The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-03-29
Columbia Actors
Have Fun With a
BoIshepik Tragedy
'Steppe Around Applazded by
Friendly Audiences at
Hotel Astor.

The Columbia University Players gave
"Steppe Around" last night before a
friendly audience OF 1000 persons in
the Hotel Astor. II was billed as "a
musical tragedy" and. though IL may
have been all of that, certainly II was
done on much more elaborate scale
than any of the previous productions OF
the Players. The show will run for four
more nights.
The plot, If any. opens in the court
yard of a Bolshevik meeting hall in
Petrograd Some OF the deposed no.
biity are mopping UP. Into the court
yard comes. among others. Prof. J. 8.
Durdnt Of Vassar and his daughter.
Elaine. Milton r. iroopf. "a. plays the
professor and William NJ. Simmons. '23
( is the daughter. The professors pres
ence Is accounted for by his persistent
desire to capture ''wiffle." described as
an insect that resembles a horsefy with
the mumps. And the daughter. Elaine,
quite naturally falls in love With Arch
duke Tran, ono OF the moppers-up
played by Jack w. Thornton, 30.
Next into the plot are thrown Nicholas
Hotckes. reporter from New York who
! is Harold F. Springhorn, '22. He meets
Enid Porter, one of those lady reporters
from New York played by Max j. Liebo-
witt %. And right there is where the
subtle influence OF the Columbia School
Of Journalism gets in its work. Enid
who quickly develops a fondness for
Nicholas, quits him in huff when she
suspects that he is about to beat her
on a story Of the blowing UP Of the
Baron Muscov's castle, which Is all set
for that night But, Of course, that all
comes out right before the evening is
over. The last act ends with the castle
intact
Speaking Of young Max Liebowitz, II
is due him to say that as Enid Porter.
the lady reporter, he was one OF the
best things in the whole show And in
the second act which is a good one. he
did an impersonation OF KIT which
would appear to cinch his place as the
best Of the lot. And this verdict does
not even overlook that tender scene in
which IRAN and Elaine tell Of their enc
tions 70 the tune of Love. 1t Is Spring
time"--as good a tune of the sort. by
the way. as can be found in many other
places in Broadway.
Patrick Cassidy and Mrs. Cassidy
tLeslie M. Stewart. "a. and Edmund
B. Hourigan, '24) were brought into
the plot as ENJOYS Of the Irish Free
State. but they later achieved some
note In their scene. Don't Let the Old
Jokes Die
Something ought 10 be said about the
chorus. which Is as well sinewed a bunch
OF young men as ever dressed az chorus
girls They were particularly ludicrous
In their first appearance in Russian
dresses. A symposium to decide what
they looked like failed. Nothing ever
looked like them. Also. there were seven
fappers who We're realistic enough. and
their song with Prince Boris (Walter
Scott Farrell. '23) was applauded.
Few Of the lines will make any serious
bid for Immortality, but the 1922 Var
sity Show. paken by and large. as Is 50
often said. is pleasant and the settings
are excellent.
The book was written by James F. y
Zweighaft. 20: the music and lyrics by
Roy Webb. 10: Melville Humbert 20 /.
Kenneth Webb. 08: Walter G. King
~. and Mr.. Zweighaft. The show was
under the management Of Burton r.
Housley, 20, and was staged by George
Vivian.