New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
Transforming
OF a Villain
In the Theater
Lowell Sherman Welcome.
Change to a Heroic Role
in Eugene Walter pIav

Here's test for you amateur pv.
biologists to try on Mr.. and Nv
Average Playgoer. Draw them int.
conversation over the tea cups. cpsns,,.
mention The name of Lowell Sherman
and then note the reaction. A sm;ls ..
recognition lights up their faces. II.
lean, dark-eycd actor is a familiar 9.
ure to them because OF exposure =,
the screen and behind the footligbts ..
Broadway stages. They turn owe,
thoughts in their minds, they seek >.
reconstruct stage pictures and episode,
concerned with Lowell Sherman.
Lowell Sherman" one can imario.
them finally saying in unison. "i,n.
he the modern stage 2illain? pjsn,.
he play villain in The Sign on n.
Door'm
Because one producer has chosen ~
cast him for the role Of a vills;r :.
several plays, Lowell Sherman has b..
come, for the casual theatergoe,
villain of the stage, just as other actor,
have become closely identified with
things romantic in the theater. Nov
as the three tensely gripping acts of
The Mans Name" unfold at the pe.
public Theater to a dramatic cone,u-
sion, Sherman is revealed in rals
distinctly opposite from those in which
he has been called upon to play man
possessed of no scruplcs or moral.
whatsoever, one who received +hs
misses of the galleries. The same nYo.
ducer, A. H. Woods, who cast him for
villain parts, has given him the on
portunity to do exactly the reverse.
Evidently Sherman welcomes the
change. He gives one of the fns.t
performances of his career in the nsrr
written by Eugene Walter and Mar
Jorie Chase. The skilfully written dia-
logue is uttered now as casual but in
slnuating conversation, now in stac-
cato tones of fury. The tempo through
out the three acts seems perfectly ad-
Justed. His gestures, his changes Of
expression, his expert listening are all
as good as his vocal moments.
In his small offstage dressing room.
few nights ago, Lowell Sherman sat
reminiscing as he removed the grease
colors incident to his portrayal OF
character, Eugene Walter, ensconced On
trunk, with cap pulled down we'll on
his forehead, twitted the actor good
naturedly as he occasionally ventured
opinions.
"You know, Gene can do these
things" said Sherman laughingly in
explanation. This play makes the
third he has written that have ap-
peared in. l sort of know him, you
see"
Mr. Sherman doesn't believe in char
acterizing parts as Villains" heroes"
or with any similar appellations.
"of course, am glad of the oppor-
tunity to represent on the stage one
who is not all that is mean and despic-
able. | should like very much to con-
tlnue in such parts if possible. But
really, part is good or bad, consid-
cred from the standpoint of acting op-
portunities it gives A man may por-
tray villain on the stage and yet
have part wonderful in acting oppor-
tunities, and the role of man who has
finely adjusted sense of justice and
morality may be very poor one. The
way to judge parts is on the chances
they give one to act.'
The authors of "The Mans Name"
which title becomes of deep signii-
canoe at the close of the second act
raise a question in the play which Is
open to much debate. There are only
four characters in the play. One is
young author who, nearly dead from
tuberculosis, has regained his health
in the Rockies with material aid from
his wife. The latter became acquainted
with the man she married when he
came, half alive, to the publishing
house where she was employed as
chief assistant to the head of the or
ganization. She recognizes his genius,
marries him and then arranges to take
him West in an effort to save his life.
For the necessary funds for the jour
ney she deceives her husband. He is
told that the money is borrowed from
an aunt.
After the author has recovered his
health, through series of incidents,
together with his own seemingly inno-
cent but skillful questioning. he learns
of his wfe's ac. of sacrifice and forces
confession from her. She defends
herself by telling him that she had
acted as she had because of her love
for him and because she had desired to
save his life.
'If I'd had a million years to think
it over l would have done the same
thing" she tells him.
Was the wife forgivahIe?
81 think, for the reasons she gives,
that sae was entitled to forgiveness
Lowell Sherman said. "Her husband
was dying, she loved him, she reeog-
nized his genius, she wanted to save
h, f1 L