Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-29
Lefty Pepper
Is Debutdnte
on broadway
Trial Producers VIII Try Out
NelU Plays Which ShOW
Promise.
OTHER STAGE GOSSIP
BY DIXIE HINES.

NEW YORK, April 29-Summer
has sent its advance agent to Broad
way. This event is usually an
nounced by the arrival of the 80
called summer shows" as the mu-
steal revues are designated. One
regular musical comedy-'Letty
Pepper" with the elongated and fun
ny limbed Charlotte Greenwood
and two new revues, one headed by
black-face Eddie Cantor and the
other by the perennial funmaker, De
Wolf Hopper, arrived in advance of
the main guard, which will follow
shortly.
Charlotte Greenwood, possessing two Of
the funniest legs on the stage. and
abundance OF good nature, needs little
more for her plays. and in Lefty Pep
per" she hasn't much more. Rose Stahl
once made a success OF Maggie Pep
per" IS a comedy. and this is the same
vehicle with some music added to ii.
Charles Klein wrote 1t originally. but
not even Mt Klein would recognize 1t
hobart had Il share in the revision for
the new star, and young Werner Jansen
has written some pasSable music. But
10 is Charlotte Greenwood. who is any
thing but the right type for Lefty. who
makes the play bearable She works so
hard. and seems to enjoy It so thoroughly
that one cannot chide her for the incon-
grous things she does not her artistic
inelegance in other things.
Jane King. Psil Burns Mary King
Jessie Intropidi. Thomas Walsh, Hallam
( BOsworth Ray Raymond, Master Ga
briel Frances Victory, Stewart Wilson
and william Balfour acts acceptably the
assigned roles.
Miss Greenwood has several emotional
T scenes in this play which were quite as
amusing as her most amusing moments
with her peculiar pedal extyemeties and
the longest legs that have been exhibited
on 4 woman In years
NEW SOCIETIES ORGA NIZED
TO PRODUCE NEW PLAYS
a number Of ambitious-and at times
meritori0us-"tr producers" have been
| organized in New York, the latest OF
which Is the Play Producing Society,
with Ruth Helen Davis as director. Miss
/ Davis is a commanding figure in the
world of letters and music, and her
organization. beginning with private
performance Of The White Mask" a
mystery play, and following it last week
by the first presentation in the English
language of Dostievsky's The Idiot"
( has shown a remarkable grasp of the
needs Of the stage, and in this latter
/ performance, with Estelle Wnwood,
Reginald Pole, Thurston Hall, Margaret
Mower and others, they have contributed
one of the most vital plays of the sea-
son. There is still some doubt whether
this play viii prove a commercial sue
cess or not, but it has proven highly
artistic.
The Players Assembly is another
notable addition to the ambitious and
intelligent movements OF the season.
Commencing several weeks ago with a
founders association Of ten players and
one director, they brought to New York
Galna KOpernak, the vital Russian
actress in "Montmartre." which is a pro-
nounced success. and this week they
open their second play, retaining their
first uninterrupted. The Night Call"
described q puzzle in four acts, viii
have a cast including Helen Lowell,
Brandon Hurst, Elsie Rizer, Nellie Burt.
/ Charles Trowbridge, Dodson Mitchell.
( Earl Mitchell and others. This is
record of which they may well be proud.
and the success of this organization viii
do much to stimulate like organizations
/ in other producing centers.
! There is still another organization
prepared to enter the field 1t will be
permanently located at the coy little
Belmont Theater. and Richard 6. Hern-
don, the manager Of that playhouse Will
be its director. 1t viii perhaps be the
most interesting of them all, as 1t will
combine the talents Of at least four OF
the leading stage directors Of the country
witt like group Of native playwrights,
and1pther groups represent ting the play
inG& profession and the drama lovers
, who are un2filiated with any of its