New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
As We Were Saying

will bring it most surely to the per-
ceptlon Of audiences.
Stage manners and methods change
at least once in generation, but even
alter these changes there remains
certain common quality in every audi
ence, and it is because of this eternal
sameness in audiences that the actor
with tradition behind him keeps up
current of understanding between
stage and pit which has never been
broken-a current which existed in
fact before there was either nit or
stage.
In some respects the definite stamp
Oh personality which is on every Barry
more proved handicap. In the earlv
days OF Miss Barrymore's career she
was constantly meeting the complaint
OF critics that in every part she was
herself. This worried her good deal
until she played a season with Henry
irving, who told her not to worry about
tnat, because personality was one of
the strongest assets of an actor. and
tnat 1t was not an artistic flaw for
players own individuality TO be notice.
able, even though he played varying
roies. They say it about me, too"
said Sir Henry, and after that Miss
barrymore ceased worrying.
iiSiC nave DctI various COmOlQQtlOnc
OF two Barrymores in a play but. so far
as we know, the American theater has
yet to see John, Lionel and Ethel on
the stage together. 1t is possible that
this may be achieved some time o.,
other for all three have a notion that
at some dim, distant date they NAV
combine to play Macbeth" This is
one of the roles which Miss BARRYMORE
has always longed to play, and she
thinks that there is no reason why
such venture should not be a finan-
1t, as we'll as its tragic significance.
real elements of melodrama as it was
before we made it funny thing"
OF all the plays in which she has ap-
peared she Is not sure that "Declassee.
her present venture, is not her favorite
! although she hesitates to say that, as
she has always had a soft spot in her
heart for "Midchannel." But for the
discovery of "Declassee" Miss Barry
more might have ventured into Shake
speare this season. The discovery of
Miss Akins's play was made by her
manager, Alfred Hayman 1t was also
Mr.. Hayman who hit upon the very for
tunate stroke Of bringing Claude King
over to play the role of Solomon The
play was accepted on the basis of the
first two acts. which proved attractive
enough to both manager and actress TO
satisfy them that they had just the
sort Of play they wanted for Miss
Barrymore.
Owing to the numerous conflicts In
/ first nights we did not have an oppor-
tunity to see Boys Will Be Boys" at
the Belmont Theater until last week
Accordingly, we m missed one of the most
delightful performances in town
Harry RprpufnrI
performance only shade below that
of Frank Bacon in "Lightnin'." 1t is
perhaps not quite so finished a piece
of acting, out it is extraordinarily eff
fective in bringing to the theater
quality of rea! gentleness which never
goes over the line into laborcd senti-
mentality. Likewise, it seems to us
that Charles O'Brien Kennedy has been
unusually successful in translating the
kindly and human quality Of Cobb into
the medium of the theater. In this re-
spect he has succeeded where several
other playwrights have failed The
story has ity slack moments in the sec
ond act, bu. the first act s-good and
<the courtroom scene in the third act
continuously divcrting. There is some
staunch support behind Beresford
William st James is an excellent Judge
Priest and Eose Mary King does skillful
work in the part Of the vllainess All
in ALL Boys Will Be Boys" seems TO
us to belong in the not overlong list of
New York theatrical attractions which
are worth their salt.
When he Was interviewed upon rst
arriving in America Lord Dunsany was
quoted as believing that "The Queens
Enemies" was probably his best acting
play At the Neighborhood Playhouse
last week he had an opportunity Of
seeing it acted for the first time and
also Of having his first view OF "A Night
| at an Inn" Seemingly the chance to see
these two plays put or caused him to
reverse his previous opinion, for in
little curtain speech he paid scant at
tenton TO Queens Enemies" and was
frank in expressing his pleasure at the
vivid acting qualities in the other piece.
! The Nsi9hborhood Players by the way