The Washington herald., 1919-03-04
BeIaseo-AAaan and Eva.~
BY EARLE DORSEY.


Looking at new shows is puzzling
business. They fit into town. weeks
In advance of their broadway OPEN
ings. Months later. perhaps. they re-,
appear, minus their original tiGcs.
members Of that first cast and off,
times striped Of dialogue
adam and Eva" is a play which
probably will return. 1t opened az the
Beiascc last night two weeks l/tore
Its Manhattan premiere. When IL does
reappcar il is plain dollars to dough
nut holes that II won't have the same
cast. nor viii II be particularly padded
as to dialogue. and Il probably viii
have d new name.
strstes that Guy Bolton and George
Middleton can build a good play with
out David Belasco's help. We were
rather fearful they might slip this
time after observing the manifest
benefits accruing to their own Polly
with a Past" into which Beiasco
dipped his directoral thumb.
Adam and Eva" summarily speak
ing. is a play with a somewhat novel
and rather absorbing idea Il has
been well garbed IN dialogue that is
pungent and even funny. II is fairly
well handled by a cast that will learn
how to do its work better in few
weeks when there will probably be
less apparent cropping for form and
less Of the dramatic art that fails to
conceal itself. By which II is meant
that you can stIll see the strings be-
ing pulled in spots where the lubri-
cant OF team work has not worked
down into the bearings Of motivation.
A business magnate with a family
OF satellites about his neck in the
main pole Of the plot tent that Mid
dleton and Bolton have labelled
Adam and Eve" Adam is one of
the magnate's plantation managers
who returns from South America with
idealistic views on the sweetness of
family life. When someone has to
take the plantation job in South Amer
lea TO which Adam declines to return.
father calmly makes Adam head of
the family and goes to South America
himself. The task Of holding the
family down to respectable expendI-
lures and winning one Of the family
on the side. is the plot theorum the
authors have essayed TO demonstrate
in their new piece. and looking at Il
that they succeeded, for Adam real
ly convinces the family that father
has gone broke Cfather not being there
to deny iO and consequently all
hands move into the old Jersey farm
home and successfully raise chickens
and bees.
Horace. who came TO spend the
weekend with father and stayed 1s
years. finds life insurance a fair
enough profession. Sister Julia's
clinging vine husband makes a hit
with the George NJ Cohan model sack
suit in Poughkeepsie and towns west
as clothing salesman and when
father comes home to deny he's broke
he finds all hands happy and Adam
and Eva in love. Even in the climax
the authors do not become banally
conventional, for thev make the some
what loveable viIlain-our villains
grow loveable OF lste-the voluntary
instrument of bringing the young
things together by an act Of renuncia-
ton that will enable Courtney Foote
20 add a distinct touch Of pathos 70
his role.
John Flood, as the magnate-the
program bills his part vaguely-is
Just trifle shy of character authen-
ITCHY but this will improve with are.
as We used to say about wine. Otto
Kruger. in the character Of Adam.
Is not really great actor but he is
smil!nCiy convincing in a part that
presents few stony passages. Ruth
Shepley-that Eirl was here a little
while back in something. wasn't she.
has one OF those sweet little in
Eenue roles opposite Kruger which
she handles in manner that we re-
viewers so love tC describe as ''ac-
ceptable-" Ruth is sweet and appeal