The New York herald., 1921-09-25


lypse."
Mr.. Cushing took the only course
In making a play out Of book. The
one theme In Blood and and" which
might be thought available for the
stage Is the love OF the bull fighter
for the woman who for while falls
a victim to his physical charms and
so upsets his shalzy equilibrium that
he plunges to his ruin. Maybe that
idea does not dominate the novel,
which is a study of the curse of bull
fighting In pain. Obviously there Is
no dramatic stuff there. Mr.. Cush-
ing found his point Of departure in
G0lldrdo's love for Dona Sol. He
posed his hero before his mirror in
the home Of his fine lady, in the
bosom of his quarrelling family ano
then In the ring. So he presented
him with every facet turned to the
light.
Various playwrights tried their more
experienced hands at making play
out of the novel. When 1t was thought
that Lionel Barrymore might incar-
nate the toreador Edward Sheldon
interested himself for a while in the
task. Dorothy Donnelly, who, like
the Duchess de Plaza Toros. Is by nu
means a beginner when II comes to
the art of playwrighting. was another
who pondered over the Ibanez book.
Mr.. Cushing evidently did the best
job, however, as his four acts were
eventually accepted.
He has given Mr.. Skinner an ad-
nirable bit Of dramatic bravura. The
vanity and the swank, the childish
delight In the love OF a woman of
fashion. the natural affection for his
own once he Is left to himself. the
contrasting simplicity and pretence OF
the beggar who has gone SO far on
horseback--these traits are all def
nitely indicated In the portrait that
Mr.. Gushing has traced after Ibanez.
Since they are Just the sort OF char
acteristics that Mr.. Skinner most
skilfully depicts. his acting is admir-
able. His tendency TO a forid manner,
his more or less grandiose fashion OF
doing the most ordinary human act
are well suited TO the Spanish hero of
the arena. So there Is every oppor-
tunity for the display OF his mature
talents.
Irish Players and Their Drama.
Lennox Robinson was In this coun-
try when the Irish Players gave their
first season. He was O rangy youth
with long neck ornamented by an
Adams apple In unusually bold re-
lief. Lady Gregory was then quite
confident OF his ability. His play THE
Patriot" was strong in the humor OF
the Irish character. but its best scenes
did not seem nearly go good In the
playing as they do In retrospect. His
play, which WAS in two acts. told the
story Of a meeting arranged by high
ly patriotic group In order 10 arouse
the interest Of their countrymen. But
moving picture theatre was opened
on the same night. The organizers OF
the political demonstration viewed
their empty hall from an almost de-
serted platform while the patriots who
had been burning with such intense ma
tional feeling went TO see the cinema
In THE Lost Leader It was the
excess OF the supernatural that blurred
the outline of what should have been
Ail lHNtttctiHb pldg. He puSSttoh VI
the identity OF the mysterious Parnell
was in itself vague. Then the intro
duction Of the psychoanalyst added an
element that was not homogeneous.
Whatever the serious thinkers may be-
lieve, the man who arrives here or
there in investigation by means OF
psychoanalysls II n mysterious person.
The most battling murder IN the
world does not take place in the old
belfry at midnight. II happens AZ 4
O'Clock in the afternoon In the two
room and bath apartment next to your
own and exactly like II. II there had
been less incidental mystery surround
Ing the vague old man who might or
rnrvnt not have been Parnell, "The
Lost Leader" would have been more
direct and probably as absorbing as
its author meant II should be. 1t
would then have been more than an
interesting play.
Mr.. Robinson makes no such error
in 1.-THE White Headed Boy" II Is
quite direct. No incidental questions
stand in the way OF It's conclusions.
Tlk ,disaruntled family that has had