Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-28
1.-THE CIRCLE" ENLISTS
OLD FAvORITES' AID
John Drew and Mrs. Leslie Car
/. ter.Head Cast In Sparkling
Vaughan Comedy

W
Lyric--Durine the course of the eve.
ming which marked the opening here Of
w. Somerset MaughAm's play, "The
Circle,' one Of the characters was
asked II he were humorous or cynical,
and he answered, Neither; merely
truthful" II. ID
According to that definition, "The
Circle" must be a truthful play"
Whether the author really intended 1t as
such, or whether he was only having
that particular character 'fb'' bit, Is
hardly worthy Of discussion. Certainly,
thirty years ago, the period when cer-
tain notorious elopement between two
characters Of the play took place, The
Circles" sentiments end climax would
have been considered profoundly shock
ing. Right now, It's more than likely
that the majority Of the average a audi. Y :
ence come pretty close to sharing LADY
Kitty'sr tolerant. romantic interest in
the rash act of two young people which
exactly paralleled her own youth.
Thirty years is thirty years
What Is much more pertinent and i'm.
portant Is the fact that '"The Circle"
marks the high. water mark In con-
struction Of this years theatrical crop
here, and introduces two very dear old
friends in parts that It seems incredible
to think were not fashioned for them.
People have become accustomed to
dramas with last acts that give the feel
ing of q terrible let down, that hatten
out into inconsequential ineptitude.
''The Circle" does just the opposite:
There are three acts, and at the rise of
the curtain on the third act every one
says to himself. "This is the cross
nx,aucthtvOfa hAAvH SntnrnSt =
ing and clever, but it all depends on
this last act whether I would call this
a really great play" And that last act,
being far and away the best of all. turns
the tide.
"The Circle" belongs definitely to the
regular line of recent English drama,
cleaving rather to the pincro- -esQue
than to the Galsworthy branch. When
the young chap from the Malay PENN.
sula was telling the wife Of his host OF
his love fer hor and asking her to join
him away OUT there, the ghosts Of q
dozen Jones or Pinero spiek and span
young gentlemen who had painted the
beauties of other corners of the globe
appeared. and when Lady Kitty tear
fully and simperingly recalled the joys
Of her unconventional honeymoon on the
Adriatic, the Tanquerays and the
Qucxes and their brethren laughed
aloud.
But that's not criticizing Mr.. Mau.
CHAM. Like the smooth craftsman that
he Ia, he set out to show the weak
nesses of human nature and man 4 tend :
ency to revolve in a circle. He pre-
sented the first guilty couple. now old
and gray. constantly pickering, un-
happy because of their beautiful memo
ries and sOrdid present Then he dis
closed the younger couple. the young
gentleman from Malay and the young
wife, and allowed them to get full ant
fair view of the wreck that the Older
pair had made of their lives. Then
with a final derisive bow to the audi
ence. Mr.. Maugham whisked th,
younger folks off together, scornful o.
convention and example,, leaving th'
elopers of thirty years ago secret,
much pleased.
There Is no disrcspeet in putting Mr.
Maugham's play before Mrs. Lesli,
Carter and John Drew. who played thu
older couple. They would probably b,
the first to admit the justice of it
! But the fact remains that any weaker
play would fade into insignificancc be
side their art. Drew had less to do
but did that little with n mellow ant
delicate sense of the nicetiCs of th'
character that has always endearet
him. Mrs. Carter had one unforgeta abl,
scene in the last act when she tried t.
advise the younger woman. 1t was
fash Of a great artistic. At all othe
times, with restricted chances, she still
made Lady Kitty always fascinating
always lifelike. a Becky Sharpe grown
old. painted, bleached and shrilly vi
vacioGs.
older folks. whose characters seemed bu
biograp phies OF themselves Except. O
course, that lamentable, clOpcment
there was n phalanx Of such good act
ing MS is seldom crowded in one play
Perhaps Mr.. Drew and Mrs. Carte
found comfort and pleasure in tn,
thought that in the dusk Of their dra
matte days 30 promising new gcner
alton was already springing up to tn
mark. John Halliday. for example. ex
cept for momentary lapse into farcin
In the second act. was striking an,
domineeringly humorous as the youn
lover: Ernest Lawford, in some way
the outstanding figure of the play. al
uncnding source of delight as the gen
tleman who said he was truthful. no
humorous or cynical" Betty Linlcy
as the young wife, rose to her late
scenes with ability. and Robert Rendel
except for monotony of voice (whic
may have gone excellently with tn
monotony of his character). was capital
So, morals quite aside, the audienc
which remained after the final curtai
and forced Mr.. Drew to make speech
must have agreed that Mr.. Maughar
had had his way. Cynical Cor truthful
he may have been, but, above all, h
| was logical. terse and amusing III
wasn't trying to square any circle
merely following 1t around the length O
the circumference to show that 1t wa
| III alba