The New York herald., 1921-02-13
Pantomime Ahead
of Drinkwater Play
Amateur Comedy Club's'A Man
About Town Precedes Mary
Queen Of Scots

The announcement that Drinkwater's
MARY Queen Of Scots" win be preceded
in ine prograsisslfs ~ pantomime cur
tain raiser" called "A Man A.,ort Town."
originally devised and acteo BY the
Amateur Comedy Club OF New York, is
interesting from many angles. 1t As in
teresting because It has been long
time since this kind of a double bill was
seen IN a New York theatre. though
once. OF course. theatregoers absolutely
demanded q second short piece of
some sort, generally farce, as an after
piece before they would go home. Even
Hamlet" or Lear" was followed by n
farce or other short entertainment. Some
years ago, when Miss Ethel Barrymore
hrst produced ]. NJ Barrie's "Alice Sit
by-the-Fire." her brother Lionel acted
the same authors "Pantaloon" as FORE
play about pantomimists. In a way
not only is Mary Queen of Scots"
historical drama but the whole scheme
Of the programme is historic.
The pantomime itself was devised by
Austin Strong. Henry C. Smith and The
Comedy Club, who have acted It forty
seven times-something of record for
an amateur production. It differs
greatly from the pantomlme OF tradition,
and perhaps the most interesting thing
about 1t Is the way It grew. Mr.. Strong.
who iS, by the way, step-grandson or
Robert Louis Stevenson, first became in
terested in pantomlme art by watching
David Warfeld pretend to thread
needle. Mr.. War1eld. he says, told him
that In acting pantomime you must at
every moment be vividy realizing, in
imagination. the exact scene and action.
Once you do that pantomime can be
made clear and understandable without
the conventionalized gestures and SYM
nols which Italy and France long ago
so elaborately developed as to freeze
them into a kind of creed.
At first, however. "A Man About
Town" was acted by Mr.. Strong, Mr..
Smith and Mr.. Steinway In the conven-
tional trappings, with white hands and
face ana black costumes. Then Jules
Guerin. the artist, came along with a
suggestion. Why not abandon the con-
ventlonal trappings as well as the con-
ventional gestures and symbols? Why
not put in color. dazzle. the play of light
and composition? Mr.. Guerin worked
out accordingly set Of costumes the
three necessary sets. and the scheme OF
color and line compositions. The result.
which so far only those fortunate
enough to be friends of the Comedy Club
members have seen. will now be publicly
disclosed. Not only will Guerin's deco
rations and sets be used. but Mr.. Strong
and HIS fellow amateurs will still con-
tinue to play their original parts OF
Poto, Dodo and Toto, with Harry Ben
nett at the piano.
The pantomiIne is in three parts. The
first part shows the life of man about
town for one day, beginning quite dis
creetly of cohrse-with his awakening
and morning bath. The dramatic real
ism Of Siam, in which land the actors
so ignore the audience that II bath is
called for they proceed unblushingly to
take 1t. rather transcends Mr. Warfield's
conception OF pantomime. Part IL has
as characters Wdhtodh, the horse thief.
and Lo. the poor Indian. and makes
merry with the wild West Part III. Is
full of color and animation, burlesque
and acrobatic "acts."
The Comedy Club Is far from making
its first contribution to the professional
stage with this production II does not
conduct an experimental theatre" but
merely acts plays. new or old, TO amuse
its members and their friends. It has
always been more than half a social
organization. The women roles have al
ways been taken In the past by friends
OF the members, and early In the history
of the club Miss Elita Proctor Otis
graduated" from its stage into the pro-
fessional theatre. Later Miss Elsie de
Wolfe took the same course. and a little
later still Miss Suzanne Sheldon. For
many. many years the two most active
members were Evert Jansen Wendell
and his brother Jacob. Evert Wendell
(whose great collection Of naybills and
theatrical memorabilia went. at his
death. to the Howard College Library
never yielded to the lure OF the profess
sional stage. but Jacob, or Jack" as
he was always called, who was an anna
teur OF unusual ability. did finally yield.
Joining the company at the New Thea
tre. He then became a star In a play
by A. r. Thomas, called What the Doc
tor Ordered" and was playing that In
Trenton. New Jersey. when stricken with
a fatal illness. Other members who be-