The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20

York. Just how comic II is in reality
only the New Yorker knows.
In Papa" there is again authorita-
tive treatment OF the social amenities
2" New York knows them. The first
act passes. according to the pro-
gramme, "in an upstairs sun parlor
balcony of a house in New York" The
stage settings were modern. which
maens that the painter preferred to
allow his own genius full swing to Gre
ating any appearance OF actually or
placing the characters against any
background which might by chance
give them plausibility. Perhaps his
highly artistic method made this mys-
FERROUS apartment even a little more
difficult to recognize than it otherwise
might have been. It puzzled the New
Workers present. however, to identify
any such retreat from their own expe-
rience with New York domestic archi-
lecture. But it is from the outlying
counties that theatregoers now learn
what is customary in the life of the
metropolis.
The case Of Papa must have
abused person the commercial
manager. One has heard for longer
than necessary or even agreeable of
the final proof that the New York
manager was altogether unfit for his
esponsibililes. He was a fathead.
Everybody had suspected 1t for years.
Now it was proved beyond any doubt.
How? He wouldn't perform Papa"
Could any theatre director with the
slightest knowledge of his business,
even his duty, neglect such a master
piece? The West saw the play and
preened itself. Los Angeles was in ad-
vance of New York
Thus the legend of Papa" grew.
John Drew was going to act the lead
ing role; so was Cyril Maude. But
blind and preJudiced managers inter-
fered at the last minute with the ar
tistic aspirations of the players. Then
Papa" arrived at the Little Theatre.
Before the curtain had been up twenty
minutes the legend suffered a most ex-
hausting blowout. 1t must be said.
however, in favor of the play that Miss
Akins's work offered the most striking
examples of ineXpert casting" seen
in New York this year.
OF course the little piece is not with
out Its amusing phases. The second
act in particular is suggestive of what
might be made a play. As it is the
dialogue sounds like a description of a
play. Anybody familiar with the talk
OF playwrights will be able to acquire
fair idea Of what this second act
was. Here he says this" and Here
she does that" &c. 1t all sounded
like the discussion and description OF
rather a bright play. But not one of
these merits ever reached the audi
ence None of them was projected in
way to bring out their merit on the
stage. Papa" was meant to be read
are able to read plays with any true
sense of their values that such mis-
takes are comprehensive enough.
Since the most experienced men in
the theatre are often unable to read a
play and detect its stage values, any
amateur may readily be excused for
making an erroneous judgment in the
matter. 1t is easily possible to form
an estimate of the story, the charac-
terization and in the case OF the mere
nlotS dGuteur, the wit OF the play.
But to project it into. that other plane
on which one can alone determine
what it Is to be when an audience sits
expectantly before its development
that is a gift of few.