New-York tribune., 1919-11-30

AAA HEN we saw Caesars Wife"
A we began TO feel that per-
" haps there was something
in the theory that play
should have certain local
interest. II was obvious that IN New
York Maugham's play must lose GER
tain amount of its appeal from the fact
.hat II was definitely written 10 touch
a responsive chord IN all those WHO
believe implicitly in the future OF the
british Empire. OF course. some OF
ne here believe. also. but perhaps not
quite so intently, and others not az all
@C1sar's Wife" demands ful! alleei-
ance TO carry its point. The british
official in the play finds tnat MS WE
loves another man, younger one iie
has il in his power 70 let MIN 20 70
the British legation IN PARIS ana s"se
the situation. but he refuses 10 90 80
because il is to the best interests U
Great Britain that the young man
should stay in Egypt and become PR
vate secretary 20 the hhediVe. me-
one has the imperial traditioh' ln1s -
apt 20 prove little thlh. -, r..
But whatever feeling we haa Ior
distinctly national drama was dlspelieo
,vben we saw the Theater Guild pro,
dnction Of "The Rise Of Silas Lapnam.
Here was a play which was American
- Tho core but that did not prevent ~
srom being conventional and dull
prohablv the fact Of the matter IS tna'
. GOOD play may be Siamese or tsKimo
- onlv Il is good If the true name OF
drana is there no little matter OF ma
tional point Of view will keep y from
having an appeal for all the world.
After receiving letter from =. Il,
Neil. Of Denver, we are a"ail:ns or
craa+ interest the first night Oh
"Aphrodite: A.. ;r.sres+ed."
l.. rr;.es ain the advance notices OF
..nh-odite.' 20 be produced next mon,
dav night at the Century. oDtaineu
~ score Of the operate version III
,oo7 shortly after its Paris oPehlhg'
ard made translation for use III oon-
rac.ion with the study Of the score
T., orchestration seemed 20 me 10 sur
mas. that Of the scores OF al o1nei
moderns, d'Indy, perhaps, excepted, anu
/. was practically all constructed IN 'ne
Dorian mode. This. Of course maoe ~
exceedingly difficult Of interpreta.lon'
"Hammerstein announced /, lot d.
arct;on several times, but aiways
o.rrcI some snag which prevented II.
Ua r,rrnosed TO use Mary Garden IN .he
i.e inc role of Chrysis, which she hao
rlavad numberless times In farls.
Royle. as I remember, played opposl.e
ter in the part of Demetrlos. hainiiei
.tein even went so far as to sehd sew
e-aI neople TO Paris TO study the oris
,nai nroduction in order that they
ro;cbt he better qualified for the same
narts in his own production. ,o,.
an was not until about 1918 or IL IL
.ha, a dramatic version appeared ms
vas the one by Frondaie, whlcn mas Deei.
useN bv George Hazelton In the presenss
translation and adaptation, None "a
Frlanger's music was used IN ene
matte version. but new see',"s u
cidental music was composer rsod
s;er nor.ions of which are 70 be used
in the Century productioh' "''os
20 the announcements. A..
"It was a Mile Badot who played ,ne
,ar- Of Theane the dancer IN the orig
;nal operate version and also, pc
Geve in the Paris dramatic version
This is the part which | understand is
changed TO Aphrodosia IN the latest
version. But it is OF the PARIS ORA
matic production that l wish 10
sneak. The press notices, IN TINS
country. Of the production were
quite meager and gave only one ansie
of il. which was quite amusing, Ihey
were to the effect that Mile baaot nau
appeared as the dancer IN the bacoha-
male scene entirely nude-the nrst tiihe
that any dancer or actress had appealeu
;hus at this certain theater. Her re-
markable delicacy In handling the scene
was greatly admired and she was cor.
respondingly applauded. 1t seems that
her mistake was in taking the applause
in front Of the curtain. still nude. for
upon her appearance she was strong
hissed. The dispatches then went on
70 state that she realized her error ana
Immediately reappeared with a veil
around her shoulders This evidently
satisfied all the conventions, for shs
was once again applauded."
The production of "Ths Rise OF Silas
J.aphaS" illustratss again the enor'