The sun., 1919-08-24
By N. P. D.

~ of the theatrical world. A modest
man, to whom knee is a joint and
nothing more, will warmly commend the
demand of the chorus for shoes and
stockings. A sentimental manager, on
the other hand, such as Mr. Belasco, will
say that what is needed in the theatre
is loving kindness and this opinion, it
is interesting to note, is echoed in Gilbert
Cannan's new story of the stage called
Mummery AT public dinner given to
Mr.. Cannan's artistic genius, in order to
promote his ideal theatre, IN response to
the many pleasant things that have been
said about him and his proposed new
temple of art, he arises and, beaming
boyishly, as we read, startled MS audience
with the following brief speech:
"Tm so happy to be back. Thank you
very much The theatre needs love. l
give you my love"
The remedy sounds simple and is spe-
eitic and can be recommended for Its
cheapness if nothing more. But other
things in the scheme of this genius in
artistic designing are not so cheap. One
item in the budget for his theatre, which
seems to be a combined superior German
and outdoor Greek model, is $l25 for
"food for the birds and fishes" as Mr..
Cannan says, however, specially benign
deity must watch over ldealists, as
drunkards and children, since great dis
aster filled the news columns of the papers
next day, crowding out Charles MannS
extraordinary speech, and the budget for
his theatre, including the item, more
startling than even shoes and stockings,
of $125 for flood for the birds and fishes "
II.
Mr.. Cannans novel is the story Of
another artistic genius, another "Charles"
in fact, such as w. Somerset Maugham's
in The Noon and SirpeHce. But all com
parison rests here Mr. Vaughan camou-
fages his genius so successfully that lis
READERS are ready to believe In him.
Charles Mann in MumB,ery is a familiar
and easily recognized type. More ac-
curately, Mummery is the story of two
geniuses and a woman, one genius who
is going to revolutionize the theatre by
his designs, and the other by his plays.
In more than either of his men, however,
Mr.. Cannan is interested in his lady,
"Clara," who early gracefully glides into
the spotlight and stays there. Yet it is
difficult to know just what Mr.. Cannan
is trying TO make out of Clara. Perhaps
it is the name alone that recalls another
Clara, the famous Miss Middleton, al
though there may also be something
Meredithian in her charm and independ-
ence. As soon as Clara and Charles Mann
arrive together in London from France
she SAYS
Carlo, dear, | shall have to marry
you"
He spun round as though he had been
stung and asked, Good God, whyT
Charles does not like the idea of being
"pinned down" as he already knows from
although Clara unluckily
knows nothing of this experience. From
the beginning of the story we seem to see
in Clara the embodiment of what Mr..
Cannan calls the new spirit stirring in
humanity, of freedom, and it is with con-
siderable surprise that we at last learn
that Clara is not free spirit at all, but
foredoomed to failure, because she is q
woman and woman in love, who "must
work through a mans imagination tbefOre
she could become person fit to dwell on
earth with her fellows"
III.
Clara is pictured as having gone
through some sort Of crisis when she read
Kropotksn's memoirs (second volume)
IL