortunes of
stageland are an aged tale, Mr.. Drew
entertalns n refreshngly frank and al
most impersonal attitude upon his mis-
takes" one of them, as he confessed
to the writer last week, was his eudeayor
of five or six years ago 70 renew aC-
quaintance with Shakespeare. The re-
vival was Much Ado About Nothing"
and Benedicli naturally the stellar role.
II thought / could play it," confessed
the accomplished comedian. Petrucchio
even after many years. is still my IA.
vorite of all parts. Under Augustin
DAILY had also acted in Loves Lahors
Lost" and THE Merry Wives Of Wind
sor." But the truth was that Had been
too long away from the Shakespearcan
atmosphere.
zone Of the critics." he smiled, "lct
me down very easily. The Bard de-
clared this reviewer in effect, lis oXacting
in his friendships. It is not possible to
forsake him for twenty years and then
demand restoration to the plane Of
boon companionship.' And so / doubt II
1 shall ever play Shakespeare again"
THE conversation shifted to the
l. modern drama and the actor un-
affectedly disclosed another frustrated
ambition, this time in connection with
the bard's facetiously self-constituted
rival, Bernard Shaw. "Shaw used to
be very kind to me-" continued Mr.,
Drew. "aud to Ada Rehan and Jimmy
Lewis when DAILY took us to London,
but he was always caustic and bitter
about the Governor Often in his highly
characteristic notices in the Saturday
Review G.. B. S. would Internationally
roast Dalys light little adaptations from
the German and then add, after prais-
ing me. that Mr.. Drew plainly played
his part in the spirit CT II man with his
tongue in his check OF course, that
wasn't so at all. Shaw's vivid imagina-
ton was merely at work.
"Appreciating his opinion OF me. how
ever, some years later hoped TO play
Dick DudgeCn in The DEVILS Disciple
the playwright and he emphatically in
formed me that / wouldn't do. Ho had
William Terriss in mind for the char
acter.
oddly enough the tables were turned
subsequently when production of You
Never Can Tell was planned. Shaw
asked me to play the young dentist in
that piece and ! refused, pointing out
to him that that character WAS quite
overshadowcd by the delicious portrait
of the waiter which was out of my line.
That ended my Irritation with Shavian
affairs"
A OMISSIONS being apparently in or
"A der, Mr. Drew volunteered the graft
flying information that he had never
written play and never intended to
write one. This disclosure is Illuminating.
1t suggests consistent and loyal devotion
to the art of acting and n sincerity and
singleness of purpose that has had ef-
fectual reward. Mr.. Drew approaches
histrionism from the standpoint of the
artist faithful to his meter.
That spirit has been evident in tho
finish and general expertness OF his