Evening star., 1919-03-30
Music and Drama

~ HE stage resumed lts Wohteo
ways last week. with. little
or no attempt to hold the
pace set by The Burgo-
master" which found in
Ncw York immediate acclaim. 1t will
~ ,'3abiy have the effect of setting
q new standard for so-called war
p!ars' and also start that quiet proc
css &C elimination which the public
of this country employs in promot-
inG the survival of the theatrical1y
fit:est. The coed nature of the Amer
ica.n public is nowhere better illus
trAted than in the theaters, which
GO net hesitate to offer carefully
printed instructions as to early ar
rival and deferred departure out of
respect 10 art and artists, together
with no end OF suggestions relating
II matters ,f personal department.
We delight to be lectured. and ac-
ccl. ell such instruction in good
laT.. even though on the very stage
wliCh calls for SO much polite con-
s.ideraticn there may be scenes and
G.iveTs" ion which seem deliberately
IF ttt 10 OucHu IHeTc tWO
ttiliss We never do; we never hiss,
we never Doc. When a play is bad,
Or when il has drifted out of vogue,
the public simply stays away, which
Is punishment enough for any man
aSeI.
Perhaps the most serious play OF
the week (of course, excepting The
au, .rseriousness OF the screen ro-
mantle drama) was Eyes of Youth,
one of these fantasies which assume
TO go beyond the study of everyday
humanity and stray into the realms
of mysticism. 1t gives Alma Tell
fine opportunity for revelations of
versatility as to type and tempera-
ment as the yogi's hypnotic crystal
reveals what the future will have
in store for her should she intrust
1T to any one of several men. So
wide a range Of characterization has
seldom been called for by any drama
There is a certain sense of logical
responsibility in the presentation OF
q theme which might easily have been
allowed to founder. AS most meta
physical dramas are allowed to do.
into a state of hopeless confusion.
= = q
George Hobart Joined the movement,
which got as far as possible from the
realistic drama of current inter ,st;
discreetly, too for Hobart's muse is
fantastic and often charmingly rhyth-
mical, without any ostentatious poet
icaI assumptions. He calls "Come-On
Charley" a fable. and then falls into
the manner of Polonius and describes
it as mel-comi- mi-tragi-drama. If Ho-
bart had not decided to be a poet, he
would have made wonderful ad
writer. He has another. play here this
week, which he describes as "a pill
grimage," and which. as seen in the
oning, looks like an analysis Of a
young woman's life-something after
the manner Of the analysis Of a young
mans career In Experience"
= = +
Even The Canary" frisked from
the Egyptian tombs to the most mod
ern realms of sophistication, with
plenty Of dance music to accelerate
the transitions. Joe Cawthorn isl
funny without being crude. An effort
was made to conspire with Stage
Manager Sherwood Of the National
last week and conceal among the
specimens in the antiaue shop an old
concertina. The idea was that, per-
haps. when Cawthofn ran across it ne
might forget himself and drift into
one of those melodies which delighted
his admirers before he became es-
tablished as one of the foremost of
our comedians, with certain legiti-
mate responsibilities which prevent
him from stepping out of character.
Mr.. Sherwood proved incorruptible.
Perhaps he was right. But il Caw-
thorne had consented to lapse into
concertinizstion., he would have sup
plemented his humorous fake conjur-
inSs with a bit OF genuine magic.
'PHILANDER JOHNSON.