New-York tribune., 1918-08-18

W
Sam Forrest or George Cohan, or
both, hit upon better idea. They de-
clded that they would compel the audi
ence to take their spies seriously. Now,
as matter of fact, the secret agents Of
"Three Faces East are not bit better
characterized than the spies of "The
Man Who Stayed at Home" or
"Friendly Enemies" or "Allegiance," or
any one of dozen recent plays which
have dealt with plotters. And yet we
found the Valdar of Emmett Corrigan a
far more sinister figure than any Of the
others. His individual performance is
better, to be sure, but, more than that,
he profits by the atmosphere of the
play as whole. A genuine quality of
stealthness has been created in "Three
Faces East" by conscious repression.
Tension is held. The audience is made
10 wait for the dropping Of the other
shoe.
We do not contend that this slow
pace necessarily makes for greater in
terest. For one thing it sacrifices all
humorous values. Most of the spy
plays have been written in the spirit of
larky adventure The playwright of
this other school rather wanted people
20 laugh He was willing to admit that
his play WAS preposterous. Three
Faces East is intended to make an en-
tirely different appeal. 1t cannot meet
laughter half way. There was some
laughter on the first night and it was
distinctly harmful. During one scene
.he scheme of things was bit fawsd.
Of sudden, pace became rapid, and
this disturbed the mood. This hap
pened only once. For the rest, the play
was held in check.
unquestionably there is something In
the theory. If an author does rot care
to risk the task of taking his audience
by storm he may creep up through the
grass and stalk it. A good many people
will find that "Three Faces East" has
captured their attention without their
realizing the exact moment at which
they began to get interested in the
identity of the great Boelke and the
fate of the British Cabinet.
Even if we did not enjoy the easy ex-
pedient of clipping things and pasting
them up we would probably use at
least little of an article called "The
Historical Play" from "The Villager, -
Ua to
After commenting on the fact that the
various plays about the war are not
altogether satisfactory, the article goes
on as follows:
"The historical play offers the way
out. The historical play does no more
in its effect than give us our own
time in disguise, yet it is precisely the
disguise which is its salvation. A gas
mask can make US forget what the
play is about, while a shield plays its
minor part for as in the right pro
portion; yet the man who bears the
shield. the soldier who is torn between
his private interest and the interest Of
his country, who suffers and endurex
anu idTs GOWN MIS- llIe 1Or ms friend
who o~crcomcs all manner Of obsta-
cles and concludes all manner Of in
spring deeds-this is the same SOL
der who Is fighting for us to-day
under gas and star shell. The play
wright translates the mechanical de-
tailS nj the nearer environment, but
the things which matter he leaves In
their coincidence. Horace was among
The first plays TO be offered In Paris
when the French theatre had scrarn-
bied TO it's feet after tho shock Of
1914. and the reason Is not far to seek.
Rome was the talk. but France Wac
he thought; yesterday was tho set
ling, but today was meant. 'Si vous
n'tts Roman. soyez digne do petre!
How such lincs muxt strike into the
heart Of the men and women whose
foremost thought haE bccome la patri.!