New-York tribune., 1922-02-12
Emphasis Has Been
Shifted in Staging
The Deluge' Anew

Lots Of things happen to a play
manuscript while it is reposing peace
fully in a producers file, and not the
least Of them is mellswlng process
by which the significance of the
dramatist's work falls into clearer per
spectivc. At least, that is what has
happened to lIenning Bergcr's "The
Deluge,' which Arthur Hopkins has
revived at the Plymouth Theater after
four and half years have interviewed
since its first brief engagement on
Broadway in the hottest summer tho
thcatcr has ever had to contend with
With faith in it's public appeal under
favorable circumstances. Mr.. Hopkins
has retained his rights in the piav
from year to year, but, occupied with
other productions. he had not glanced
at the manuscript of The Dcluge" in
Che interval since its first production
until he decided to heed insistent de-
mands and bring it back to the stage
this winter. His first reaction was one
OF satisfaction to see how we'll the
play stood the test OF time, how lil-;ng
and vital and convincing were the story
and the characters, despite the fact
that constitutional action had relegated
the public bar, in which the drama g
unfolded. into the realm of memory
But Frazer, the promoter: Adams,
the stock gambler; O'Neill, the shyster
lawyer, and Sadie, the street walker,
not only emerged from their hiberna-
ton as living and plausible contempo-
rary figures, but in addition, they and
their story seemed to Mr.. Hopkins to
cal! for q different emphasis than be-
fore Originally tho first and third
acts. with their stress on the selfish
"3pccts OF thc group marooned by flood
N Stratton's bar, were played up
against the noblcr and more ideal mo-
tivcs OF the second act in the sup
posed presence of impending death.
That, Of course, gave the whole play
bitterly ironic atmosphere. Unneces-
sarily and unjustihably bitter, Mr.
Hopkins thought, when he rcread the
manuscript prior to starting work on
the present production. The purposes
OF the author and the manifest intcn-
tions of the play could. he decided, be
achieved better in another way.
And so to-day at the Plymouth it is
rc'y "Dcluge" which is on view. In
n vot%< .i-. -
acts against the second and thus in
sense belittling the finer impulses of
these people, Mr.. Hopkins is now in
terpreting Berger's play with the sec
ond act as the pivot. His emphasis
throws into high light the eager almost
child-like efforts Of these seven men
and one woman to call back some rem
nant Of their forgotten better selves
Those aspects Of their nature have
been hidden so long that they are diff
ficult to revive, and the process results
in no end of amusing awkwardness and
Inconsistencies.
No longer are these efforts at refor-
nation held up to- ridicule. Instead
they are taken seriously. And, just as
often happens when men and women
are taken seriously, they are more ap-
pealing and even more amusing. The
new emphasis is not false to Berger's
motives, but rather impresscs them the
more deeply. for. after all, when his
characters slip back into their former
selves on release from danger, they
should be just little bit pathetic.
Without the change of an important
line Mr.. Hopkins has achieved this re-
suit, giving one more proof Of the i'm
| aortance of the director in the theater.