The Washington times., 1922-12-31
STRAY THOUGHTS
ON THIS AND
THAT
The Critics Begin Harvesting
= the Years ToIl-Mr. Leonard
Hall Turns KaIsomlner.
Random Notes on Small
Topics. .
MYTH the anew year aborn-
" ing and the old one

CnTOuBn HlcS oAA-cSoSo "eo'
now is the time when some good
play critics and true dash madly
down to the file room fifteen
minutes before press time to
compile the annual list Of the
ten best plays and the thousand
and ten worst ones. There will
be amounting with no " oils
and burning Of incense by a few,
. vigorous laying-on Of the
bastinado with Saline applica-
tions by others, while the great
bulk will content themselves
II not their readers-by a
neutral aloofness from critical
appraisal. These latter will
pursue the negative and safer
course by constructing Wool
worth buildings and Lincoln
highways from all the years
bad manuscripts. "if laid end
to, end" or, patterning an
escalloped centerpiece for the
White House dinner table from
the good manuscripts "if laid
end to end"
am not deeply taken with
this business Of hitting a play
behind its back. In the first,
place the key to the file-room
Is lost. Then, again, this is
not so much the season for re-
Prospect as it is one of concern
for the future. Also good will
abounds in plenty though the
Yule log is but 4 cinderous
memory. Thus, and for many
more reasons, viii not under
take to list the gooi plays and
the bad which the 6apital has
seen this past year, principally,
because the play season is
fiscal one, euding in May and
whoever heard Of a play re-
viewer east of Pitt. burgh sur
veying the season before it was
half over?
Which are as good reasons as
any adduced by Joe Cook for
not initiating four Hawaiians.
IN any estimate of the stage
y and its products, furthermore,
this department could never be
disposed to the charity of
Leonard Hall. Of the Daily News,
whose estimable review last week
Of the Rams Head Players
premiere, am sure. will not be
excelled when the premiere is
definitely given January s. Mr..
Hall flattened his new dictionary
into limp subsection over the in
cursion of chamber drama in this
Sahara of higher urges and then
the incursion was postponed for
tactical reasons but too late for
the Naughty Boy to wrap
tourniquet on the verbal flow.
IDEAS for discursive talk are
very scarce this last, but one,
day of the old year. Our old
friend, Ada Meade, has been given
the starring part in a new musi-
cal comedy, ELSIE" which opened
In Dayton, Ohio, last week, ami
is playing Indianapolis this week
A few more theaters from
Harry Crandall and this depart.
ment will yell for assistance. -
Three openings tonight, two of
them brand new and all the sub
sidiary reviewers begging off for
the lustier-lunged wake on Penn
sylvania avenue. What will Sam
Steinberger do? Leo Leavitt,
the new and genial manager of
Polls, was in to say hello the
past week. Andrew Kelley,
wild cat publicity man for the
Belasco. Is a tame pussy this
week by reason of a toothache.
Terrence Duffy. of the Presi-
dent Players, is "agin" the word
"stock" to designate his roper.
toire company. Only one out Of
ten can pronounce repertoire and
by whatever name it seems the
whole city is intent on seeing
"Abie's Irish Rose" Hilarity
promised at the Gayety's midnight
performance tonight. Ditto the
Belasco. Next week, George
Whites Scandals" Sessue Haya-
kawa, the screen star, in a per-
sonal appearance in "Tiger Lily"
Bertha Kalich IN "Jitta's Atone.
ment." Trusting this will fill
out the column
HAROLD PHILLIPS.