New-York tribune., 1920-06-22
'O'Flaherty, V. Co.,
By Bernard Shaw.
Satire ON Britain
One.Act Irish Play, Present.
ed by Deborah Bierne's
Players, Offers Material
for De Nalera's Campaign

England is not glorlhed in George
Bernard Shaw's one-act Irish plav
"O'Flaherty, V. c." presented for the
hrst time in America by Deborah
bierne's Irish Players, at the Thirty
ninth Street Theater last night. The
wonder is that Eamon De Valera and
MS followers have not long ago
found" this forty-hve minutes of
singing satire and arraignment of
king and country" and made 1t a part
Of their own campaign for Irish free
dom.
While P. J. Kelly, as oFlaheety,
the Irish private in the British army
nome on leave with his Victory Cross
ridlcullng the English cause by quot
ing his England-hating mother to his
commanding officer, was given an op-
portunity by Mr.. Shaw to bring down
volleys of scorn upon the King and
Queen and all royalty, he was not con-
vincing. An apparent lack of time in
rehearsing the playlet, resulting in
faltering of speech and uncertainty Of
polse, all but made comedy of num-
ber of what might have been tense
moments in Mr.. Kelly's character. 1t
is we'll for the peace of mind of Mr..
Shaw himself that he did not see it.
The acting of Emmet O'Reilly. as
Major Pierce, a staunch follower of
the British and a loyal soldier of the
crown, called forth uproars of laughter
in several situations, and Marie Roden-
Quinn, as Mrs. O'Flaherty, the pri-
Yates mother, but for her incorporate
use of the rouge stick and eyebrow
pencil, played the part of the indignant
Irish parent we'll. Mollie Carroll. as
Teresa, OFlaherty's sweetheart and
maid in the home of Major Pierce, was
pretty.
The playlet apparently was written
or the lack of benefits, of being an
Irish soldier fighting for an English
cause. Throughout there is the intima-
ton that England thanks her Irish SOL
diers while the war is raging, and
forgets them when it is past. 1t would
show that the Victoria Cross means
nothing to the Irish soldier, excepting
the benefit of the pension it automa-
tically involves. And even this pit
tance, according to OF1aherty's mother
was reduced by the English for trivial
cause.
"Me mother" says OFlaherty 20 his
major. thinks I've been away all this
time nghting against the English in
stead Of for them. She was that much
against thtm that she was happy when
| went away"
81 should think" replies the major. in
substance, that she would rem ember
Gladstone and be proud to be fighting
on his side
"Ah," says OFlaherty, "but she
says Gladstone was born in Ireland.
And Shakespeare in Cork. And all
the great men of England, she says,
were born in Ireland"
Two other short plays, "a Minutes
Watt by Martin McHugh, and "The
Rising of the Moon" by Lady Gregory
were presented. The latter also was
tinged with arti-English lines, and was
done by Mr.. Kelly. Mr. O'Reilly, Edward
O'Connor and r. Henry Handon.
"a Minutes Wait" depicted humor.
Gus situations arising in the getting
under way of passenger train at
Dunfaill Light railroad station, Ire
land. John Burke, Helen Evily, Vir-
ginia Madigan, a very sweet little girl,
j. ohm Kanaley, Howard Clancy and
those taking part in other sketche:
made the most of fairly we'll written
piece