The New York herald., 1922-12-31

George II. Doran Company.
HTHEN one takes up group of plays
w distinguished by names as emf
nent as those of Barrie. Gals
worthy. Bennett and Lady Gregory not
to mention Somerset Vaughan. wilfrid
Gibson, and other writer's of note, one will
naturally expect to find the highest ex-
preston Of the dramatic art-at least. its
highest expression as to be observed among
our contemporaries. But one who plunges
into the present group of books with such
sansuine expectations will probably be dis
appointed Much good wokk there certainly
is. many plays of power and originality: :
but the best writing does not always come
from that quarter whence one expects IT !:
some of the most prominent dramatists
have been guilty of mediocre productions.
and some of the authors not generally
known have given US plays comparing
favorably with those of the acknowledged
masters.
Plays of every hue and variety are to
be found in the group under review. from
the delieiously whimsical to the violently
melodramatic. At the extreme Of the fan
tastic are Lady Gregory's Three Wonder
Plays" romantic comedies that bear US
out of reality into an enhancing realm
where queens and princes and even super
natural creatures hold sway. The play en-
titled The Dragon" is typical OF the book
here we find a king vowing to marry his
70 ba fret mon fhat Tho
palace gates; We see her lover. another
king. disguised as a cook. while waiting
faithfully in the kitchen to rescue her
from imminent perils. and eventually we
observe the hero subduing the dragon
that comes TO devour the princess. and
thereby. OF course. winning the lady of his
heart. The plays are written with a humor
that is delightful. and with an elfin imagi-
nation that is irresistible and delightful.
Dear Brutus." by j. NJ. Barrie is an
other play that bears US off into a fairy
land With his characteristic whimsical
humor, the author describes an enchanted
forest that will permit those that enter ii
70 cast off the garments of the lives they
have lived and to be as they might have
been had they second chance in life. It
is the authors purpose to illustrate the
lines Of Shakespeare that:
The fault. dear Brutus. is not in our
stars.
But in ourselves that We are under
lings.
This thesis Sir James succeeds in demon
strating 10 our entire satisfaction: at least
ne shows that our characters are the chief
forces determining our careers: but. in
spite OF the originality OF the authors
method Of dealing with his theme in spite
Of the humorous and highly human quality
of the dialogue, Dear Brutus" is less salts
flying. let Us say. than The Admirable
Crichton." and less szillfully written than
many Of the authors works
Even more fantastic than Dear Brutus.'
and certainly much further from reality.
is James Elroy Flecker's play entitled
.'Hassan." As one might divine f-orn the ex-
otic title it is a story Of old Baedad il has
the setting of the Arabian Nights and
deals with the Caliph Haroun Al-Raschid
and his subjects That famous monarch
is shown 20 be anything but mercifui or
Just: he acts the part Of the typical villain
Of melodrsma By giving me beautiful slave
girl the choice of marriage with him or
Of one day with her lover followed by a
death of slow torture: and the tense and
powerful climax Of the play revOlves about
the daqfsion made hv the haroiua In snita