The New York herald., 1922-12-03

New York Herald Bureau.
London, Nov. Is.
TIME Bard of Avon suffered Sc
verely this week in what should
have been reverent hands.
Somehow or other a London presenta-
ton was arranged for an alleged
'opera" by eighteen -year-old Adrian
Beecham. founded upon the Merchant
of Venice"
The youth is son of Sir Thomas
Beecham, who has given most of his
life and fortune to the capable promo
ton of opera in England The boy.
naturally absorbed much musical
technique, but his opera failed to re-
veal that he had made much use of
his opportunities.
The work consisted OF the mere
stringing together of pretty but quite
insignificant tunes But the drama
OF the court scene was woefully wrecked
when soprano Portia sang the ''qual-
ity of mercy speech in a sort of plain
chant. 1t is always a strain on
credulity when Portia speaks this bit.
When she sings 1t in a thin soprano
1t is ludicrous.
Beecham made one pretty song in
the last act, but that did not make
up for an evening that set the audience
TO titterfng at the wrong moments.
The first night was a great affair of
puff. with couple of minor royalties
present and all of Beecham's friends
heartily, applauding. The most chari-
table construction to place upon the
ina
TO the blind maternal pride Of the boys
American mother.
Marie Lohr's Comedy.
The other interesting event Of the
week was Marie Lofr's production of a
new Alfred Sutro comedy, THE Laugh
ing Lady"-and there will be many,
many laughing ladies at the Globe
Theater while this delightfully."- epigram-
matte comedy remains. This is the
thing in which the British stage excels
Yet it goes seeking for American bed
room and French "fiancee" farces But
perhaps the genius of a people cant q
expected TO bloom six times nightly and
two matinees a week in forty theaters
a. once.
But what a relief II Is when that
genius does bloom There's nothing
very serious about this play. There
isn't a drop of new art whatever that
is, any place back of the proscenium
arch. But there's Marie Lohr herself.
sparkling. vivacious. tempting, humor-
Gus, clever, for a moment or two path
etic. but never forgetting for single
moment that she is one OF those British
women who, no matter how we'll they
know this wicked old world, bathe every
day
1t begins with a dinner party where
a famous Kings Counsel Godfrey
TearIe) meets by i'll chance the lady
whose reputation he has torn to shreds
earlier that same day when she took the
witness stand as defendant in her
divorce trial. He had torn 1t so effec-
tually that her husband got the divorce.
SO. In revenge. she laughs at the great
X. c., the great X. c.. falls in love with
her--and she falls in love with him.
But however the cross-examination
affected the judge and jury in convinced
her former husband that~,she was in
nocent. and he comes next day to lay
his heart at her feet once more She re-
jects II. and then comes the great X. C.s
wife to plead with her that as they both
love him and both want to save his
career the only thing for her to do is to
become his mistress while she remains
the complacent wife. And here's where
the Sutron turn comes. He makes this
situation so credibly. so delightfully."-
absurd. that they both decide the GRIM
son path is not for them. and go back
like decent. sensible people TO their al
lotted tasks.
Many Bright Epigramx.
This might be dull and II might be
silly. But Mr.. Sutro Is a perfect master
of the craft OF the stage. Exits and en-
frances move SO smoothly, dialogue Is
so brilliantly strewn with epigram---half
London Is quoting such things as You
can't have your cake and divorce it,
that the whole Is a delightfully."- titivat-
ing satire on good manners and a vast
encouragement to good humor with all
the worlds tragic problems.
THE Cenci" passed so successfully
through Its first two special matinees
that Miss Thorndike has decided to put
1t on regularly as the evening perform
auce next week. The venture. in view
OF the plays unsavory basis. thus to be
submitted to the wider public should
be most interesting.
The venture OF the Comedie Franchise
players at the Coliseum was so success
fui that NJ. and Nine. Silvain have at
last been persuaded by their English
friends to plan regular French season
in the near future. Last week they held
the Coliseum audience through two acts
OF Moliere's "Tartuffe" I heard Il from
the gallery. where l am sure not five per
cent. of the audience knew a line of
French and where II was difficult enough
10 hear English spoken on the vast
stage below. But even that Coliseum
gallery crowd sat In rapt attention
watching the eloquent mimicry of these
French artists. They knew instinctivey
when to laugh. IL was "A great test OF
the carrying power Of the classic French
method. Bernhardt, Of course. could
hold an English speaking audience.
The Guitrys have held English speaking
audiences most OF whom knew enough
French 20 follow. But this was a
vaudeville audience. u might have
been the Palace or any big variety
bcuse In Now York on Saturday after
noon. That looks like "actfn'r'
Nikita Balieff may be glad 20 learn
that the artists who refused TO come To
London with him when he moved the
Chauve-Souris troupe from Paris hither
two years ago have at last capitulated.
Learning of the fabulous fortune Nix
Is making In New York they have found
eenr ms1ager and are coming across
the Channel. They say now, modestly
enough. that the reason they didn't come
in the first place was that Nikita
wouldn't pay the salaries they asked.
SO. OF course, they add. we're very much
better than the people he eventually got
TO go with him.
Another interesting French importa-
tion will be "Arlequin." There has been
n year-long fight for the English pro-