New-York tribune., 1919-09-02
Dram a
Tho Actors Equity Revue Seen
at the Second Avenue
Theatre
BY Haywood Broun

By Haywood Broun
The Actors Equity Revue, which was
prepared in a little less than a week,
was presented at the Second Avenue
Theatre, 35 Second Avenue, yesterday.
OF course, the performance lacked the
hnish which is associated with the
standard Broadway musical shows, but
there was enough amusing material
IN the performance to provide an
agreeable entertainment. The chief as
set was James Barton, the remarkable
recruit from burlesque, who had al
ready made hit in the Equity vaude-
vile show at the Lexington Theatre.
There Barton's skill as a dancer was
chiefly in evidence, but he has also a
distinct comic gift, as he showed yes
terday afternoon in playing Jimmy
Ceascr, the Dudley Digges role, in the
burlesque of John Ferguson" This
skit should prove highly amusing to
all who have seen the Theatre Guild
production, but it is hardly rich
enough IN its own right to prove any
thing like as funny to those who are
y.
Matt Hanley gave good burlesque of
Augustin Duncan as the father and
William Kent a rollicking travesty of
Henry Herbert as Clutie John.
The authorship of the skit is not re-
veaed by the programme, but Roger
Gray is responsible for the general
arrangement Of the performance, which
is chiefly Of vaudeville nature, with
good turns by Phil Dwyer, Marie
Nordstrom, Kent, Barton and others.
The performance will be repeated on
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
evenings.
Lionel Barrymore played the last
act of August Thomas's "The Copper
head in the Actors Equity show at
the Lexington Theatre last night We
have seen, recently. several tables
computing the amount of money that
has been lost in the theatrical strike.
1t runs into the hundred thousands,
perhaps in the millions. as we remem-
Der 1t. And yet, all this hardly seems
20 us lost, since it has served to bring
back to New York the finest piece of
acting which America has known in a
generation. The play and the per
formance are worth the price In The
Copperhcad" Mr.. Thomas has written
the great Lincoln play. although the
tmancipator never appears in the
action and is mentioned only in the
last act. Actor and author have COM
blned to distil in a few brof minutes
the vital essence of the man They
have given us moro than Lincoln. 1ncy
have given us his spirit.
Played as q unit. the last act Of the
play must puzzle for time those in
the audience who have not seen all
The Copperhead." but the final scene
tells its own story. Last nights audi
ence was brought to its feet to cheer
II should cheer, Lionel Barrymore was
superb. And, although The Copper
head in its entirety is net z great
play, in the final scene Mr. Thomas has
set mark for other American
dramat!sts to shoot at. In conception
the scene is a daring experiment in
dramatic technique, for the dramatis ST
aims to interest an audience. and does
capture II utterly. not so much with
the action which is trans spiring before
which has passed Iet. it is not mar
rative. The author and the actor have
collaborated to MAKE the past live
again. Here is the theatre which We
must have and will have
The new Equity bill is the best whict
has yet been presented at the big Lex
ington Theatre. Our review is baset
on little more than half the pro
gramme, but in that time we saw the
rousing chorus number. heard Gladys
Rice, who has a fine voice, which she
does not yet use to the utmost of its
possibilities; saw john Hazard and
Ada Lewis do their rollicking triangle
burlesque, and watched Adele Rowland
put over not too fetching set OF
songs with so much snap that they
seemed the pick of a season.
We had to leave in the middle of the
best minstrel show We ever saw Il
has regular jokes. good songs anC
some astonishing dancing by Ha
Skelly and Dan IIealy. not to forget tn,
services of James J. Corbett as inter
locutor and the burlesque prizehgh
between Skelly and Billy Clark. AnC
we missed Dorothy Dickson and Car
Hyson, Ray Raymond, the Watson SIS
ters. Fred Hilderbrand and Brandon
lyman in tho Equity pageant.