Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-05

when God puts wings on you you've
got to fy!" And on this terse but truth
full phrase hinges the plot of Artists
Life" the comedy drama written by
Peggy Wood and Samuel Merwin, hav-
ing its premier performance at the Murat
last evening, Peggy Wood herself play
ing the leading role of Emma Norvan, the
opera singer, and the Stuart Walker
players making up the remainder Of the
cast with one exception, that exception
proving to be a surprise package in the
form Of Samuel MerTin, who, on the
program, was named as NJ. Luigi.
The story portrays a play within a
play. The ambition of the attractive
young American girl to go to Paris to
study for opera, her choice between that
of the love of her young lover who has
ambitions to be an artist, but lacks the
financial wherewithal to realize his am
billions and a career. Her decision to go
brings on the revelation by her aunt-"a
broken down opera singer as her
neighbors are wont to call her, Of her
own experiences when she made the
same choice a the niece is making. Then
the play proper opens with the hashbacK
to the aunts lost youth
The first act opens with her arrival
at her room in Paris where a group or
artists are having a gay party, having
appropriated the room thinking that the
guest would not arrive so early. Her
meeting with these people OF the world
that she is hoping to step into among
them being the brilliant and debonair
Johann Strauss opens to her, In her I'M
agination, the door to success easily.
However she finds that there Is only one
way to fame and that is along the mario"
rough road, the road that must be worried
by the seeker of success. On the night
Of her first public appearance, Johann
Strauss, reckless, mad with the lure OF
her youthful beauty, golden voice ana
innocent pure charm, tells her be loves
her alone and begs her to go with him.
she was carried off her feet by his paS-
sionate wooing, his intensity, contesses
her love for him, goes from him to sing
corgeouslv and returns to disillusion-
ment and heartache, being told that
Strauss has a wife and is the most IA
nous lover OF women in Paris. She finds
that the small success she has made Is
but mere ripple in the surface Of must
cal sea she starts then and there to work.
she has sent away her gtrlhood lover, the
handsome young American who has FOL
lowed her to Paris, choosing her career
with its hardships to life with him in the
village back home.
After five years Of relentless work, the
fighting Of the prejudices against the
young American singer, Emma Norvall
becomes Madame Norvallo, opera singer
becoming the darling of Paris, with the
Mecca of her operate dreams. New York.
in sight. only the contract TO be signed
when she pleases, a future OVERLOOKING
with fresh triumphs faces her. And on
the night of what is to be her biggest
triumph. the house packed 10 the roof
the Prince in the audience, on that night
Of nights she fails, she is deaf, and loses
the pitch. And then does she realize
that she has nothing TO live for, that
fame Is short-lived after one falls th9t
another will step into her place ana
Madame Norvallo viii soon be lost 10
the memory Of the tickle public.
Her American lover Of olden days re
turns to her. but he has married. and
her only way of escape as she sees II Is
10 accent the love Of an obscure must
clan. She marries him, but he lives but
a year or so. and she is left with only
bitter memories
But although the play proper ends
here. the epilogue brings happier at
mosphere. wings must be tried, even II
other wings have ben broken before
but in the niece's case things are made
easy, the path smoothed and no doubt
her future is a happy. successful one.
Peggy Wood, as Nine. Noryallo, Is a
lovable, realistic girl, her winsomeness