New-York tribune., 1922-11-15
The Theaters--By Percy Hammond
"lhe Romantic Age IL
Very Sweet and Whole
some, Though Humorous

0WSSS dsRAN w uOkE~
some, Though Humorous
| The Romantic Age,S' comedy av a
Milne, presented By the Measrs. Hurh
Ford and Frederick Stanhepe al the Gem
sdy Theater. with the following cast
Mrs; ~. hnowie. e.s..- .5..a..,.. Daisy Beimore
Meiisande. .,....,......., Margaio Giiimore
Ssne tssn 5asot. t.-......'.>s.,,...: Jean Ford
niioe - 4. ...''.t.t,ss..s......I Ida Molthen
~; haowie .ss..-.. ...... Marsh Allen
Bobby ..,............,.N Neil Martia
GerVase Mallory y-s........,. Leslie Howard
n, N..ts, -. Paul Jaccta
Young Melisande, being of the fanci-
full type, was fond OF. regarding the
| moonlight from her lattice window, and
of imagining that she was the Lady of
the Mere. sole-satting by the shores of
old romance. She aspired to ride with
hawk on wrist and TO mingie with the
hauberk, helm and moat set. 1t would
be nice, she thought, to toss gage
from her easement to a knight in gilt
tering mail as he proceeded son horse
back through the purple mists, on err
rands of derring-do. Therefore, when
i one evening she met by accident a
handsome youth, accoatred in the
hossy blue and gold livery of medimval
times, she was both gratifed and agi-
tated. The result was one of those
perfectly darling dramas, all dewy, and
trembling with fragrance like pretty
harebell.
| Melisande, however, did not know
that her ornamental champion was but
dealer in securities upon the London
Stock Exchange, and that his auspi-
| cious clothing was the spurious regala
of fancy-dress ball. Though sane
English girl of twenty or thereabouts,
and though acted (exquisitely) by Miss
Margaio Gilmore, she was a little
supplied in the matter. So when her
hero came to call the next day and to
ask her to be his wife, she was shocked
and disappointed to find him incased,
not in armor, but in the tweed suitings
customary to the golf courses. AS she
brewed his tea for him she was most
sneering and disdainful, indicating her
bitter establishment by derisive re-
marks about his unromentic vocation.
|
But the unfroeked cavalier, since he
was composed by Mr.. A. A, Milne, and
| acted by the humorous Mr.. Leslie
Howard, had way with him. In the
course Of his conversation with her.
he uttered heated arguments on behalf
of the life quotidian, as Mr. Huneker
used to say. He grew as eloquent is
Is Mr., Alfred Cam on the topic of food
products and he convinced her that
q weil-made bread sauce is a necessity
If the full favor of the bird is to he
obtained. He asked her if she thought
Cinderella and the Fairy Prince found
the world romantic after they were
married. The hen, he proved to her.
is the fowl of to-day's romance. not
the falcon. 1t is easy to be Lovers,
he said, but the great achieve
rnent is to be friends. Lest YOU fear
that Mr., HeWard's remarks were dis
tingulshed by no poetic fire, l must
repeat one of them. AS he knelt at
the feet Of Melisande he said: "How
long to say Come away with nae
now, now, now,' you wonderful, beauti-
fui, maddening woman, you adorable
chlId, you funny, foolish little grill"
get the speech from the play as
printed by Mr.. Alfred A. Knopf, in a.
| volume with other dramas by Mr..
Milne. The curtain falls en- Melisande,
deep in the study of cookbook which
informs her that bread-sauce is at
It's best when made with an onion.
peeled and quartered and simmered in
milk.
THE Romantic Agen has many of
ME- Milnes's fine qualities of grace
fui, observant humor, and if you like
your dramas sweet, though with a
plquant dash of whimsicality, here is
a place to go. One of the most pleas
ant incidents of the evening was the
delightful performance of Miss Jean
Ford as Melisandes, practical, but not
too practical, young cousin, a role
needing good looks and wholesome.
modest charm, all of which, and much
more, it got in Miss Ford's impersona-
ton. 1t was bruited about between the
acts that Miss Ford is the daughter of
Hugh Ford, one of the producers of
the play, and that this was her lrst
appearance in the drama, outside of
Vassar. Among other happy ingredi-
ents OF the play was the brief pres
ence as kindly phiiosophic peddler
of Mr.. ]. NJ. Kerrigan ON xyhnsa I,.;sL