Evening star., 1920-01-13
ADJUSTMENTS
GARRICK-"Mamma's Affairs

At the Shubert- -Garrick Theater last
night 'Mamma's Affairs" to which
particular attention is called as a
Harvard prize play, was given the
opening performance of a weeks en-
gagement. The play comes well re-
hearsed and with cast comparable to
the old stock companies with which
the names of Daily and Frohman are
linked in recollection. The easy, natu-
raj acting, the mutual support and the
touch of human sincerity which saves
a fragile incident from crashing into
pathos were a liberal element of re-
ward for an evenings attention on the
part of large audience. The popular
play has heen notoriously lacking in
encouragement. Whatever may be
the ultimate fate of this particular
prize play, it would be pity to dis
band this company of players, so COM
petent to interpret character and de-
liver human speech intelligently. No
greater fortune could come to the au
-hor. Rachel B. Butler, than to have
the production of her other play Sc
cured by Morosco independently Of
the prize proceedings made by these
or players of equal caliber.
The title hints superhcially at a
French source. AS the play gets on
toward the middle, an impression of
old English comedy arises. There
after the spirit is that of New Eng
land, with a vigorous practical sense
in full harmony with poetical appre-
Citations.
The old American settlers who
founded Harvard College for the in
struction of 'English and Indian
youth in knowledge and godliness'
would be nightly interested in this
modern fruit of their well planted
seed. a strict obedience to parents
was one of the tests of godliness in
the minds of those rugged foretathers.
Mammals Affairs utters warning 10
mothers not to oVerdo their loving
solicitude and points out to any OBJ
serving miss how easily an entire
family, and the neighbcrs as well,
may be managed by few attacks of
hysteria opportunely employed.
The earneStneSS and dramatic pro-
ficiency of Effie Shannon as mother
of the girl and of Katherine Kaelred
as mother of the young man left an
impression that Ophelia and Lady
Macbeth had in their alterations
strayed into the domain of modern
domestic comedy. Amelia Bingham
played the role of a professional
nurse and guardian angel of common
sense with a poiSe and security that
make it most attractive. Henry
Marchant, rs the youngster selected
by the mothers as husband to the
sweet, overobedient young woman.
has a makeup that enables physical
grotesqueness to dispose summarily
of any arguments in behalf of the
character which Il somewhat painful
situation might suggest. AS usual,
Robert EdeSon moved through the
scenes with the confident serenity OF
man who knows, through long eX-
perience as a stage hero, precisely
what to do and what not to do at
critical moment.
The kiss which. on impulse, the ma
ture physician administered allopathi-
cally and without warming to girl
of eighteen provoked one of those lit
tie laughs of nervous surprise in the
audience; but so long as it had to be
done no one could have accomplished
it with more professional grace than
Mr.. EdeSon. Ida st. Leon was the
charming young woman whose health
and happiness are jeopardized by her
illnesses. There is an occasional glow
OF humor in the lines. Much of the
laughter is attained by the crisp vo-
cabulary of cuss words allotted to the
bellhop, a roly-poly kid, programmed
as Little Billy" In this respect the
play yields somewhat to the general
present tendency to limit the dialogue
of comedy to two branches of literary
style, prose and profanity.
Once the story moves on it's own
account after large amount of pre-
liminary conversation, it interests and
amuses. The stage management of
PrieStly Morrison contributes impor-
family to those results, for the per-
formance reveals one gem of acting
after another. each sparkling in man
ner to aid rather than to rival the
luster of the others. J.