Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-19
1.-THE LITTLE BELGIAN"
A WARTIME ATROCITY
The Gentle Art of Camouflage
Covers Dramatic Bones
of Familiar Outline
OF DIVERSE ELEMENTS

THE LITTLE BBLGlAN--Cemsdy drama
IN three acts By Arthur Richman Pre-.
sented by Oliver. Morcsco. STAGED ,,l under
iiynS CUi'%o Underwood. d. Gafrick Theatre,
Lieutenant Neville wingate Malcolm Fassett
Major Cecil Spencer, his .gInsS gnslSS s,a,cn,on
oliver ingram. .......... Frederick Esmelton
Emile pufaux. Henry @ SheTwSSSS rye Sd
Thomas, TptS ns'' r:ardener Emmett shSckelford
Mrs. winsato Neviile's motRGSr; RGSrr;urs corney
Murici s fEs Insfam, her daushter JaneI rrsySTS3
Eoisttc her daughter. ,..,.. Ethel stannard
Margaret. a maid ,....,,. june hawthorne
Act 1.-The. drawlns room of the Win
Ac, 1.-THE lawn of the winsatc's. late
August
Act IlI--Same as Act l. October
The action Of the play takes place at the
wiusatc's, Dorsctshir". IN wv
Not all the horrors Of war are AZ the
battlefront Not all the atrocities are
perpetrated on Flanders fields. one OF
them turks at the Garrick. Take the
balderdash of old-time melodrama' WIN
It's wronged and trusting maiden, let u
take on some Of the protective coloratoIl
of the chaotic comedy drama" in vogue,
and camounagc It with dash OF KHAKI
and a hit of wartime patter, ana you
have fearful and wonderful thing
"The Little Belgian Is teariut ana
wonderful thing 1t is efulsent with
| light that never was on lahu OF sea
AS a collection of platitudeS II IS EN-
barrassIng,y generous; as play u
doesn't exist Dramatically speaking, II
is neither fish. flesh, fowl nor good rec
herring.
The familiar stage puppets that have
/ iD1p1nInnrtd
are galvanized into fresh speech ano
action. Their course is as guiltless o.
suspense as a craven image; the plo
spcedily becomes as obvious as check
| crboard Fortnight mclodrama. now
ever deficient in literary polish or fidel
iy to life, serves as its own Justlnca
tiop. within It's narrow field, II IL cal
| deliver the punch" Comedy may max
no pretensions to originality, yet evok
spontaneous mrth. But when both tines
elements are diluted TO the consistenc!
of SKINNED milk and mixed together
the composite flavor is not one to whe
the discriminating appetite for drama
The entire action of the play passe
on a comfortable English estate in tn
early days of the war. Three Belgia
refugees--mau, wife and seventeen-year
cid daughter--have been given shelte
by the English family. Their ragged
barefoot appearance may typify tn
popular conception of the stricken Bel
gians, but since they have found thei
English haven at least long enough I
be provided with respectable clothes,
scarcely reflects credit upon their host
! hospitality or the plays yerisimilitudc.
The little Belgian" steps easily int
the shoes worn by the poor hut homes
woiking goil' of earlier days. So II
her predestined lot to lose her heart
the caddish British youth about to 6
to war and who Is engaged to selfs
and shallow English girl When the II
evitable sequel is worked out and III
wronged little Belgian is asked by II
, youths mother to carry her coming sol
row forth to parts unknown, there is 4
raging snowstorm, It Is true, but 4
,, place Is quite adequately taken by
, noisy and realistic thunderstouuswhie
creates the essential atmosphere for u
] wild-eyed fathers really reckless -suI
play and the sweet. sweet righting or a
wrongs at the final curtain,
; Charles A. Stevenson, as the youth
uncle, contributed a robust and sar
, portrait of a veteran soldier. Eth
Stannard demonstrated her versatilit
by leaping, at single bound. from II
role OF the Baby Vampire" In 'Pustaii
and Down to the barefoot Belgia
waif; the leap has been accomplishe
! gracefully and appealingly. Irving Beet
actually makes ingratiating the role {
r Stacker" Malcolm Fassett as ii
/; utterly caddish "hero," who lacks ever
spark of honor until the final momen
/ acquitted himself creditably in the VI
grateful and absurd role.
The charming settings are deservin
of worthy play. l.. z. NJ