The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-26
EAST is WEST AT
THE ASTOR THEATRE
Fay Banter Appears as a
Girl From China Brought
to America.
HAS CHOP SUEY FLAVOR
Customs of the Orient Put in
Contrast With Those of
This Country.
HAS CHOP sUEY FLAVOR
East Is west"-At the Astor Theatre.

Fay BANTER since her sudden fame
has played few roles In New York; but
she was seen in Oriental garb before
East Is West" was acted last night at
the Astor Theatre. She was the an
Gent wood sprite of Harrison Rhodes's
play "The Willow Tree" Last night
she was supposed to be a daughter of
China OF the present day, although
there was a survival OF Celestial GUS
tom in the prologue which showed the
market OF feminine adolescence on one
of the traditional flower boats with a
father bargaining for the sale Of the
heroine and ultimately glad to let her
go at a cheap price to a merchant
from this country. So the girl and the
plot pass with him from the Flowery
Kingdom to San Francisco.
Here Ming Toy-for such Is the name
OF the young girl that Miss Banter
impersonates-finds a civilization more
| to her taste and here her development
into an American in thought and feel
ing continues. Indeed. her reaction to
the influences of Western civilization
are most interesting TO observe. She
yearns to learn the shimmy dance,
winks out of the windows at passersby.
refers to herself as a chicken and in
| other charming ways reveals the ad-
| vantages OF education in San Fran
cisco. But she has 10 be sold to a
chop suey magnate at the demand OF
a church mission. and might have de-
parted for his well filled house-where
she seemed really to belong-had not
| a young American who had already
| begun to love her. taken her to the
home OF his family.
Enters Fashionable society.
The play was written by Samuel
Shipman and John Hyner on the old
model. so Miss Banter not only spoke
every three words out of five in pigeon
English, but every other character
was made to contribute TO her i'm
portance in the scene. AThc peril OF
this formula is of course the danger
Of monotony and Miss Bainter's un-
! tagging spirits and industry did moi
prevent this result in the second act
II was more difficult to build up any
thing like sympathy for the young
, woman who was 50 capable OF getting
| herself out of difficulties and always sc
pert. This was in a measure the fault
OF the actress, since Miss BANTER pos
sesses no tenderness.
| When she was about to have to &c
! back to her chop suey owner the sor
J of the family declared his intention Of
marrying the girl to the despair Of the
parents. But the fact that the audi
ence also regretted this step showed
that there had been some slip in thu
direction of the emotion. They haC
not gone in the way they should have
But when 1t turned out that Ming
| Toy was really the daughter of {
Spanish missionary in China, there
was nothing to prevent the banns.
Play of Old Expcdicnts.
Tho two authors have used well thu
old tricks Of their trade and have
created for Miss BANTER a part q
many phases If II cannot be considered
at all a character. But East Is West
is of the stage, not of life. And it 1:
Of the oldest and the best known
theatre, all skilfully manipulated
There is novelty in the theme, tn
action is usually rapid enough anC
the scenes are picturesque. So there
may be popular success for the PLAY
in the future. as there assuredly wa!
last night. Miss Banter was re
peatedly called before the curtain
after the third act. But 1t must b,
borne in mind that ii ended with he
great scene, when in n magnficen
burst Of spirit she called the chol
suey magnate "chink."
| George Nash gave an amusing an,
novel Chara terization Of the Chimes
tong man with his queue under hi
silk hat, and Lester Longerman was
dignified merchant. Hassard Shor
played a comedy role with his usua
finish, and Forrest Winant was best /,
his dramatic minutes as the youth Il
love with the supposed Chimes
maiden. Forrest Robinson supplante
+. *. Cooper at the last moment an,
gave IA Enthusiastically American
sketch of an American Ambassador n
home.