The New York herald., 1922-06-11

But in the new 'FOll1eS, during the
armament conference skit and the scene
IN the baseball bull pen he did some
straight acting and checked his per-
sonality outside with his ropes. To be
sure, in the armament sketch he hid
behind the beard OF Seer starry Hughes.
But the young woman cl the right had
difficulty in identifying this parsonage
as Rogers. because he wasn't wearing
his checked trouers. And for the first
few moments it seemed as If not a
soul there would have been able to cry,
Take off those whiskers. Rogers. we
know you"
Earlier he had coiled his rope in the
familiar spectacular ia shion, but there
was an absence of the chewing gum he
generally uses for lubricating oil In
fact. when Rogers made his curtain
speech-"just to stall along" as he said.
until the girls had made their nexe
change of costumes go as far as possi-
ole-he dispensed with his lariat en-
tirely, and didn't even talk with his
hands. He'll be great actor some day.
Will Rogers's chief. appeal lies in
duoitably in the fact that he is so gen
uine. and always has an inexhaustible
supply OF gall on hand. The mere
fact that the manager who has engaged
MIN might overhear his condolences TO
the audience about the manage doesn't
stop Rogers from stating the case with
great relish. Managers seem to thriv.
on this sort Of diet-indeed. it is said
they hire Rogers principally to spoof
them.
His Delphic utterances this year were
much spicier than any he has ever
made-the production, in fact had mucn
Tacler material in spots than usual-but
Rogers explained that he was out tn
make an impression with scandal. since
previous first night audiences didn't
seem to take kindly to his topical allu-
sions, but just sort Of let them lie where
thsy fell.
His most apt comment was to the
effect that the production was SO long
that the players in the last sketch hadn't
yet made the acquaintance Of those in
the first. Much OF the performance has
peen condensed by now, so that it Is not
necessary for suburbanites to camp out
with relatives in the city for the night
after seeing the "Follies." Yet the OPEN
ing night, considering the length of the
production and the circumstance Of
opening cold" without the customary
Atlantic City tryout, the performance
ran off smoothly with no tagging inter-
walls to emphasize the heat.
The "Follies" this year has struck
&AaOi" CiOSSiy " tHc HOlt "a satire WHICH
one expects Of a revue, but rarely ever
finds in the usual show Of this type. 1t
even crept into Fokine's sensational
ballet, "Frolicking Gods" quite the most
beautiful and pulsating dance interlude
seen here in long time, which achieved
distinction. for one thing. by the injec-
tion of that touch of humor which the
Russian dancing masters know so we'll
how to supply even when dealing with
the high gods. There were other arrest
ing touches, too-the shimmering silver
and bronze of the youthful leaping
statue. and the elusiveness, the positive
fickleness. Of several young women's
garments.
The triangle piece done backward
might have been shortened to advantage.
and Ring Lardner's baseball sketch
seemed to be too full Of inside baseball
to make a heavy hit except with an au-
dience of Hugh Fullertons. Lardner,
however. showed his pungent qualities In
the Rip Van Wrinkle travesty. while
Ralph Spence delivered load Of fun in
writing with Rogers the Disagreement
Conference" one of those topical skits
that Rogers loves to do. and that gave
Brandon lyman a chance to show that
rolling his eyes in serious drama hasn't
blurred a fine sense OF burlesque.
Gallagher and Shear did not make the
big impact that they have. lately in
vaudeville---a case which has been
known to happen before in such trans
planting Andrew Tombes did not have
an opportunity to roam as freely In
comedy bypaths as usual. though he was
amusing In what he did and danced with
such swift nonchalance one marveled
that stage hands didn't have to pick him
UP to carry him Off finally.
Now that Nikita Baiieff's "Chauvs
Souris." which Morris Gest brought over
here from Europe, has moved up to hfr
old baiiwick. the Century Theater roof.
for their second incarnation, and Gest
feels free to spend all his waking hours
there--with a little time out for sleep
he Is becoming more and more Russian
every minute. You can almost percepti-
bly, see the producer become Slavonic as
you watch him.
He has more Of Russian accent than
before he has his ONCE at the Princess
Theater filed with samovars and other
Russian objects--even the summer COW
ers for the furniture appear to have been
designed by N. Remisof as curtain for
the "Chauve Souris" And Gest Is now
having his picture taken wearing n
Russian silk shirt and looking like
Kerensky gazing or mt destiny. When
he was asked II he might suddenly burst
forth at the Century roof soon in full
Russian regalia he replied graphically:
Maybe some time. You never can
tell
II never was so happy In my llfe." he
said, because everything is so Runsian
and so American combined. I come
back 10 the Office every day and ind
letters praisine the 'Chauve Souris.' and
Balief Is the finest man to work with
ever met--so what more could I want?
HE is n genius. and the theater Is
his whole life. He stays there from 0
o'clock In the morning till IL at night.
and II you leave the theater In the mean
time you become his enemy for life''
(It might be added that Gest and
Balieff ere never likely to have dis
agreement on that score.)
"He is n remarkable organizer. AMI
the Russian artistic temperament is
wilder and harder TO control than the
-Saxon---and that's hard enough
But like the whole company. because
/ am Russian myself and I adore Rus.
Gpn things. which Is the reason why I
~-~ncht them over here. The charm or
.reir performance lies in the fact that
II is new and old. II Is old in Europe,
new on this continent. Nobody hitherto
has taken the trouble to do the small
thing artistically."
'I knew OF the Balieff productions In
Russia as a youngster." continued Gest
"for there he had Weber and Fields
--..t. hall fa,,n yUhAp ha lAft fSuaeia