The Washington times., 1922-08-27
With Alan Dale
At N. Y. Theaters
(Continued from Page 81


Thirty-ninth Street Theater. frin.
stance. This play assumes that
people adore chills and thrills
caused by the occult" This play
is quite certain that just as chill
dren are afraid Of the dark. so
adults are enviably affected by
the inexplicabie. Ghosts!. spooks!
Raps! Uncanny movements! And
the author OF THE Monster laid
these on good and thick. He
went at his task of curdling the
marrow Of his audiences almost
with sledee-hammer. He never
let up. And the consequences was
that we were plunged into inn
mediate shock. I think I could
have chilled a bit more aptly II
1t hadn't been for the funny man.
He induced mirth In the most
critical episodes and-well, one
can't laugh and thrill at the same
time. II must be either one or
the other. Still. ! won't insist on
that. ...
always thought that half the
success of "Ths Bat" was due to
May vokes. I know that. as Gar
as was personally concerned,
three-quarters Of the amusement I
derived from that play was the re-
suit Of Miss yokes'' efforts. 50
there may possibly have been meth
cd In the apparent madness Of
sitting the shock Of The Monster"
by means Of comedian. At any
rate. this play 10 boldly insistent
upon its thrills and disregards any
other method Of evokins interest.
THEN history IL busy again
repeating itself-by postpone.
ments. never understand post.
ponements. Why are they? You
get AL sot up" for q certain event.
You trot out your expectations and
optimisms, and--at the last mo-
ment. you are shooed away. They
tell you that the leading actor or
actress has a cold. or housemaid's
knee, or some equally sinister all.
ment. Or that the scenery wasn't
ready, or that certain effects fell
down at the last moment, and
and-that the tickets already pur-
chased will be sood for whenever
the play opens. -E
Our theater does need punctual.
ity. 1t needs II badly in every
way. Critics ostracise themselves
In order to be at the managers
beck and call. and the public Is
also hampered. II IL the same
with the advertised hour Of be.
ginning q performance. There Is
no punctuality. The play starts
when the last finale hopper in the
audience elects TO come In from
the lobby--where she has been dis
porting herself for the proper ap.
probation OF her clothes. A. she
takes her oelated ysat the cur.
tain rises. Without her It would
stay unrisen. Scores Of people are
inconvenienced, but nobody cares.
There 10 no system Of punctuaiity.
There 10 no discipline. There should
be. It should all 80 like clock.
work. and then. believe me. the
public would applaud.
I'd like to see some new blood
during the coming season. II
managers only had the perspicacity
to try out" people who seemed to
be worthy. There are clever peo-
pie in stock; there are admirable
aspirants In amateur circles or in
the schools Of acting, New blood
Is what we need--new red blood
with life and character in It.
Somebody asked me the other day
II would pay any attention to q
cast made UP Of unknown people,
II they were good and competent.
OF course, I said that I'd prefer
that kind Of q cast-with possibly
one Broadway name TO susar-coat
the pill. And I would prefer II.
OF course, I wouldn't care to see
a cast Of buffers, but--there are
clever people waiting for a chance.
They sit around agencies and
worry away their lives, and they
are always told that There is
nothing" why 10 there nothing7
why should there be nothing9 1t
takes a bit of nerve to intrust a
new role to a new actor. but
everything worth while takes q
bit of nerve.
In some uncertain cases, Of
course. managers cannot be blamed
for intrusting roles to those whose
work they know, but occasionally
am Of the opinion that a new.
conner might arouse an interest
that the certain one could never
hope to call forth.
nn,n.J No., Ol~~o