The New York herald., 1922-09-17

liz. uCy ndy lidhC IbChi NCCP W
casionally as well. But women love
to forgive with laugh. So Nellie
Webb, hardened as she is to the
struggle for life in New York's gaudy
hotel set, would rather be amused by
her unfaithful husband than accept
the dull devotion Of faithful lover.
1t is to this character acted by Miss
Olive May that Mr.. Forbes intrusts
most of his social philosophy. As the
program announces that the author
staged the play, he is doubtless re-
-sponsible for the manner in which she
delivers his message. He must also
have arranged the conversations which
open the play with the characters
loudly proclaiming their witticisms
This was the manner of acting the
Wilde plays when they were new. and
II was of course an irreparable injus-
tice to the authors skill. The third
act of Lady Windemere's Fan" used
10 be acted like the first part of a
minstrel show. The players stood about
and delivered the witticisms of Wilde
with the same naturalness and spon-
taneity that Mr.. Bones used to ask
the end men how his corporosity
sagassiated.
For years that method OF acting
Wilde persisted in the minds of the
more or less ridiculous producers"
who were no more certain TO be COM
petent and intelligent then they are
now. 1t is for that reason that the
Wilde plays when they occasionally
come TO a hearing nowadays seem
rather less artificial than they used to.
The Mr.. Gallagher and Mr.. Shean way
of acting them is a thing of the past.
Change of the old Order.
George Broadhurst has devoted some
labor to making play out of "The
Gambling Chaplain" by George Beau
mont. which furnished him with the
inspiration for "Wild Oats Lane" Mr.
Broadhurst evidently went to work
with the idea Of taking his chances
with some successful expedients Of the
older dramatic methods of writing. So
we have such carefully built up scenes
as that which closes the third act.
There can be no doubt that they would
have had their effect at one time. IL
the audience seemed apathetic under
tiltUl OH Tie HISL IlElkA vi NIlc pidy, IL
may have been because the more or
less sophisticated pubic that gathers
on those occasions cannot be moved
by anything reactionary. In order TO
make any impression on these ex-
perienced judges. it is necessary to in
troduce the note of decided novelty
into the performance. Audiences have
been known to show no more interest
IN a new play than the listeners did
the other night in wild Oats Lane"
although the piece enjoyed subsequent
popularity. On the other hand. novelty
which has aroused the first nighters
To enthusiastic approval has left sub
sequent spectators cold.
1t will therefore be interesting 10
observe the event Of Mr.. Broadhurst's
experiment. Perhaps the most dan
gerous element in building up scenes
IN the way that audiences at one time
found so stirring is the difficulty that
the actors must struggle under. They
are likely TO appear old fashioned
whether they want 10 or not. Maclyn
Arbuclle did not escape this criticism
for his performance OF the Irish priest.
His brogue, TO be sure, occasionally
Hkluueu, DuJ Lnere arc rev DrOgues
which have shown themselves to be
proof against this accident in long
PLAY.
:. Is difficult to see how Mr.. Ar
buckle could have acted the old priest
in any other way. II is not easy for
the actor to appear in modern method
priest with material designed accord
ing 10 such an old pattern. II Is cs-
pecially trying when he has the bur-
den OF the play on his shoulders. Sub
ordinatcs may be as realistic and fiat
IN tone as they want to and the value
Of a drama is not affected by such un-
important elements. But when the
eyes Of the audience are on the pro-
tagonist who Is expected to interpret
20 them every phase of the authors
meaning he cannot afford TO ignore