The Washington herald., 1920-10-31
LONDON STAGE /
NEAR NORMAL
Managers Cater to Linge.
ing Demand for Some
thing a Little Craggy.
BY HUGH DRYDEN.
(stas Correspondent Cross-AtlIutie 1e~<
paper Service lDC1

now as II was during the war. thit
they are given up 70 froJh, frivoIIsr
and sheer insanity. The return "
near normal conditions NJ.
brought back a more sUbstantif
class Of dramatic fare, and some "
the plays now being shown sctua-
ly make one think That was 3ut
what London didn't want to 10
while Fritz was bombing evo.y
clear night and long. grim CO
ualty lists had a deadly Fascination.
Every Lonooner was then a parsIfi
case with that well-known New
York type. the tired business mar
though from a different cause.
But now. without the haunting
obsession Of war, we want some
thing craggy 10 break our minis
on, and managers arc beginning
TO cater to this demand Witness
The Unknown" which appeals 10
the deep spiritual emotions Bar
rie's Mary Rose" which raises an
eerie wonder and tickIes the imaE-
lnation; The Plue Lagoon" and
The Garden OF Allah" with their
exotic appeal, the hiChbrow PLAYS
at the Everyman Theater. and the
Grand Guignol thriIlers at the It.
tie one.
The Rigkt TO STRIKE
Now we have another tbourbt-'
compelling and Immediately topicsl
play in The Right TO Strike" -
the Garrick Theater. Big labor
leaders like J. Il Thomas and H N.
hynoman were among the FIRST
night audience, and a contingent OF
the rank-and-file in the gallery.
raised protest at what they called
capitalist dope" which was quick
~ drowned in the general approval.
The conflict OF class against cIaS-
Is vividly portrayed in this play. A
neWly-married young doctor TO-
turns from the war TO find the en-
pIoyes Of the local railroad about
to strike, and his hometown isolat-
cd. The big local surgeon meets
the situation by starting a volun-
teer Motor Transport Corps. against
which the strikers take reprissls.
resulting in the death Of the young
husband. Then the surgeon calls
strike Of doctors. ard refuses 10
attend the wife Of a strikebreaker.
A conference 10 settle both strikes
is a tense scene in the play, but the
doctors strike is ended by a hu-
manitarian appeal oC the Young
WIDOW who persuades the surgeon
70 save the wOmsn's life. Charles
Kenyon, Lauderdale Maitland. TSor
VI. Lion. and Marjorie Day are the
principal people.
Interest in The CroSsipr-
Another play that is causing dis
cusslon and much exercise Of gray
matter Is The Crossing" at th-r
Comedy Thcater. This is written
by Algernon Blackwood. author ~
many weird and uncanny tales. ana
Bertram Forsyth, whose name Is
not so familiar
a British commercial man Ia. .
daughter who is both sensitive -
psychic. With her he makes a test-
ing agreement that whicbeyer fets
10 the Crossing first Will come ba~E
on the wind. OF course he is Quick
Iy run over in ih, streot-presUr,-
amy at a CrOssinE-and then l-oeS
INTO business as a ghost Anceljc
Noices arc heard and halmy brcczes
blow while tho daughter alone q
lhe family beholds tho vision Of hor
rather. Nevertheless, the others
arc also made ccstatiCally cheerful
by the certainty that the father :
sun with them, and they help ~
carry on his good work
Tho staEinS is moro effective o.
ten than the too abundant words. n
which the authors happy Thoughts
arc suspended rather than cr,-sts-
LIED. And the acting rs brvoro
praise. Herbert Marshall vas 81
nerbly exalted a. an idcalist. and
as tho sympathetic daughter. Mics
Marjorie Gordon playeH with chill
like charm and grace. while in tie
less grateful part nf Jn, wife Mis-
lrenC Rookie Cl,vcrIy concealed htr
skill.
Every WOman's Privilege
Every Woman's Privilege" is. %
course, the traditional one OF Chanr-
ing her mind Miss Marie Loht,
one or our most charming comedt
Cnnes and actress -mauarers- cxer-
|, cises the feminine rreroCative 81
, the Globe Theater in a new play
! by j Hastings Turner. pahIia La
worry. the daughter Of a Tory bar
onet, holds most Uu-Tory views. ana
: has a contempt for such JriviaIities;
: as love She spUrns the adyancesl
Of Mortimer Jerrold. a wealthy mani
Of her own class, and forces Harold
, Glalve. young Socialist. into Al
9 Camoufage engagement. with which
she expects to ward OF the attepj
. tons OF others. When GIaive reallyj
falls in love with her. II leaves he'd
Z cold. Then Jerro1d makes his grand
: rooms and ardent kisses. and she
, succUmbs. Dahlia releases Harold.
= only too glad TO be free. and be
comes engaged 20 Mortimer. The
play is saved from the common
!, place by some brilliant dialogue
and weIl-contrived incidents. and
the compelling charm Of Miss Lohr
John Mascdeld, perhaps the great
est living English poet. has given
, out some interesting views on the
n present state Of the British drama
9 which is alleged 10 be suffering
= from a paUCijy OF sound play
g wriEhts and new ideas. PerSonallyu
:. never knew time when tho same
D. complaint was not just as rife. u
: is declared that producers cannot
. and that the movies arc mOnopoli1-
a iug all the talent FOR their scena-
: rios.
Book Published On Tree.
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
whose premature death three years
70 ago nearly eCliHsrd the gayety OF
the London Theater, is the subject
Of an entertaining book, compiled
and partly written by his brother
>. that brilliant littcrateUr and CARR.
. caturist, Max Beerbohm. One very
~ characteristic passage rs contrib
uted by George Bernard Shaw. and
, is worth quoting.
Sir Herbert was not exactly .
a modest man, neither Is Mr.. Shaw
d and tho two masters came into vio,