Evening star., 1923-04-24
NATIONAL-"The First Year"

After much delay, owing to tremen-
dous successes in New York, Chicago
and other cities. Frank Craven and his
comedy-and tragedy-of married life.
1.-The First Year." made its appearance
in Washington last night at the National
Theater before an audience that missed
, not a scene or a word of this most de-
lghtful and humane story of family life.
Just as the late John Habberton was a
master mind in the portrayal of the
emotions and unaccountable whims of
childhood. and Booth Harrington is un-
equaled in his ability to present the con-
f1icts and tortures of youth, so Frank
Craven is a genius in the art of putting
into play the plain, everyday worries.
troubles, joys and unreaSonableness of
the newly married couple. who have be-
gun to wear on each others nerves as
the end of the first year draws near and
the realization that the married state
is a lifetime arrangement and not
t-when-you-get-tir game, begins to
dawn.
Many a. -home has been nearly wrecked
over the manner in which the man at
the head of the table eats his break
fast egg, or the way his wife asks at
each meal if he will take sugar and
| cream in his coffee. Simple matters in
truth, but oh, how wearing on nerves
and temper. A comedy? Yes, when
enacted in another household than ones
own-and in the latter case it is Tragedy,
with capital T. IF we could see our
selves as others see u.s. has been dinped
into the ears of everybody at one time
or another, but if every American man
and woman could see this play, which
Mr. Craven makes a reality. more par
ties of the first part VS.. parties of the
second part might learn how to turn
tragedy into comedy.
MIR. and Mrs. Fred Livingston
nearly hit the rocks in their first
year as man and wife, because Fred,
who was slightly deaf. never heard
the things said to him. but invariably
heard those not intended for his ears.
| At middle age, when the play opens,
with a daughter thinking seriously of
| matrimony, the Livingstons are fine
examples of what years of patience.
| long suffering and tolerance can do
toward getting two kindly souls
| safely past the danger point. But
| daily contact with mother and father
! has apparently not taught Grace the
| lesson of loving and forgiving in the
| face of trying circumstances. and
| when she marries Tommy Tucker
and goes to Joplin. Mo, to live, it
| takes but eleven months to prove to
Grace that she cannot stand life
time with Tommy. and so she goes
home.
Every situation is entirely human,
every argument true to life and every
dispute one in which each person
who sees the play has at some time
| had a part in. 1t has been many
moons since Washington has wit
| messed so delicious comedy as THE
First Year" But it is considerably
more than a comedy. 1t might well
be called a masterpiece of drama, for
though the audience is kept in
hilarious laughter during the entire
, performance, the tragedy of family
misunderstanding is the dominant
note. Washington will be a happier
! community after Mr.. Craven and his
excellent company have left their
mark upon it's people.
The play is presented by John
Golden and Is staged under the di-
| rection of Winchell Smith. The char
acters include Frank Craven as
Thomas Tucker. Alice Owens as
Grace Livingston, James Bradbury
as Mr.. Livingston, Jane Ellison as
his wife. Tim Murphy as DR.. Ander-
son, bachelor brother of Mrs. Liv-
ingston; Leila Bennett as Hattie, who
serves as maid for Grace in pinch
when guests are coming to dinner;
Lyster Chambers as Dick Loring, a
ne'er-dowell; Harry Leighton as Mr..
Barstow and Merceita Esmonde as
his wife, and they give an ideal per-
formance.