Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-13
DRAMA IS
TRIUMPH FOR STAR
Carroll Mccomas Rises Above
Mediocrity Of "Romanos
Of Youth"

Walnut - With prologue that
opened by the waterside at Venice with
soft. music in the distance. nobody could
possibly mistake the general character
Of Myron Fagan's new play.
IA Romance Of Youth" IL its name,
and the general opinion seemed TO b.
that there was just as much romance IN
the air when the characters became
seventeen years older and talked con.
stantly Of their unhappy past as on that
night in Venice. ~ '4
Frankly initiative. and often uneven
in ks dialogue, "A Romance Of
Youth" is partly redeemed BY the talent
of Its young star. Carroll McComas,
who rises above all the trite and sense.
less lines she is given. above the mass
Of worn and moss. grown situations, and
above the general improbability OF the
whole idea.
"A Romance Of Youth" has q dash
Of Sardou, a generous slice Of Zoe
Atkins two plays seen here last year,
and leaven Of Pinero. Indeed, that
prologue was almost the exact replica
Of scenes often referred to, but never
shown in the latter's social dramas.
,,,,Il,, Two young n people are disclosed:
style By 'SsS orders ss1pi q X. mans mas.
father. The next scene is' seventeen
years later. In America. The man has
become a famous fnancier, the girl q
noted actress. but they have convent.
emily lost all track OF each other, Each
has believed the widest and most un.
pleasant stories about the other, and
with true emotional drama obstinacy
refuse to be convinced Of the truth
until much unhappiness has occurred.
There Is a young chap. an artist. who
thinks II e., himself in love with the actress,
ter. After threatening for two acts,
the flood gates are opened at the end,
as the actress is told Of the girls iden.
tity, and the Anal act is q veritable
sob festival which even fine acting fails
to save entirely.
The whole impression Of the play 10
as of an airplane on whose wings the
members Of the cast are clutching. Try
as they might, as the speed Of the ma.
chine increases, they tumble OF, tin oil
fnl by the wayside. For example,
Charles Trowbridge Is 30 genuinely fine
In the first act that It seems a shame
" bec uiHi HOpcIeSSly cHtuuBlcu Az Iuc
word mesh of the latter part. John
Webster, we'll known here, is similarly
placed, though, having less to do, he
stocks nobly. Miss McComas herself
was inclined to lose her superb grasp
on the pulse Of the pay in the final
scene, but 1t did not mar the impression
of a remarkable piece Of work, not
unlike that Of Elsie Ferguson's in The
similar Varying Shore" Ethel Jack.
son. Jof merry Widow" fame, and
Fanchon Campbell gave clear and in.
teresting characterizations In the first
act. Marshall Birmingham stuck de.
terminedly to the role Of Don, the artist,
even in its worst DEPTHS.
Indeed. the acting, except in two
cases. was so very fine that one could
not help but think in some awe what
"a Romance of Youth" would have
been without it. The longing came for
some of tho cast to break away from the
allotted lines, and invent something Of
their own-any thing to achieve some
thing that was original, unexpected. As
1t was, every move, almost every line,
was discernible beforehand. This was
rll the more regrettable in that Mr..
Pagan created some interesting people.
Unfortunately, they were in the position
of being all dressed up and no place to
20. s ~. ." ~. =. ...-