The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-11
PAPA SATIRICAL
COMEDY, PRODUCED
Zoe Akins's Piece Is Much
Different on Stage Than
in a Magazine.
MANY FANTASTIC IDEAS
Some Parts That Could Be
Frightened Much by Diff
ferent Treatment.
MANY FANTASTIC IDEAS
Papa" at tho Little Theatre.

Readers OF the contemporaneous dra-
ma have long been familiar with Zoe
Atkins Papa" and smiled family over
its attempts at worldly and rather para
radoxical wit Until last night, however,
the author remained in the great army
OF the Enacted save for THE Magic
City" which had a place in the repertoire
of the departed Washington Square
Players. Papa" Is as remote from real
life as Lamb found the Carolinian
comedy; so Its departure from accepted
standards OF morality need never after
all have been taken SO seriously as to
keep II from the stage. Miss Akin $
men and women are altogether her own.
They are. moreover, without the power
to amuse outside a book. There ia a
rather futile and frivolous papa to two
pretty and worldly daughters who sacri-
flee everything to the well being of this
parent They even marry for his sake.
One in her effort to avoid this unwel-
come step voluntarily assumes the re-
sponsibility for a child Of four who is
In reality the daughter OF her sister
and an Italian tenor. In such social
points Miss Atkins play has dates
since 1t assumes the popular singer 10
be ineligible as a son-in-law OF a New
York family. Even her false claim that
the child is hers cannot cool the ardor
OF her sutton. He ventures to call her
noble.
In the same spirit of extravagance
the author carries her manikins to Eu-
rope and shows them there, always gay
and inoonsequential, rather snobbish. as
Stunning sometimes the traits OF human
beings. which they do 80 grotesQuely as
to deceive nobody. When at the end
matrimony seems necessary for the be-
loved papa he finds widow of vast
wealth and social Importance, the tenor
marries a soprano OF his own race who
departs begging that his little daughter
very carefully and circumspectly
reared by a French governess-may
spend the summer with the happy pair.
And the widow selects unimportant papa
because she believes that he is in reality
the father Of the little girl and that her
mother Is the Italian prima donna OF
such Is the life" in "Papa's' three acts
Miss Akinss play Is not written in the
idiom OF the theatre. and its dialogue
fell last night on generally unapprecia.
tive ears There are occasional sugges-
lions OF an idea that might be bright
were 1t differently expressed or intro
duced with some professional skill. Al
1t was. the talk sounded like the mos,
incredible pine that has been offered
tno kulSe OF VIII IN ail SO-CdiicO
plays OF conversation that have mad
vertenuy found their way to the stage.
The Apologize smokers that came
from the back rows seemed to be inspired
by the indelicacy OF speeches and situa-
tons rather than by any trace OF genuine
humor. Papa" Is a wonderful example
OF the difference between what II takes
to make witty enough dialogue in a
magazine and play for the stage. Miss
Atkins. II she was in the audience last
night, must have regretted bitterly that
her brain child had been taken from
between its protecting covers and ex-
posed to the chilling draughts OF a thea
tire.
Little was done for the piece by the
actors, although their task was admit.
teddy difficult. More inept representa-
ton II would be difficult to imagine
There was no observable skill in the
representative of Papa and the two
daughters were equally disheartening
One pirouetted about the stage as II she
were practising an imitation of Nijinski
while the other poured out strenuousy
an endless stream Of reverberating ''rs :
Miss Akins's play, TO have had any
chance OF revealing the brilliancJ
claimed for 1t, needed some subtlety OF
treatment. But even that quality in the
performance would probably not have
helped TO reveal stage values which Dc
not exist.