The New York herald., 1921-09-13
"True to Form"
Like an Echo
"The Tapern"
Augustin MacHugh's New
Comedy Has Some Inter-
esting Moments.

Augustin MacHugh, after collaDorat-
ing In ..The Meanest Man in the World"
and "Officer &c." let SO OF True 10
Form" a comedy which found It's way
into the Bramhall Playhouse last night
as the first presentation OF the Actors
Repertory Theatre. 1t provided some
interesting moments. largely through the
figure Of a novelist into whom the
author put some Of the Schopenhauerian
notions he had been imbiblng, now that
prohibition made them the strongest
stimulant permissible. According 10 this
personagc, human beings In their
actions and cerebral processes would
run almost as true to their natural
stride as a racehorse.
To test his theory, he spurs youns
portrait painter to tear away MS newly
married wife from the home OF her
fond bu. quietly exacting parents In
Connecticut and take her to his New
York studio, in order that he might
feel he wasn't sharing large per-
centage of her love with her parents.
who were sitting him with their pre-
occupation about catching colds ana
having their morning newspapers
creased properly.
The filial daughter, frightened at THIS
new revelation of her artistic huspano
temperament. insists on taking her giri
cousin to live with him at the studio
and this rather impossible situation Is
promptly clapped by the novelist into
a book In this novel the husband loses
his love for the wife. and turns to her
cousin for solace, the wife awakens
when 1t is too late-and the book be-
come a best seller. which the dramatist
may have intended as a good omen ior
his play.
The quartet were all busily discussing
In heated terms last night just how far
they were going to follow out the book
In their own lives and making rather a
go of 1t despite the lengthy, talky act
when suddenly Miss Verna Wilkens. as
the wife, had Mysteries. The shrieks she
emitted in trying to act UP the outraged
wife tremendously brought the play To
earth with a loud crash. Hitherto the
/ anro. had been pitched in rather init
The '4rnestic key. perhaps because OF
| this tear corner size of the house.
early nex.n ii became more than ever an
which tht'The Tavern" brought up tc
| r class n gas logs and piano. FER
There prking with George M. Cohar
| here. au1ac1uBn uHCOHSCiOusiy " ihiidie
| lected II. this kidding" atmosphere. fol
be buiItrst act he made his novelist al
yachtsntfrock coated, farcical brother OF
The yabond. The mixture Of this self
have Jus commentator. smacking OF the
son ara with a realistic household some
cruise oYuck out at the elbows. And II
we're siY tiresome to be so clever as the
series oand always foresee what viii
;eorua Being clever can sometimes bt
Georgs is bibulous egotist, who seemed
series r, to sincere when he expressed
dore MD the cousin. Edwin Nicander car
that Mr. pole tauntily and on the who'll
practicalIept when he let his voice soa
linn. wIthlis nose. Miss Sue MacManam,
the Astornaps the most likeable, genuine
,ade ,sce. and John Warner. Mis-
mont Wet Blair and George Graham
She also vleir characters capably. givinl
class on Interesting performance to a.
play that would have bee
Two Mone author had forgotten ther
Two ,,orqny words in the dictionary.