New-York tribune., 1918-10-04
BY Haywood Broun

Jane COwl had to dry her own eyes.
No other playwright would do it. With
the aid of her collaboration, Jane Muir
fin, Miss CowI has at last devised Il
play for herself without tears enough
to float even small destroyer. What
tears do fall are largely for comic
effect.
In "Lilac Time" Miss Cowl had n
part which gave considerable play to
her abilities as comedienne, but this
phase of the role was compromised by
an ever present sentimental back
ground and an eventual big scene.
Conformation, Pleased" has no big
scene. 1t is light comedy throughout,
and Miss Cowl has not trouble in sus-
tanning a light mood for an entire per
formance. She does good deal more
rollicking. There are certain rough
edges, but these are more than atoned
for by the general breeziness and vim
of the performance. 1t is true, for
instance, that Miss Cowl does not al
ways suggest young person of title,
but there is no great harm in that, for
although ever so many people in the
company arc tagged as "Sirs" and
Ladies" none of them seems quite
thoroughbred. The play, however, is
hardly intended to be an accurate
study of the life Of the English aris-
tocracy. The entertaining values of
the piece rest largely on the humorous
Characterization intrusted to Miss
Cowl and one or two excellent foils
for her comedy.
The play tells the story of the i'm
petuous Lady Betty, who elopes in a
huff and then is sorry for it all. In
the end her husband forgivcs her, since
her flight was much worse in it's ap-
pearances than in its realities. This
story is told deftly for the most part,
although there are one or two slack
spots. Most of the intrigue is cleverly
developed. And intrigue of this sort
is relief in the theatre. 1t is pleas
ant once again to hear folk Whispering
away to entrap lady into folly rather
than to blow up battleship.
The best aid which comes to Miss
Cowl in Conformation Please!" is fur
uished by Henry Stephenson. He has
something more of the grand manner
than any of his fellows, and more of
the comic spirit as we'll He gave a
splendidly round and engaging per
formance. Blanche Yurka was humor-
Gus, but bit too boisterous. Orme
Caldara was a satisfactory hero, and
the rest were sufficient for the needs
imposed upon them.
The play contained the first news
paper reporter we have seen here
abouts for some time. Of course, he
wasn't quite right. We are not going
to challenge his authenticity simply
because he became inebriated and
failed to get story he was after.
Once upon n time every reporter on
the stage or in fiction always got
drunk. He was usually drunk when he
PULLED off the big beat. BY and by
a reaction set in against this school of
newspaper fiction. Ex-reporters who
wrote articles for the magazines be-
gan to take the high and lofty ground
that newspaper men were never drunk.
They used to point out that in an eX-
acting profession such as journalism
no man could make as much as one
false step.
The truth, we believe, lies some place
between the old fctional school and the
new morality. We think it might be
possible to find the trail of false step
in this part of the town now and again
without the aid of bloodhound. We
coming inebriated in the play, but it
did seem to us that the civilian who
invited him into the hotel bar made Ii
mighty quick job of it, However, it
was all for the sake of the plot.
"Information, Pleased" was pro-
duced in a new theatre called the Sell
wyn, which is handsome and commo-
dious. The play is pleasant and breezy,
and acted with spirit by both Miss
Cowl and Mr.. Stephenson. To GER
tain degree it lacks finish, and in light
comedy any deviation from the incest
sort of workmanship shows. For all
that, the play is good entertainment
and should be seen in order to ap'vrc-
ciate just how excellent coincidence
Miss Cowl proves herself to be. All
her many seasons of weeping have
only served to brighten her eyes.