The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-28
The Development
OF a Dramatist

THE FAMOUS MRS. FAIR AND
OTHER PLAYS. BY James Forbes
George H. Doran Company.
That was a searching question put
10y the Evening Post the other day:
Why don't our novelists who are
earning more than living do without
superfiuoqs things and take time to
write the best they can? OF course
time is not the only ingredient. but it
involves or suggests the others. How
ever the case may be with the novel
lists. the playwrights furnish a saving
example in Mr. Forbes.
In three plays bound together-he
shows a steady progress, a deepening
and enrichment. AS Mr. Eaton points
out in the introduction. in thirteen
years he has risen from the rough
land-ready effectiveness OF 1.-The Chorus
Lady" to the true observation and
good comedy of THE Show Shop"
and the serious presentation of a
social theme in Mrs. Fair" But. hap
PLY, he is always the dramatist His
meditating upon the issues of life do
not distract him from the issues of
stagecraft. All three plays were sue
cessful. But notice the difference in
quality Here is a characteristic bit
from the first:
MnLY: Has he money?
Lou: He's from Pittsburg
GEoRGIE: No use cryin' over split
milk but I wish we'd a played
Pittsburg when was with Evan
T
boy.
EVELYN: You'd make about
dozen now. 1.-THE girls Taught
GEORGE: Serves me right for
wastin' breath on a lot a chorus
girls
EVELYN Looka here, don't go
calm me chorus girl
GEORGE: What are you?
EVELYN: I'm a specially lady.
I've been in the front row fer five
years.
GEORGE: An you'll stay there
another ten.
+ EVELYN: You animated balloon
GEoRGIE: You red-headed spear
carrier!
Observe that THE Show Shop" deals
with the same material-the drama
behind the scenes in the theatre. But
although the structure of the first
piece was theatrically effective, 1t was
built from the outside, so to speak.
Much Of the talk is tackled on to the
characters, instead of being drawn
out OF them by the situation and their
own natural impulses. In 1.-THE Show
Shop" there is just as much real fun,
but IL does not depend on comic paper
jokes and slang.
The hero is In love with an actress.
He wants her to leave the stage and
plots with a manager to bring about
the failure of her play. She has in
sisted on his taking the part of lead
ing man, which he does very badly in
rehearsal. The contrast between his
cold repetition of the love-speeches' in
the play and his bits of real counting
in between is irresistible.
JERRY: [IndiGerentlyl love
you. tPdssfondtelD1 Oh Lord How
much ! love you,
SMITH 1.-THE authorl: That last
line isn't in the part
JERRY: 1t just slipped out nat
urally.
sounds awfully sweet.
SMITH: Oh. are you going to re-
write my piece, too. Miss Dean?
Mrs DEAN: Everybody else has.
why discriminate against my
daughter?
The comedy of living and the COM
edy of the stage are interviewer. with
their parallels and sharp divergence
clearly shown. And these are revealed
in action. not explained in the fashion
of the novelist. The third play is the
hardest to quote so as to show its
true character. For the knowledge
audience or reader has OF each per-
sonage Is the result of accumulated
Impressions. as in the world outside
the theatre. Mrs. Fair shows herself
In the various aspects of war worker
pleased with her popularity on the
return from Europe, of a Jealous wife
and Of a mother. These revelations
come in touches like the exclamation
made after her daughters elopement:
II hope Sylvia hadn't on thin shoes
She takes cold SO easily. At least she
used to-"
In the after thought of that last
sentence is revealed her own CON
seriousness that she has been neglect
ing her family.