New-York tribune., 1922-11-01

AS ~ CRU we Live In, {'sTnc Insect
cosaeay.l by Josef and Karci capek ana
JoIson's Theatsr with the following in the
neasss aaass asassa Lola aa,sr aais x.nnsss mslss
sM;,sssaksans s;,ssxass Rssisra ,,,es Ksadrtsa tlsans
Gorcoran. Paul Irving, Edgar Norton,
Grace Dougherty, vinton Freddy. Jill
Middleton. Jasper Deeter. John Ward and
In case you suspect that life has its
advantages, that 1t 10 both real and
earnest, or that behind the clouds
some starlight Turks. 60 to Mr.. Jol-
sons Theater and learn Of your error.
There you will see the realities under
the microscope Of the most bitter Of
the Continental satirists aoundering
around in spacious and interesting
Slough OF Despond. The name of it is
The World We Live In" or "Tha In
sect Comedy" In its spectacular
and melancholy fantasies Mr.. Owen
Davis and the Brothers Capek sum-
mon most Of the platitudes known to
pessimism and make OF them good,
if not cheerful, entertainment.
THE plan is to reduce human life to
the dimensions of the ephemera and
to reproduce it in the space between
two blades of grass" Mr. Robert Eide
son, as vagabond philosopher, while
in drunken slumber sees the butter
flies, the beetles, the red ants and the
crickets engaging In all the utilities
of human existence. The butterflies
waliow voluptuously In sex, Co modern
music by jazz band, illustrating
t.the eternal lies Of eternal lovers un.
appeased," as Mr.. Edeson explains. De-
cadent poets appear smong them, and
sing such songs as "a virgin cater
pillar shrieks for the embraces Of the
noon," and tomatoes are honest
though uncouth."
The beetles in the next act are to
be seen rolling their odorous tumble
balls along, representing thrift and
greed and their uselessnass. The cruel
ichneumon fly and mis- offspring, en-
blematic of enterprise and efficiency,
murder the gay crickets, who them
selves are merciless to their kind. And
at the end shabby parasite, SYM
bolic Bolshevik, catches them all un-
awares and gorges himself with the
fruits Of their industry and plunder-
ing.
The wallop in the allegory, however,
occurs in the third act wherein the
ants are magnifed to proportions of
Empire and super-civilization. An i'm
pressive picture, this, as spectacle and
preachment. A large, blind ant sits
blinking in the center Of the scene.
beating time for the other ants as they
ceaselessly come and go, bearing bur-
dens. Speed is the aspiration Of the
ant overseers. They tell the foreman
not to count zone, two, three, four"
but to count 'sone, two, four" as a
measure to increase production.
War is then declared by the yellow
others place in the sun between two
blades of grass. This incident we
think, is a masterpiece of stage direc-
ton. Squad after squad of red ants
in khaki and tin hats march silently
to the slaughter, while the commander
in chief, illuminated by spotlight,
cheers them on with pompous mani
festoes. In gratitude for victory he
commissions God colonel. The idea
of the episode seems to be that war is
n foolish, filthy institution and that
1t should not be permitted to exist. No
device is suggested, however, by which
it may be prevented.
There is mcrtuary epilogue in which
pretty girls dance flamingly for a mo-
ment apd die. Moist snails appear
upon the scene and discourse their
cold philosophy. The dreamer himself
dies, after a struggle with Death. No
kneils, no shrouds, no mattocks and
no graves. Just Death; and some
casual child-bearing to emphasize the
empty, whirling circle. Mr. Fox de-
scribes the comedy as ga worm's-eye
Tkanatopsis." Mr.. Davis's translation
we suspect is excellent, so we'll does it
sound, and Mr.. w. A. Brady's "pro-
duction" by Mr.. Lee Simonson is no
less than n fine achievement