The Washington herald., 1918-04-01
NstIonaI-@GeneraI POST

Since that recent day when a liberal
police administration made it possible
for Washington to spend the long,
spring Sunday evenings before the
footIights, it has been notable that
the towns two Legitimate" play
houses have inclined more and more
toward the presentation of the ser,
monette brand OF theatricals.
Mr.. Rapley's National Theater has
been particularly conspicuous in the
presentation Of the drama ma-sermonette
and as a successor to the Just-past
discourse on the twin-bed evil, the
National presented last night a COM
pelling discussion of the theme OF
democracy VS.. snobbery, which af-
fords. quite incidentally, an alto
gether enlightening insight into the
changes that have come upon Eng
land in her hour OF destiny.
Charles Dillingham; is the sponsor
for the production which swayed the
National for two hours and a half
under the daylight saving plan last
night. II bears the rather vague and
assembling title of General Post
In It appear that famous gentleman
from Mississippi" Mr.. Thomas \.
Wise, and a no less talented cot
league, one William Courtenay. whose
work as an actor causes one 10 smile
at suggestions that American drama
may be on the decline.
General Post" be 1t known. was
game before it became a comedy It's
a sort of English version OF Clap in
and Clap Out" and 1t evidently aP-
pealed most compellingly' to Author J
E. Harold Terry as title for a SER
mon-drama which would set forth
most tellingly the story OF England
in her time OF trial, when with
peers in the ranks and tsilors In
command" Britain faced the suddcn
peril from beyond the Rhine.
The story rings as true as a church
bell through three acts which forces
one to speculate why some plays
must be good and others-merely
plays.
Sir Dennys Broughton, a country
baronet. and his good wife. Lady
Broughton, together with Alec. their
son, face the astounding first-act
dilemma of their own flesh and blood
a charming daughter with socialis-
tic ideas-infatuated with a tailor
who dabbIes in Nietsche and Suder-
man the while he pieces together the
habiliments OF the gentry.
With this as a necleus. the per-
formance develops logically the story
of country suddenly swamped with
the red wrath OF war. OF the country
tailor-a preparedness a dvoc te-
thrust TO the forefront as Il colonel
and brigadier successfully. and of
the iron hand of necessity which
eventually almost forced the family
of baronet to seek the favor of the
former garment composer.
One cannot praise too highly the
easy. gentle art of humor that is
Thomas A. Wise's. It has that iras-
chile. testy quality that assaults
more by indirection than otherwise
the risibilities of the beholder. In
William CourtenRy, who holds with
well-balanced skill the difficult role
OF the tailor who becomes a brig
adler. one meets a polish and finesse
that strangely resembles q compound
Of Guy Bates Post and Douglas Fair
banks.
Cathleen Nesbitt, as the socialis-
tic daughter who is at once ingenious
and QuiXotic in her conception of
love-. performs with a daring and a
finish that must carry her far along
the Thespian way. One must mem
ton the altogether Creditable per-
formance of Cecil Fletcher as Alec,
the haronet's son; of Cynthia Brooke
as Lady Broughton: OF James Kear-
ney, who is the butler in the play
and who is stage manager behind
the scenes: and of Wigney Percyval.
the tsilor-brother Of the tailor-brig-
adler. for all these go to complete
an ensemble that must, of necessity,
compensate the {. b. m. for the
weeks lack of girls and music and
at the same time, give fast assur-
ance that drama in America is still
a live issue despite the movies and
the war tax.