The New York herald., 1922-02-12

ny Lu0 luSdJSI SitdusS ooNb'os "htS'
rest of a grateful world, 1t should
not be overlooked that our own stage
has recently presented some speci-
mems of artistic daintiness quite as
fine as anything that Nikita Balieff's
players have revealed. Porcelain de
Sake" which is the opening episode,
shows two figures descending from
the front of Dresden china clock to
dance at the midnight hour. Their
music is an old French minuet and
not "Sur le Pont d'Avignon." as the
program has it.
Graceful and imaginative as the
conceit is, those who remember the
exquisite beauty of John Murray An
derson's "The Music Box" from
Whats in Name" will yield moth
ing in charm or taste to the Russian
designers. The beauty of Mr.. An
derson's dainty Dresden china figures,
the quaintness of their dance and the
artistic atmosphere of the scene were
recognized as rapturously in London
as they were here. Musically of
course the two scenes were on diff
ferent level, although the imitation
of the music box which Mr.. Ander-
sons composer provided was most
agreeable jingle. Nothing in all the
pictures of the Chauve Souris series
was more delicate in its loveliness.
Russian stage art is shown In this
sublimated cabaret In a somewhat
simpler form than it was in recent I'M
portations from Russia. There is in
TIE Balieff theater none of the sophis-
tries of Bakst and Stravinsky, Diagh-,
LEFT and Nijinsky. Figures painted
in imitation of wooden dolls. toy SOL
diers marching with the precision OF
automatons. gypsies in the half light
OF a mid-century restaurant singing
to the milordi and portraits in the
mauve light of darkened salon watch
ing their ancestors move through the
minuet with a grace somewhat less
than their own--these are some of the
high spots in the delightful and novel
entertainment at the Forty-ninth
Street Theater in these nights of late
winter.
Exacting Parents In "The Nest"
Before the war was said so to have
altered tho makeup of the French
family that the individual was not the
unit, it was recognized that the
parents OF this nation expected more
from their children than those of any
other country. Paul Geraldy had
drawn two somewhat exacting parents
in "Noces d'Argent," which William
A. Brady is presenting at the Forty
eighth Street Theater as THE Nest"
Mother in particular seems to expect
a great deal from her offspring.
1t is perhaps natural that on the re-
turn from her honeymoon the married
daughter should not Immediately cal!
ON her mother. When she visits her
after two days, 1t does not seem sur
prising that she would hint so broadly
her need of the sideboard that her
mother finally presents 1t. Most
American mothers would have urged
the gift on her without any suggestion
from the young wife.
Certainly there was no excuse for
the mothers sensitiveness In not
being included among tie six guests
her daughter and husband had in
vited to dinner. They were younger:
then she was draped in mourning
No American mother would have
wanted to upset the social plans of
her daughter to such a degree. But
this mother was more or less miffed
at the lack of attention.
She did not make much Of success
of trying to be a pal to the boy. He
was. an one particular case, bad IT.
tie boy. There Is no denying that
His conduct with his godmother was
altogether impossible TO any but a
youth with the most demorallzlng for
cign ideas. Yet in other respects he
seemed to possess the virtues and
vices Of nineteen in any country. She
made an effort to talk with him SYM
pathetically about his actress sweet
heart. But that was failure. After
a few words she was warning him
against her Just as II she had never
meant to try TO see things through
the eyes of youth.
In tho American Way.
Never would American parents have
suffered so under the fancled indif-
ference OF their children when the
parting OF their ways had come. Yet
The Nest" is an interesting study Of
this moro or less painful period OF
TRANSITION. II In not really more. The
parents are eventually reconciied TO