Evening journal., 1920-11-02
FRENCH Leave
Wins AUDIENCE
Mr.. and Mrs. Coburn Pres
ent Delicious, Sparkling
Comedy at Playhouse
ACTOR ALSO TALKS
TO DRAMA LEAGUE
THE PLAYHOUSE French Leave
comedy in three acts, by Reginald

THE PLAY lOlNE fIenfN leave n
comedy in three acts, by Reginald
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Corporal Sykes brigade Mess CorporaD
N'ne"''" ''"N' Harry McNaughtou
Mile. Juliette. ........... Mrs. Coburn
Madame Denaux dandlady Of brigade irli1
captSin T'tafR Harry Gienisicr tBrisads
Nlaior) ........... Alexander Onslow y
Brigadier- General Archibald Root g B..
Lieutenant George Graham CActing stan
Captain ............... :.. Noei Iearls
NJ. Jules Mariner (the brigade interpre-
teri ...............-'''.' A''"ui Hi''A.
Mr. and Mrs. CoburB. who win
will be recalled for their artistic work
in "The Better ole" treated an ap-
preciatve audience to another thor
loughly delightful comedy at the Play
house last night. Although unena
are only eight characters the acIon
Of the play doesn't lag an instanf
vybiIe its snarkling. witty lines, spoken
i'm finest OF good. old kings Engilslh
keeps the auditors in almost contlnuF'
Ious laughter
The plot centers about the surrepti-
tious visit Of a young and attracuV1
bride of an officer to a war 0utposl
i'm France to visit her husband. 10
reach the camp the wife disguiSeS
herself as a French chanteuse. Sne
gets through the lines safely, Dut
once i'm the camp is forced TO contlnue
her disguise. much to the discounJ
ture of her jealous husband; Army
routine literally goes to the dogs anu
there's the devil to pay for three acis.
. Mrs. COburn enacts the ilirtauOu5
bride while Mr.. COburn takes the part
Of bluff old English general IN
charge Of the camp. The other chmz
acters group themselves naturally
, about these two central figures.
The FIRST act presents one OF thd
most laughable marital kissing mateh@
> es on the stake today, while durinS
the second act the fun attains side
splitting. farcical height, yet ever re1
fined. In the third act the climax Il
attained in a seri0comic dialogue be-
tween themselves which affords thenF
every opportunity for display OF their
IL would he difficult to single out
! any one Of the supporting cast as due
for special favor; each is so eXcel7
4 lent in his or her own way. The chars
p acter Of Corporal Sykes, brigade mess
corporal, gives exceptional chance Tor
A army flavOr-a chance Which is made
- the most of by Dallas Wexford. To
: hear him eXclaim "Blimey,' or. in de-
= scribing the general: You don't
. catch is old nibs giving up is good
d bed an sleeping in the 'ay loft for
/. nothing" is a diversion in itself tnK
those who enjoy piquant humor.
: Certainly last nights audienca
laughed itself nearly hOarse, and by
= its applause at the final curtain indi-
\. Gated that it thoroughly agreed with
critics that French Leave" is =
- tripping show" Mr.. and Mrs. Coburn
D will be at the Playhouse again tonight
h. tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow
- night
er livered an address to the DRAINS
League, at the home of Mrs. William
,r C Blatz, ti07 Delaware avenue. In II
=. he declared the tone OF the modern
I'd theatre productions could be greatly
elevated il every high school and col
2 lege and university in the c0untrl
II could have a chair OF drama.
~ Il do not mean by this said Mr.
IL COburn, that tte students should
- Just study dramatic literature, bu
M that they should actually take par
r. in the acting OF the best drama. Tn
al objection has been raised by peopl
~ to whom I have spoken of this tina
10 it would cause too many pupils b
become actors. Have no fear 10 vii
- not make actors, but it will max
. audiences. And that is what we nee'
D.. audiences with a fine discriminatioi
for the best in theatrical production
nd Here and there you would find talena
ce hut you cannot make an actor an,
more than you can a poet or a paint
er. But it would produce a highf
critical public looking for the bes
that the stage has to offer"
Mr. COburn also expressed indigna
. tion toward the stand he declared wa
taken by many people. even in thi
advanced age that an actress was a
49, lactress whether she was a Mrs. Fisk
- or a chorus girl
IAN actors life by virtue OF II
lSi nervous strain is a very moral life,
h: lhe declared. in fact, actors, as
=, 1 class, are more moral in their COZ
III duct than any other class. Some M
ar. torious woman and Mrs. Fiske an
i1t both to many minds just actresse
80 And in fact receipts at the box ofllC
a have many times shown that the fOl
re mer was their preference You don
hear much Of the lives Of real actor
They don't want YOU to. They waF
to live quietly their real lives ava
from the public"