New-York tribune., 1918-10-28
Drama
Freedom" the Big Pageant
Play, Is Presented
at Century
By Haywood Broun

freedom" presents thousand
famous folk, which is only little less
than five hundred characters per dollar.
Inc attraction on the opening night
was even more generous, for George
Creel was in the audience. THAT made
II almost five for penny.
But "Freedom" is more than a bar
gain, since 80 per cent of the profits
is to go to the Association 1or Assist
ing Disabled Naval and Military Of
ilcers of the English Speaking Peoples,
me Inc play is presented IN pageant form
Two small boys, one of whom has lost
his father in the war, are taken
through the pages of history by Free
oom. PictoriaIly the performance is
constantly interesting, as the settings
and costumes are admirable. The
dramatic interest is not quite as we'll
sustained; Scenes such as that in
which Charles | is shown on his
way to his execution or Patrick
quence, or Pitt is seen pleading for
the colonists, have inherent theatrical
effect. On the other hand, it is some
what difficult to have John Wycliff
walk across the stage and expect the
audience to thrill as Freedom points
him out to the little boys as the man
who made the first English translation
OF the Bible. There were also occa-
slons in which the connection between
the scene and the progress of Anelo-
saxon liberties was not altogether
clear. We were puzzled, for instance,
by the meeting between Charles ii and
Nell Gwynne. Charles was free enough
IN his conduct, to be sure. but, as Free
oom herselt explained later on, she
lavored "Llberty-not license"
we wished Freedom had not said
mat; The smuggest phrase in the
English language came ungracefully
dered who invented this Miltonian
paraphrase. We have always pictured
MN as stout man with soft hands
and we'll manicured nails. In later
lie he learned not to take too high
a polish. 1t was during an intermis-
sion of the Midnight Frolic" that the
talk turned on labor conditions, and
It was then he remarked: 'I'm for
liberty all right enough, but not
license" The phrase went so we'll
that he repeated it in an after dinner
speech only week later. We try to
get what consolation we can from the
fact that he died shortly afterward
from a complication of gout and apo-
plexy.
Since the play interprets history for
Two small boys, it is perhaps inevitable
that it should be little naive. The
programme apologies for one or two
inaccuracies, but they are not i'm
portant. "Wat Tyler" says the pro-
gramme, "has to die at Westminster
1t you would see more of England in
the making, though every schoolboy
knows ne was killed at Smithheld." We
venture to say that some of the others
IN the audience might have forgotten.
The only thing they are likely to
question is quite preposterous trench
scene. In this an American soldier
serving with the British army leaps
upon the parapet as soon as he learns
that his country has declared war and
stands there giving the Harvard cheer
until ne is shot by the Germans. AS
this action does not seem to be in ac-
cord with the best traditions of the
university or the army, we may be
pardoned for not taking it seriously.
Otherwise it would seem foolish to
put Harvard men in the front line
trenches, since the Crimson cheer in
cudes no less than nine "rahs."
Graduates of the University of Penn
SIylvanla; with their snappy "Hur-rah
Penn-syl van ia!" would seem to be
better tilted for exposed positions.
leau, "The Triumph of Freedom"
which was riotously applauded. In
fact. the applause was almost as great
as that. which greeted Sarah Bern
hardt when she stood up in q box dur
ing the playing of the "Marseillaise.
+. Lyall Swete, who wrote the play
IN collaboration with G. Lewis Hind.
lmpersonated several characters. He
did his best work as Thomas Beckett.
Marcia Van Dresser was Freedom, and
made splendid picture, as we'll as
overshadowing all her fellows in the
matter OF clear enuncation. Henry
Herbert contributed two good bits as
Charles | and William Pitt.
The small boys who went through
the play were allowed to converse
briefly with the various historical nota-
bles whom they encountered. One of
them made joke to Friar Tuck about
Flatbush, and the follower of Robin
Hood did not seem to understand We
are under the impression that the quips
concerning Brooklyn and it's environs
did not begin until early in the next
century.