New-York tribune., 1919-10-07
Dram m a
Ethel Barrymore at Her Best
in ''Declassee' at the
Empire Theatre
By Haywood Broun

would be pretty thankless and risky
business to try to scrub it off. Any
critic of such mind would run the
danger of finding himself in the posi-
ton of Bernard Shaw, who was accused
by Chesterton of trying to rub the gilt
off great Jumps of gold. We are not
minded to try anything Of the sort.
Enough of the new play by Zoe Atkins
is pure metal and rich and rare for US
to shout for it all. And to tell the
truth we could hardly tell the true
writing from the false, for even in the
rare moments when the playwright
gave Miss Ethel Barrymore alloy the
actress was magnificent and magical
enough in her alchemy to make it all
iustrous and fine.
Certainly, we have never seen Ethel
Barrymore play 80 we'll. God knows
when we ever have ever seen anybody
play as we'll. The voice which makes
you think of everything which has
ever made you laugh and everything
which has made you cry spoke words
last night which were in themselves
symbols of emotion. There was some
thing in the character and in the sit
uations provocative of dreams and
memories beside the music of the most
appealing voice on the American stage.
And why the American stage? We
never did think much of English voices
anyway.
More cover, there is certain triumph
IN having an actress who can be all
that playwright would have her. Zoe
Aklns wrote a play about a woman who
was greater than any circumstance
which could assail her and then she
found her great lady.
We have from time to time spoken
slightingly of dramatic entertainments
because they were 'theatrical," and it
Is perfectly true that it is sorry bust
with subterfuge which does not avail.
But it would he manifestly unfair to
complain that the final scene of De-
classee,' for instance, is highly the
atrical when we were profoundly
moved at the time and absolutely un-
der the spell We don't doubt that
there are few who will be able to re-
sIst 1t. There are analytical minds who
will say of this portion of the play,
and. perhaps, one or two others, that
they are quite impossible and unreal,
but plays are not for such stalwart
minds. In the three-quarters cf an
hour which has passed since we saw
the play We have ridden in the subway.
read about Hod Eller's pitching and got
down to the hard business of writing,
and we remember now that in the last
act Lady Helen Haden was run over by
a taxicab and came back to die de-
iberately ard beautifully without so
much as a smudge on her gown But
we didn't think of that until now. In
the theatre the strata gem prevailed
utterly, and We wept with all the other
folk, who are perfectly willing and in
deed incapable of denying playwright
AID an actress some little space uf
dramatic license if only they will use
it to bring US drama. And last night
they did.
Miss Atkins has not only provided a
play which is emotionally unusually
written sparkling lines of the Hnest
twist and turn. Moreover, Miss Bar
rymore is supported by an extraordl-
narily able company. Claude King, her
leading man, gives performance which
holds almost up to her own. Their sec
ond act scene seemed TO US unquestlon-
ably the finest and most finished piece
OF acting Wnlch the thearre mas gwen
US.
We are not goinng to say much about
the play, for to tell the story of Lady
Helen Haden without giving some hint
of the fine heroic gesture which play
wright and players have put into it
would be quit unfair. Let it suffice
that Lady Haden follows the dictates
of her code to the end through cir
cumstances which challenge her at
every turn and finally lead to her deah.
But we do not intend to convey the
impression that "Declassee" is a ro
bustious piece of fine hings and pas
sion tattering speeches. On the CON
trary, it is rich in subtleties played
subtly. in small emotions nicely in
dicated, in humor and in an accom-
panying conspiracy Of emotion not
always trumpted. There is a tagging
spot at the beginning of the second
act; there is touch of broad farce
in this same act which is quite wrong
and perhaps the dramatic current Of
the play is never so strong after the
first act But after mentioning all this
it seems to US that "Declassee" is an
unusually excellent play acted with
cracking fame of inspiration.
We ought not to neglect to mention
the fine performance of Harry Plimmer,
Of Miss Clare Eames and of Gabrielle
Ravine. There should also be praise in
somewhat lesser measure for Katherine
Harris. Charles Francis, Vernon Steele
and Madeline Delmar.
We had quite lot Of trouble break
ing into the Eempire Theatre, because
an Office boy sold our seats to some
body else 1t may be the fault Of our
editorials Down here we are always
talking about the sacredness of prop
erty rights, and it may be no more than
a natural reaction which induces the
Office boys to steal our theatre tickets.
Nevertheless, we were mad about it at
the time. But not now. If we couldn't
beg or borrow our way to see Ethel
Barrymore in "Deelcasee" we should
certainly not hesitate to steal. Of
course, we don't recommend it sa q
A