New-York tribune., 1920-01-20
Harvard Prize
Play Scores at
Little Theater
Rachel Barton Buffers New
and Brilliant Comedy Has
All the Earmarks of the
Work of q Professional
Ida St. Leon Acclaimed
Amelia Bingham, as Usual.
Contributes Largely to
a Most Excellent Cast

The Lille Theater, remodeled, en-
,srred and delivered over to the use
a; Oliver Morosco. opened for the sea-
son last night with what is probably
,be mos, brilliant comedy for the year,
Mammals Affair" AT the end of the
second act there was an ovation await
inc tine author, Rachel Barton Butler
whose frs, play this is, but she pre-
fsrred to remain unknown to her pub
lie save as = name.
suecial interest attaches to this
nlay because il is the outcome of that
I'D device ior iusing new blood into
the .heater, the prize competition.
Th;s nlav adds very bright luster to
the shield Of Professor George Bierce
Baker. OF Harvard. Last year Oliver
Morosco offered q prize and a produc-
ton to the best play issuing from
George Bierce Bakers class during the
last term
Deft and Fine
It is difficu', to believe that play
50 deft and fine. so certainly proper
toned ana timed. could be the work of
novice in the theater. On the other
hand, only one fresh to the theater
could bring 20 il the freedom from
hack attitudes and phrases. the think
ing in terms Of life, the alertness to
what is abroad in the world of ideas
that this play possesses. Added whereto
is an exceedingly fine wit and amazing
charm.
The course in the training of one
who desires to be a reviewer Of plays
should place the Freudan philosophy
among the required subjects. For the
intelligent understanding of modern
plays it seems absolutely imperative
that one should have thoroughgoing
acquaintance with ali the various COM
pleXes Il is difficult for one who has
only the slightest read-as-you-run
Freudian knowledge TO put his finger
on the scientific name for the complex
that is the basis of this comedy. At
any rate, here is a middleaged woman
who satisfied very considerable emo
tional energy in one long protracted
orgy of mother love that began when
until the opening Of the play, when
the daughter is grown. She has so
great a hold on the girl by her hypo-
chrondriac invalidism, by the sanity
fortitude with which she bears her
vague ills, that she had entirely alb
sorbed and jealously holds every
thought and emotion of the girls.
There is a high h-fown, extravagant
friendship between the mother and
S4- -tiOVO 44clAN WuO Is Tue IUOJHeI Oh
IN anemic young man by the name OF
Henry Marchmont, and the result of
the wallowing in sentimentality of the
TWO mothers is the engagement Of their
children.
Pointed Satire
On pilgrimage to the scene of their
childhood in the company Of the young
pair the mother, who never travels
without a list of physicians in every
city, has occasion to call in the local
doctor. He finds the young girl on the
verge OF an actual nervous break down
and, sensing that the young girl has
been entirely absorbed by the two mid
oie-aeed sentimentalists, he instinc-
lively seeks TO liberate her. He begins
BY taxing a purely professional inter
est in her, and ends in month by fall
ing in love with her. In that time she
becomes not only aware Of herself, but
purposeIul enough to manage her own
destiny, and adroit enough TO outwit
him and marry him against his will.
II IS difficult in so bare a synopsis
to give some idea of the pointed satire,
the subtle suggestions of tragedy and
comedy, the psychological agility Of
this comedy. To say that it is brill
liant md charming is not enough 1t
drives perilously close to tragedy at
A-iLSS, anu IL - Cl!y Jile immense as
surance OF Miss Buffers command
which. satisfied with the suggestions
OF it, brings it back unfailingly to the
pa-h of comedy.
Out of the fine acting of an excep-
tional cast, that includes Effie Shannon,
Katherine kaelred. Robert Edeson and
Amelia Bingham, there rise the accom-
pllshment Of one who was to most of
the playgOers last night stranger on
Broadway. One somewhat ungratefully
took for granted the fine acting these
famous artists. but the superb perform
ance OF Ida st. Leon, playing the young
s!rl, was ike q starrocket that Olsen
gagged itself from the surrounding illu-
ninations.
In a special sense the evening was
Miss s.. Icons. She is fair-haired,
roseleaf ngenue-with an ingenuous-
ness that is not stckry compounded
o. kohl and lpstick who has besides
the gift Of youth and charm and amaz-
ing power for tragic suggestions. She
meets The varied demands Of her par,
wltn fexibility and power and a price
les Intelligence.
f.''.e Shannon gives a delicious per-
torrance az the sentimental hypo-
cnondf.ac rother-a rare and balanced
Performance Of d role that might
c. be overstrcssed. Katherine
NJ red WAS impressive as the tragical-
- n inced emotional mother o. the
:oenY man Robert Edeson was
5ate.yjng figure as the doctor Little
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