The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-19
cJA(Y PlKEORD IT" 1N WROho
 RlAITC

be 250 laughs in successful comedy. That's plenty.
 Your sides will ache when the play IS over-if you are not English! In
 tnat case, they will ache in a few days. But never fear for "Clarence." Booth
 Harrington has the laughs proportioneI
 Just right The man who wrote ''Tne
 Gentieman From Indiana," The Man From Home, Cameo Kirby" Mister Antonio, "Poldekin" and the Penrod
 stories knows what he is about "Clar- , ence' is a cleverly written, amusing play Burns Mantle, who has just pub lished a volume containing the '"ren
 Best Plays of 1919-20," including "CIar- ence along with the rest, which are
 Abraham Lincoln" "Declassee," Be
 yond the Horizon" The Famous Mrs.
 Fair" Adam and Eve" Jane Clegg' "Mammas Affair."" The Jest and 'sWedding Bells.'
 But back again to the Chicago Drama tic Beach.' Two of the seasons suc-
 cesses will depart for other parts on Christmas night, Miss Barrymore in De-
 classee" and MT. Drinkwater's "Abra-
 ham Lincoln.'. Don't you hope these
 may be "headin' south''-like "Clarence?' Abraham Lincoln was, as we all
 know, an enormous New York success.
 It will be success for years to come
 as it goes on tour. There is a spiritual
 quality in the play, so fine, so human
 the verdict is the same with every one
 witnessing it. It is said that those who
 came to scoff remained to applaud. The
 play is truly great. And think of this historical drama-so thoroughly an Amer
 can subject-treated by the Englishman, J John Drinkwater.
 It is a chronicle play, a series of six
 episodes, and for this reason does not
 read as well it acts.
 In spite of this, the publishers announce
 that the sales of Abraham Lincoln ill
 book form now amount to 49,SS7 copies.
 The average circulation of a printed
 play. it is said, is 1000 copies. Mir Drnkwater has written another historical drama called "Oliver Crom- we'll, which will be produced by Will liam Harris, who has so successfully pro-
 duced Abraham Lincoln
 "Declassee" was written by an Amer ican, a Missourian, if you please, one Zoe Atkins, who was born in the ozark mountains of that State
 Perhaps I may be pardoned if reel an exceptionally strong interest in this play, because l was born in the show
 me- state myself.
 I have had the pleasure of meeting Zoe Atkins this before she became quite so famous. Her play deals with the ad- ventures of an Englishwoman. Lady Helen Haden, who is married to man elevated to knighthood Gas reward for some commercial service he has rendered England)
 Before he was knight he was butcher!
 Lady Helen is a bit reckless in order that life may be more endurabie. Hence the play It has been said, with no dis-
 credit to it's author, Miss Atkins, that "Declasse" is the best ''imittaion or the Pinero drawing room drama that any American playwright mas yet aenie' no eu l This remark from Burns Mantle, Who also declares by way of taking away any sting to that remark that "an lmi- tation which so closely approaches the
 work of a master honors the imltator as greatly as it flatters the model
 At any rate Miss Ethel Barrymore has used ''Declassee'' as vehicle TOT het talents and very successfully for m IL
 she has scored one of the greatest or her recent triumphs It is quoted that Ill the recent Chicago run, during the whoie lengagement of three months, there was mot at any performance an unpurcnaseu seat. "Declassee' was just as popular in New York. where it ran the whoie season through
 Bu, how New Workers love to tell o1 Chicago's failure to appreciate Beyonu the Horizon of Eugene ONeil. Ihls play only remained fortnight Tn the Windy City and it's reception Was Ve'' diSheartenng.
 In New York it played the season through. and to rapt and enthuslasIc audiences. where it was hailed as line and austere a tragedy as has ever peeh written by an American piaywrlsnt, They claim, as was demonstrated III this instance, New York prefers soou ,tlJr most discrimina ting and sophisticated oi audiences. o. | This play received the Pulitzer prize oi | sl GOO as the best play Of the year, l which is proof that the people generahy
 do want good literature in thelr piass- i George M. Conan declares: Ihe scene 1between the two brothers in Beyond the 1 Horizon is one of the finest bits or
 writing in the American theatre The n,ay reads as well as it acts, which IS l always a fair test of dramatic itera- II ture The Drama League of Birmingham in october gave the public the oppor-
 tunity of hearing his play read.
 Dr I.ouis K. Anspacher, who was pre- scented here in lecture recently by the above mentioned organization, ana "ho made such a splendid impression upon his large audience, is announced 10 oe, liver a course of six lectures on lpseh before the New orK flhe Ares 6uiiu,
 
 There is a delisn,rul comedy now piay ing in New York called Mixed Mar riage," by no less noted author thai st John Ervine, author of John Fer suson" and Jane Clegg
 There is in New York an organization known as the Professional Children league It is not to train children fo the stage, as one might think from lt name but is an organization which un dertakes the education of children al ready on the stage. It was starteo .ilre { l vaars ago at the suggestion of Franl Racon. who said he could neither reat nor write at the age of 20. Bacon began stage worK at very early age. The organization mentioned will give during Christmas week, series or chll dren's one-act plays, also a series Ben Ali Haggin tahleaux-these as tn