The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-12
Village Has Mem
'EicaSsee' That's
Somewhat Exotic
Fair Game for Those Who
Like Their Entertain
ment Bizarre.

Greenwich Village has gone and done
II. Last night. in "A Fantastic Fric-
assoc" offered by Marguerite Abbott
Barker, II finally offered at the Green
witch Village Theater production
actually typical OF itself. and as true to
form as its bobbed hair. There have
been some weird offerings at this house
in the past. but u at last night, while
not the weirdest of them all, was more
characteristic than even the Green
wich Village Folies' of Manhattan's
hotbed of art. 1t was art hitting on
all six cylinders.
This theatrical fare in seventeen
courses" as the program had 1t, was
something of a Broadway revue, some
thing of course in the expression of
the soul through classical dancing, and
something OF a chaste parlor entertain
ment. II seemed TO contain many Of
the unfulflied longings of the village
denizens. much OF Its haphazard methods
of creation. and an occasional fash of
beauty. II was difficult TO determine
whether the latter was accidental or
premeditated, but tolerance inclines to
giving them the benefit of the doubt.
And around II was that fringe of anna
teurishness which seems as clearly
stamped on the neighborhood products
as Batik designs.
To begin with. the puppst show by
Reno Bufano, assisted by Miss Florence
Koehler, was much the best part Of the
entertainment This "Orlando Furioso"
was quite the most amusing mannikin
exhibition seen here in years, possess
ing little figures with gay sense OF
humor. who could fence much more
provocatively than in any real stage
duel
The rest OF the performers did not en-
tirely measure up 10 the level of the
wooden headed actors This was espe-
cially true In the two dramatic sketches,
when the Dead Get Gay" by Arthur
Ceaser, and THE Master Prisoner" by
Maxwell Bodenheim and Ben Hecht,
concerning a poisoner who made such
an art of his business that he devised
drug by which he hoped to make a
woman so beautiful she would be i'm
mune from death and who died even as
he declared his triumph. 1t was a
pleasant conceit, sent brightly on its
way by an expressionistic setting by
Andre Chotin.
Then came a few minutes with Jimmy
Kemper, cutup from Missouri, just TO
show how much Greenwich Village really
cared about death. Jimmy sang, first
regretting that he had been unable to
entertain the audience with his shooting
and roping instead. He had a fairly
agreeable voice when he cared to use
1t, but when he began to gesticulate one
regretted likewise that he had left his
ropes behind. Naturally songs were
likewise rendered with hand embroid-
cred ukuleie by Bobby Edwards. whose
presence at such gatherings, one might
say. gives them license TO exist
Came the piece de resistance. "yir-
gins OF the Sum-" a dance Interpretation
OF an Inca legend. with jumpy young
women In very scanty garb doing terpsi-
chorean numbers In which Il seemed a
case OF every girl for herself. John
Decker, who seemed an animating spirit
OF the enterprise, designed some daring,
striking scenery, but when the dance
was meant TO be most daring II led
principally 20 filters.
Miss Dorothy Smoller did an effective
torch dance. there was an elaborate
"Montmartre Fair" that was fair. Kcm-
per sang Japanese death song but did
not carry II out entirely and Edwards
and several others engaged In a TIA
hiti" act which shows even the village
bows 70 the influence OF the "ziegfeld
Follies."