New-York tribune., 1920-06-20
Courtship Is a Fair
Game With Men but Is
Hardly So With Women

Louise Closer Hale, who plays
the part, in Beyond the Horizon" at
the Little Theater, Of the spectator
who alone survives the terrible tragedy
Of the love Of two men for the same
girl, confcsses that If the situation
Eugene O'Neill, the author, has woven
into the lovemaking were reversed, it
would have turned out to be a comedy
Mrs. Hale, as we'll as being a char
acter actress and responsible for many
humorous moments in Beyond the
Horizon" is playwright herself as
we'll as an author of successful books.
ooh, the why's of life!" exclaimed
Mrs. Hale after her final exit in the
wings of the Little Theatcr. II admit
that women are the ones continually
asking the why and wherefore Of
things in life. Men are not disputa-
tion because they are not SO analyt-
and the incident for them is forever
closed. But we women go about with an
eternal question mark in our hearts.
The outstanding tragedy Of Be
yond the Horizon is the situation
between the two brothers who are both
in love with the same girl; but, mark
you, if two women in this play were
in love with the same man it would
have been a comedy-if not a farce"
why is it? Is it because two men
stalking the same fair creature pos
than would two women similarly
placed? Or is it because the girl
herself as the desired one finds her
self in a position that is part of the
fundamental law of life, and therefore
has none of the distortions of nature
which occasion comic situations on
the stage, where one little pursued
man and two warm hearted women
aching to be loved become as humor
GUS as clowns in circus.
George Bernard Shaw, Of course,
contends that women are the natural
pursuers, and he has women characters
chasing men over Hill and dale, but
he doesn't make a tragedy out of the
theme-it is always a comedy.
IL think, too-and am regretfully
forced into paying the male compli-
mcnt when | utter the thought-that
the time two women show to tho poor
est advantage is when they are both
intent upon favoring the same biped.
We arc not always noble in our meth
DDS. and we talk too much, and sob
over the telephone, and for the moment
find hidcous faults in each other. Yet
~ SttlIlo " ne DultC DOSSlDlc ioI wv
brothers placed as those in Beyond the
Horizon continuing in their love and
friendship for each other, yes, and ris-
ing to heights of sclf-denal during the
most stressful moments of their adora-
ticn. We see all around us young men
of our acquaintance going about fra
tornally. taking their turns at court
ship-one getting ahead of the other if
he can but not inclined to knife the
other when he sees himself edged out
at last. But I have no such recollec-
ton of this sense of fair play among
my girl friends not at least until the
wound is healed and the Old scar aches
only on rainy days.
Now, why? Is it because men are
better sports in the long run? No, and
again no. think it must be because
the wound is not so deep that they
really don't care so much. There are
so many other things for man to
care for and not so many interests
outside in the world Of art and bust
ness for us-as yet. And perhaps that
is the tragic side to the comedy,
tragic side which the audience does not
get