The New York herald., 1922-08-13
Light Comedy Role
a Pleasant Change
For Frances Starr
Finds Shore Leave Her0ine's
Part Hard Work, but
Lots Of Fun.

Frances Starr admits she Is enjoying
Shore Leave" David Belasco's opening
production OF the season. as much as
the audiences that see the comedy at
the Lyceum Theater even though It Is
harder work than any that the gobs In
Hubert osborne's play might do aboard
ship Comedy is much the hardest kind
Of play to act. she finds-perhaps be-
cause 1t is 30 necessary to make It look
easy. But then the change Is distinctly
stimulating to her after years at por-
traying heroines who couldn't look their
past In the face.
Les see." she remarked In her dress
ing room the other day with twinkle
In her eye. 'in Shore Leave / haven't
any past that any one can hold against
me. There isn't any disease in the fam
ily There's nothing wrong with the
family except that there was circus
In it-with elephants My mothers the
one who was tied up with the circus.
but aside from that she was all right.
And don't have any mental aberra-
tions. SO you see I'm perfectly normal
in this part-which is something"
Here's secret: Miss Starr carried a
handkerchief clenched in her hand all
during the interview even as she did in
The Easiest Way" But perhaps it
was because she is not called upon to
weep continuously in Shore Leave" and
relt the great gap in her life. But she
Is enjoying herself, although tho sobs
are reduced to minimum.
All nt Sea ON Opening Night.
Il like to play all kinds of parts" she
said, "and any change from q settled
theatrical diet Is welcome. Yet hardly
knew where ! was the opening night.
All those sailor boys out there and the
general laughter made the play seem Tor
moment like a musical comedy. with
every one cutting I'D. Like a sailor. I
had to get my bearings.
Its great fun, although I have the
hardest work ever went through in
my life. having good time. You see,
comedy. especially Of the finer sort. is
SO much harder to put over than seri-
GUS drama, because the wrong intona-
ton on just one word may spoil a laugh,
which often hangs by thread. It has
10 be worked over and worked over be-
fore every laugh falls into place
smoothly. We rehearsed and tried out
this piece In all eleven weeks, which
is the longest probationary, period I've
ever undergone with a play. Some
times we've rehearsed again after the
performance at night, and the night be-
fore we opened we stayed up and re-
hearsed until 3 o'clock in the morning
putting the comedy on its land legs.
Ihat orr stage mouth organ took hours
10 get just right and the waves were
also long time in getting tuned I'D.
BUT 1 Just love rehearsing-I live
for 1t. from day to day. After thirteen
hours OF 1t other members OF the COM
pany VIII come to me and say briskly.
Wen. it's about time we went home
now And I'll say. oh. no, 1t isn't
I'm just getting warmed up.' Then
they'll gasp and say. Good gracious,
what have we here. Sometimes Mr..
Belasco has had to intervene ana order
me quietly but firmly to desist.
I'm surprised at the way some OF
the comedy in this play Is getting over,
because there is a keen edge Of satire
to IL. and It's down in the books that
audiences generally don't like satire.
But the satire which the sailor directs
at Newell. the woman In the audience
just don't like some of It. that's all.
They receive 1t with cold, stony silence
Its men who are more apprecfative
OF this. But the women just luxuriate
IN the romance In IL. The women must
have their romance-and admit I have
weakness that way myself. Plays
and books must have good love stories
to interest me. and even in spite Of all
the experience I've had on the stage
II the love story doesn't begin to &c
properly. II makes me SO mad. The
other night I started to read Gym
beline,' and when I came to the part
where Posthnn,us gives away the ring
which starts to mix things up dread
fully. I became so furious at him for
being such a dolt that I wouldn't go
on with the play. I didn't care II /,
was Shakespeare-I couldn't bear to let
1t be a tragedy.
English Comedy subtIer.
Speaking OF satire, the English seem
moro inclined to It. though they take
their comedies more calmly, and are
still mixing UP their curates with tea
cups and getting great deal of hilarity
out OF It. The English are perha pe
subtler. and I like them. but as the
sailor says in this play, We like our
1