New-York tribune., 1921-03-01
Iheater Guild
Successful With
New Milne Play
''Mr. Pim Passes BY" Gives
Laura Hope Crewes a
Chance to Shine; Four
Plays From, Miss Hummer
THE CAST
By Haywood Broun

comedy from A. A. Milne. which was
produced at the Garrick Theater last
night, deserves to be ranked among
the conspicuous successes Of the
Theater Guild. When a comedienne of
the first rank meets deft light
comedy sparks are bound to fly, even
as they flew last night while Laura
Hope Crewes revelled in the role of
Olivia Marden. This is surely one of
the most delightful performances of
the season.
AS far as stamina goes Miss Crewcs
outdistances her playwright before the
evening is over. In her art there is no
slackening. while Milne does begin to
waver just q little before he has fin
ished his stint. Of course. there is no
obligation which man can assume or
have thrust upon him half so difficult
as the duty of wit. Emperors, tight
rope walkers, tragedians can go on
hour after hour, day after day, but
humorists need vacations. Milne takes
one in the third act
AS matter Of fact, his fine acts,
the first two, are by no means mere
brilliant frivol His theme is, to all
intents and purposes, the theme of
"A DOLLS House." even though the sur
face is high with polish. Under the
wax is emotion and heartachc. Prob
ably the author knew that Certainly
Mi.s Crewes does, as she slashes
through the foolery into her big scene
at the end of the second act. Milne
has undertaken to discuss just what
is the fundamental basis of marriage.
Under a somewhat ludicrous threat of
l. l. \.
acters to test which is just little
too searching to be set in farce
comedy.
With his third act ahead Of him he
has the choice of continuing this theme
as a serious discussion or Of letting it
slip away in a series of scenes designed
for amusement only. He chooses the
low road. That is a pity. The play is
not so funny when it is just fun There
was more root TO the laughter when a
vital issue stared through the mask.
Seemingly, when the choice came at the
crossroads Milne said to himself,
After all, I'm funny man, eh, what 2"
and proceeded to be one. A great
chance went by the boards with that
decision, for the funny man turned
serious carries all the weight Of re-
formed drunkard at temperance meet
ing. To be sure, there are difficulties.
When Bernard Shaw gets down on his
knees and begs the world to have q
attic more sense for its souls sake all
his hearers rock with laughter and
agree that he has never done anything
more side-splitting. Milne would be
under the same handicap. There was
every indication last night that the
audience regarded the question of
whether marriages were made in
heaven or registry office as a gorge
GUS Joke.
We don't mean to suggest that Milne
has written nothing which is not
proper meat for laughter. After all,
thing does not immediately cease to be
true and searching and serious because
it is amusing. We quarrel with his
Wit and the turn OF his plot only when
he makes it untrue for the sake of
making 1T funny. After Olivia hus-
band has failed abjectly to meet
great test OF his love she takes him
to US quite incomprehensible. The
falsity of her decision is heightened
not little by the fact that one excel
lent actor is employed in a role to which
he is quite unsuited. Dudley Dlgges
ought to be a persons whose wrong
headedness arises from a genial and
disarming stupidity. Lawrence Gros-
Smlth could SWING It, but DlggeS can't
when he continues to play an English
country gentleman with much the same
mean-spirited whine and buster which
made him such a marvellous person for
Jane Clegg.
The rest of the cast is very good.
Laura Hope Crewes is incompatible.
She knows what to do and why every
second she is on the stage. With her
in the cast is a young actress who
hasn't one-tenth of this knowledge,
but plays mighty we'll by ear. If there
we're such things in the theatrical bust
ness as scouts they would certainly
watch Miss Phyllis Povah with high
interest. She does too much, but she
handles herself like an actress She
brings q wealth of spirit and fun to
difficult role. lndulging q whim for
the dangerous luxury of prophecy, we
are willing to hazard that Miss Povah
is a young actress who ought, with
reasonable luck, to accomplish some
thing very fine in the theater before
she is done. Excellent, too is Ersk ne
Sanford. and Leonard Nude is pleas
ing in an easy role. Mr.. Mines play
is great fun. We wish it weren't half
so funny.
Clare Hummer must have enjoyed