The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-27
Naughty French Play Pre- sented UncensOred for the First Time-VisitOrs
 Were Disappointed
Ry K. WALTER


 Prise de Berg -op -ZoomW
 Those who, knowing French as most English and Americans know it, went to see and be shocked were dis appointed. All that they saw was a series of vivacious scenes that recalled the early French picture-com edies, and the worst they could make out of what they saw was that in the first act a young lady most modestly mounted on table and sat there with skirts discreetly clinging, that in the second act a strange gentleman had a long and disturbing converse ton with another mans wife, that in the third act he kissed her in a way that any "mo<ie' or musical comedy heroins would have scorned as hope lessly smateurish, and that in the last act the said wife did for the space of not more than two seconds flat sit on the edge of said gentleman's left knee.
 GIRLS ENJOYED THEMSELVES
 Those who went to see and be shocked--one could pick them out in the audienceEhad better stayed at home and read the play with a diction- ary. Plenty might then have been their satisfaction. For those who went to hear and be shocked had their earful, Those also could be
 
 them was a scattered number of nice looking French girls who presum- ably considered that the English audience about them didn't under stand what was being said (they were largely righD felt free to shout with delight over the worst Cor best) bits of humor in a way they never would have done at home. The shocked English were less demon- strative. One saw them whispering to each other. husband to wife to hus-' band, and thoroughly enjoying theN- selves
 But of course all these French plays are not written to shock people, they are written for the unshockable. If you want to be shocked in Paris you go to a different sort of theatre. These plays are for people who have got over that, sort of thing, who have seen all the kissing and bed room scenes they ever want to see and are in fact so blase about the proprieties that they can enjoy a simple incident as well as a naughty one if it is wttily written and well played, and want the one kind as much as the other, simply to give variety.
 And incident is the keynote of French farce. In La Prise de Berg op-zoom" incident follows incident with all the rapidity of a picture play. but with the important diff ference that every incident is skill fully connected with the others in diapgue and action, giving con tinuity and unity which mark the writ ing of such plays as a real art.
 PLOT IS SIMPLE
 The story is simplicity itself The hero has been following the wife for some time and at last succeeds in getting a word with her. He tells her that whether she likes it or not she will come to his office the next afternoon. It happens that she has without knowing it. Nh appointment with him there in his capacity of magistrate, concerning an imaginary scandal in which her husband believes himself to be involved. That after noon he tells her that in two days. the 17th. he will kiss her behind the ear; on the 18th he will kiss her in the lips; and, as he turns the leaves of the calendar for another date, he reads aloud that the 24th is the an niversary of the taking of Berg op- loom; on that day the campaign will be brought to a successful conclusion.
 She is in fact already taken by his violent but more or less honorable ve-making--he proposes she shall get a divorce from her worthless nus- band and marry him. As she is pre- pairing to leate he manages to reg ister the first kss-behind the ear. She Is standing near the calendar and when he looks up he sees that she is tearing off the days to bring the calendar to the right date. But she goes beyond it. She tears the little slips of paper until all can see it is now the 18th. He kisses her lips, and still ssa continues tearing. It is now the 2Srd. as all can see. He waits she fingers the leaf. and then with a \tty flourish leaves him, promising to see him tomorrow which she thinks may be the anniversary of the taking of Berg op-Zoom. Instead of going to see him, however, she invites him to her party and the complications which then arise are too obvious to be repeated. The calendar incident is the chief scene of the play and score of other incidents affecting it. in which half a dozen other characters gre concerned, are all fitted in like finely cut parts of jigsaw puzzle.
 FRENCH FARCE REAL COMEDY
 One thing these farces are bring ing home to Londoners is that in iu undiluted form French farce is some thing very much more credible, much iloIt nearly resembling real comedy, than the imported Anglicized versions. There is minimum of farcial machin- cry. People live and the incidents are not strained. What is said and done at the beginning causes quite believable results. There is logic of events ani of psychology The thing hangs to- gether and however fast the fun still seems to be as much a part of life as 1t is part of the tradition of the theatre.
 The acting has a good deal to do with this. French acting is swifter than the English yet l>ses none of it's naturalism. It is just as rapid as American farce acting but less me chanical than the average. The only American production I recall which comes up to the French standard of farce acting was George Conan in "A Prince There Was" Sacha Guitry himself has none of the charm of Cohan. He is rather dull and un- magnetic actor. but evonne Prin- tomps is such a pretty. wayward, sun shine-and shade attractive little per son that one suspects them of fex- plotting this contrast of personalities by which they get an effect a good deal more pleasing than those tire some farce companies in which every one Is bubbling all the time
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