New-York tribune., 1922-12-24
London Stage
By Ware B. Wells

u
Dane made her big hit with "A
Bill Of Divorcement" nobody has
tried 10 make the question Of divorce
Law reform tho subject Of q play until
this week II Is a fairly safe rule
that, however good propaganda may be.
II makes a bad play. Clemenee Danes
attempt to reconcile the two was one
Of the few exceptions to the rule. "De-
struetion," q play on the same subject
staged here at the Royalty by Agnese
de Llama, is not.
There can be no mistake about enc
thing. and that is Agness de LlAna's
sincerity. An actress unknown 10 the
West End-She has played In the prov
inees for some time, but her only pre-
vious appearance in London was made
At Cheises--she has rented a West End
theater for the purpose Of producing
her own work, In which she has cast
herself for the leading part. Existing
divorce laws are the subject Of much
criticism here at the moment, so that
IL Is not surprising that she makes her
heroine enter Parliament--or try 70
enter it--in order 70 change them. But
the suthoress is no more successful in
getting her propaganda over the foot
tights than is her heroine In getting IL
pastor even into-the legislature.
The doyen Of London dramatic critics
sums up the play as neither important
az q social argument nor effective as a
piece FOR the theater." That is, per-
haps, rather q harsh verdict, but the
play has not very much TO be said for
Il one way or the other.
To begin with, Miss de Llama really
has no new idea. Her theme is one Of
respectable age, and has a fairly close
historical parallel in the case Of
Charles Stewart Parnell and Kitty
o'shsa. The heroine, Katherine Rendle,
has married e brute. She has separated
from him, but Shs is unable 70 divorce
him. She goes 10 live with another
nan. Burning with desire 10 reform
the divorce laws, she decides 70 stand
for Parliament
Two days before the poll the embar-
raising facts about her life are pub
lished In the Labor press. Her op-
ponent and the leader OF her own party
beg her 70 retire. She refuses, on the
ground that q sufferer from the pres
ent laws is tho best person to get them
reformed. But she is defeated. and on
polling day an angry mob breaks the
windows Of her house. The last act
ieveais the fact that her past has been
given away by the husband Of a woman
friend, who believes her guilty Of per-
suAdlng his wife to leave him. Retri-
button falls on the head Of the inno-
cent, for the wife Of the man RESPONSE
Bile for Mrs. Rendle's defeat is mis-
taken for the candidate and is killed
By a stone thrown through the window
, Of her car.
Such q play evidently requires good
acting 20 carry II through, but, though
, she Was adequately supported in parts
chiefly composed Of arguments, the nu-
thor-aetress' own acting is very like
her writinE-uneQuAl but very sincere
The intense sincerity Of this play IL
all that covers a score Of improbable
ties and a dozen technical faults. II
certainly is not going TO be a rival 10
"a Bill Of Divoreement." II is a pity
that the authoress has not managed 20
handle her material more firmly. for
an interesting play is obviously due on
the subject Of women in Parliament.
Another. and more successful, prop
sgands play. "The Rumor," By c. X.
Munro, has just been put on by the
Stage Society. II Is terrible exposure
Of what, according to the author. Is
the cause Of war. he indiets high
finance, politics and graft, and con-
trives out Of this unpromising material
TO make what is really noteworthy
piece Of dramatic work, as we'll ss an
effective piece Of propaganda. II was
the Stage Society which discovered
Bernard shaw as dramatist, and more
is likely 10 be heard Of its new dis
eovery. The author Is civil servant,
who writes, he says, 10 please himself,
not the public But some competent
critics here ahrm that 'The Rumor'
ultimately viii be played all over Eu-
rODA