New-York tribune., 1920-12-24

and manner of the dramatist. and still
more by the verse medium Of the
adapter, Lionel Anvil without ques-
tion gives a great performance, a
performance, it seems to us, which is
second to nothing seen in New York in
recent years except the Richard ILL
OF John Barrymore. Atwill is always
graceful, eloquent when opportunity
is offered, and in the final scene, above
all others, profoundly and deeply NOV
ing. We did not think Of him very
often as q man. because even though
he spoke the verse Of Granville Barker,
some of which is decidedly awkward,
with great skill and case and a per-
sussive air of not icing conscious Of
verse, we are always a little doubtful
Of the authenticity OF all men whose
feeling can be encompassed in rhyme.
Naturally, we have not the courage to
say that verse has no right in the
theater. But we do believe than any,
thing less than great verse is handi-
cap. Some Of Barkor's verso is ex-
cel'ent, but too much is just pretty
coed. Here certainly the poet in tho
theater starts from scratch or behind
it, in competition with his more literal
competitors. Pretty good prose may
even serve the purposes of great
drama. Pretty good verse cannot.
Yes, without doubt we regret the
verse Of "Deburau." 1t has at stretches s
an exciting quality, but as the evening
goes on it beats against the ears like
imprisoned sea water. 1t hurts. Every
now and then rhyme fairly leaps out
at the listener and hits him. We wish
they didn't do it,
The greatest glory Of the evening
belongs to Mr.. Atwill. When we say
that he gives great performance wa
have no intent Of granting a grudgne
achievement. We mean that it is ac-
tually one Of those stirring and ex.
traordinary things which happen in
the theater now and again And OF
the play We hope to convey the I'M
preston that. although it Is not with
out very evident traces Of artifce, it
rises now and again, indeed often. to
situations and expression which are
glorious in thrilling beauty.
Dav d Belasco is the producer and
"Deburau" is the finest of his achieve.
ments within our experience. He Is
always shrewd in the production, and
in the last scene he Is Inspired. On
the strength Of this evening he belongs
at the top or thereabouts. We mean
for the moment After all, before the
mOntn IS out there may be little more
fire from heaven, though it has never
actually rained down W thin our time
and it may light upon the head of some
one else. The cast is not remarkabl bic
throughout, but it is enough for any
manager to have been wise and farsee-
ing enough to bring Lionel Atwill and
"Deburau" together. More than that
David Belasco would have earned
trumpet calls and drum beats if he had
done no more than to devise the han
ding of the final scene.
Hubert Druce is excellent and so is
Morgan Farley. The rest are good
enough and Elsie Mackay is beautiful tc
look at.
The play concerns the life of Jear
Baptiste Gaspard Deburau, clown and
pantomimist. 1t tells how he loved and
lost and how he left the stage and came
back. 1t shows how he finally came to
he Kissed and how he put his son in
his place and stood in the wings while
the announcement was made to the au-
dience that now they were to see a new
and greater Deburau, and he continues
to stand in the wings, thrilled and