The Omaha morning bee., 1924-01-06
y New York Theaters
BY PERCY HAMMOND.

New York, Jan. 5.-Salnt Joan
peems to be less interesting to Mr..
Shaw a a person than she is as an
excuse for prolonged conversation.
Mr.. Shaw does not neglect the
maiden in his new play, but he asks
her now and then to wait in the ante
room while he is in conference. Dur
ing these intervals Of one-sided
eauserie Mr.. Shaw treats, as is his
habit, of several human frailties-
political martial and ecclesiastic. To
The platitudes he adds a savory apple
pauciness. But long after. he has con-
vtnced you that he and you are right,
ne continues to talk.
His talk Is like a stream which runs
With rapid change from rocks TO roses
X slips from politics 70 puns;
1t goes from Mahomet to Moses.
Beginning with the laws that keep
The planets in their radiant courses.
And ending with some precept deep
For dressing eels or shoeing horses.
Consequently at the first perform.
,nce of Saint Joan" on any stage,
.ven the most devout subscribers 10
he New York Theater guild, became
little restless. Some of them were
rreverent enough to go away before
L was over. Drama lovers who had
endured Mr.. Shaw's Back to Ma
thuselah" through its thousand and
one contentious. departed premature
Is, calling 1t day. Here were
pungent comparisons between me
dieval heresies and those which rend
the churches at the present moment:
debates on feudalism, and wordy jibes
about soldiers and Engiishrnen. Yet.
because they were 30 extensive they
grew tiresome.
Joan of Arc. a. she reaches you via
Mr. Shaw and Miss Winifred Lenihan,
is what might bs called flapper OF
he better type. Instead of express
ng her vigorous youthfulness In dan
ring. drinking. smoking, petting and
athletics, she takes up the matter OF
,reeing France from English invasion.
The life of a shepardess In Domremy
pores her, and every time the church
BELLS ring she imagines that she
hears heavenly voices" advising her
20 go to war. Afflicted with In
digestion, according to medical au-
thorities, she sees spots before her
ives, and mistakes them for visions
Of the angels. She Il a nice, though
I somewhat abnormal peasant girl.
pager to be busy. She can neither
read nor write, but aspires to wear
soldier clothes, to ride horse. to
bear a banner and to be IN other
ways patriotic. Lets go! Lead me
10 'em" she seems to say as in the
hrst act she meets Dunois. the
Bastard of Orleans in the castle Of
vaucouleurs. February 23. 1929. Mr..
Shaw describes her here as
or Is. respectabiy dressed in red. With VII.
.ery .ear' imarinatise mas % people: long. we'll.
qDDsT P ana bs%dsom. s,Sss but fighting faseRfa eR1
Her voice is normally hearty coaxinE
voice. very confident. very appealing.
very hard to resist.
Shakespeare or another. in 1.-THE
First Part of Henry the Sixth" re-
borts Joan as remarking soon after
The arrives:
Assigned am to be the English
This night assurediy the siege I'll raise.
Expect st. Martins summer. halcyon
since 7 have entered into these wars.
Glory is like circle In the water,
which never ceaseth to enlarge itself
Til by broad spreading It dispense to
with Henry. death tn. English cir
Dispersed are the siories Il included.
Now am 1 like that proud insulting
which Caesar and his fortunes bare at
once.
According to Mr.. Shaw. Joan en-
bloys a different language. When
Dunois tells her that older and wiser
ueads advise against trying to re-
seve Orleans she says:
Then your older and wiser heads are
fatheads; they have made TOOL cf you;
me- too, bringing me TO the wropg side
of the river. Do you know I bring you
better help than ever came TO any gen
ersl or any town.
Poor Iittls SNUG and self-satisfied
loan! She will not listen to the wary
punois's suggestion that 1t was over
Nhelnins numbers. not miracle
hat rescued Orleans. God" nays
se to her. 'is always on the side OF
Inc heaviest battalions. thus quot
ne an observation Of volaire's three
,enturies before Voltairs wrote II in a
etter TO NJ. Dc Richie. Joan unluck
nv falls off her horse upon battle