The New York herald., 1922-02-21
TO THE LADIES' AMERICAN
STAGE FUN AT ITS BEST
Authors of 'Dulcy' Write
Brightly of Homely Rural
Episodes in New Comedy.
ny LAWRENCE REAMEn.


Nutley. n. j.. came into the limelight
again last night-or at least as much of
it as blazed in the Liberty Theater-
for the first time since the days of the
beloved Bunner and itss other distin-
guished literary residents. But they
were not mentioned.
Nutley is the scene of the first act of
ITO the Ladies'" which c. s. kaufman
and Mare Connolly, regardless of
'Dulcy's" continuing popularity on the
same block, have written for Otto
Kruger and Miss Helen Hayes. They
are, in the play, the young couple sup
posed to- dwell in the suburbs He is
an ambitious clerk and she is the help
ful wife, incidentally from the South.
But their combined industry and re-
sourcefulness do not keep them out of
debt. The grand piano, for instance, has
been hypothecated for grapefruit farm.
That indication os the VOLTS proximity
is revealed when the young mans en-
ployer makes him a visit in his country
home.
Perhaps the fact would never have
been so painful If the loan association
had not chosen to send its collector for
the piano on that particular Saturday
AFTERNOON. Already is the wife's re
sourcefulness taxed by the preparation
Tor this event. A clerkship is vacant
Hier husbands promotion is what the
two are seeking. Invitation 10 the ap-
preaching banquet of the company will
have favorable significance. So the
visitors must be kept in the right frame
of mind, even If the agent did call for
the grand piano so unauspiciousy and
n a.
invitation came.
Then, there was the mistake about his
speech The man before him delivered the
exact one that the young clerk had
learned But mis- wife's resource was
again successfully employed. She ex-
planned that he could not speak on ac-
count of sudden hoarseness. 80 the din
ner was such success that It carried
the hero happily into the loftier post
OF such homely episodes have the
playwrights made up their new work It
can readily be seen that they have kept
in the school of "Nle First Year in the
simplicity of their material and the reve-
lation Of character rather than in
trigue. And all who know the New
York theater realize what an excellent
school "The First Year" NJ for any
dramatists 60 follow. Amusing as the
first act was, "Dulcy' proved that the
two authors are most at home when
they are satirical.
1t was public banquet which was the
subject of their efforts in the second act.
The speaker. who had kept at it for
forty-five minutes; the walters. who
smashed the crockery at all inopportune
times the political speaker. who must
be an incident of every such occasion;
the man with the sawmill laugh and the
cougher who will not stop in the inn
portant minutes; all these elements of
the large dinner were most amusingly
revealed.
The audience sensitively appreciative
of every line, received this scene with
ecstacy. 1t was indeed most natural and
indigenous humor; it was. moreover. new
TO the stage. This act alone settled the
fate of ITO the Ladies'" as comedy
certain of entertaining the public for
months to come.
Apart from its freshness OF hu-
NOR in the observation of life Of a GER
tain kind and the flash of its smart
speeches there was admirable acting by
the company of A. l.. Erlanger and
George c. Tyler to bring out every good
invention Of the playwrights. Miss
Hayes who never looked lovelier added
a soft Southern accent to her invariable
efficiency and skill. Mr.. Kruger. who is
one of the best of the young comedians,
natural in method, varied in his style
and unfailing in his denotement OF any
humor in his role. added another char
acter to the number he has created this
wear with such unvarying success.
There were other opportunities. how
ever, and other honors. Percy Helton
gave bit of natural fun to the opening
act as the young man who was set on the
big time" as a career, and William Sey-
mour slxetched well the conventional
toastmaster, Miss Isabel Irving was
beanling dowager and George Howell
comicaIly sung as the man of big busi-
ness.
"To the Ladies' turned out to be a
most laughable specimen OF American
stage fun at It's best.