Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-17
NEW GALSWORTHY
PLAY WINS FAVOR
"Skin Game" Full Of Bright
Comedy. With Serious Mo-
tive That Presents Problem

Walnut--Even the man who wants
nothing more than IN entertaining story
In bis theatre going cannot fail to sense
the deep, serious problem underlying the
bright comedy lines and the brisk action
of John Galsworthy's new play. 1.-THE
Skin Game" IL is rightly called a
trsgi- comedy. 1t is full Of the satisfy
ing kind Of laughs that come from
keenly written dialogue and sbrcwdly
developed characterizations, but lons
after the final curtain has come down
you find yourself gradually forgetting
the lighter side and brooding over the
tragic aspect Of the phase Of modern
life with which It deals.
THE Skin Game" Is, suporflcialIy.
The story of the old aristocratic family
OF England in conflict with the en- :
croaShments and powers Of the virllc
and conquering new. The Hillcrists
are the old. representing all the beloved
traditions of refinement, gentility and
clean sportsmanship. The Hornblowers
are the encrcaching new, backed by
nothing except the vitality to 60 after
what they want and get IL regardless OF
obstacles. The Hillcrists refused to
recognize the Hornblowers and the
Hornblowers declare a'war Of extermi =
nation, at least to the extent of driv-
ing the Hillcrists from their ancient
country seat.
i is only a small thing that makes
Hillcrists accept tho gage Of battle
nothing more than Indignation that the
Jackmans. q poor couple, should have
been .dispossessed from cottage they
had occupied for thirty years. But,
once the battle has begun, the hat-eds
grow until the Jackmans are forgotten,
gentility. breeding, sportsmanship, ira :
dition--all have been forgotten. It be-
comes O. ruthless war, with heart and
human feelings and decency thrown TO
the winds, and It results in the blighting
of love and life, the blasting of a
womans dream of happiness, the death
Of her unborn child and almost In death
for her. And then. when the Jackmans
rcoppear. It Is with sense of shock
that the Hillcrists realize how little the
poor couple have really counted and
how devastating has been the hatred
that sprang from such a small begin-
ming. The curtain, falls on Hillcrists'
What is gentility for IL &c
can't stand fire?" And the play docs
not attempt to answer this question.
Few plays of this season have been
more excel emily cast and interpreted
than is this one. With the exception
of Jane Grey, the players are English
There is an outstanding characterIz-
alton of the Hillcrists' daughter given
by Audrey Cameron, whose brusque.
startlingly natural style presents an
individuality that is as rare as Il Is
compe ling. Her methods are direct
and totally without stage mannorisms.
She fairly dominates the scenes in which
she appears and makes her roe living
and thoroughly believable girl.
Reginald Dance gives splendid por-
trait of the English gentleman of old
family and Alice Wyse is excellent as
his ruthless and snobbish wife, who de-
scends to revolving 'engths to beat her
enemies. Matthew Boulton does well
the difficult part of the conduering
Hornblower who is finally crushed In his
tragedies and Jane Grey, as his daugu-
ter in law. whose disgraceful past is
the weapon Of destruction used, plays
with feeling and with much artistic
restraint highly emotional part. Ar
thur @. Crosby gives keen character
study and other good bits are done by
Russell Sedgwick. Francis Roberts,
Lister Williams, Walter Jackman.
Frank Smell and Nora Nicholson.