The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-09-23
BY WALTER D. HICKMAN
. ERE is a study in words.

AAiO WI "a - t0S'NAOAA -
applesauce. Barry Corners
has written a small town comedy
and named it "Applesauce," because
its chief character gets by in the
world by spreading verbal sunshine,
meaning in not too polite terms,
spreading the bull
During three acts, the applesauce
| is spread in various amounts upon
all the characters. After you get
through with this comedy you have
the thought-Why work as long as
you can soft soap" people and get
what you want?
You have to judge a play by its
own class. "Applesauce" belongs
to the kenny" THE First Year"
and The Six Cylinder Love" class.
But it isn't half the play that
kenny" was. To my way Of think
ing the Nugent play is at the head
of the list of the small town plays.
The first act Of "Applesauce"
actually delivers the goods. 1t is
small town, but it is real. If this
comedy could have kept up the pace
it started in the first act it would
have been Il Main street master
piece, but the author kept on re
creating the situations and sprink-
/ ling some very old chestnuts as
| jokes.
am not looking for the perfect
play. I believe in a human view
point in everything that the stage
produces. l do not take TO the clouds.
sit on a throne and say this is not
profound enough for me. 1 believe
in laughs in life and on the stage.
| There are many laughs in this MAY,
but the laughs for the most part.
are obtained by the ability of the
cast and not the author
The applesauce spreading is con-
fined to three acts. The first and
second acts are placed in the Robin
son home just an ordinary small
town home. but dad and ma fight all
the time. but always stay hitChed up
Their daughter, Hazel, hears and
! sees them quarrel for many years.
( She finally decides to marry her rich
sweetheart in place of the poor one
who spreads only applesauce.
Before the wedding day. Hazel
breaks her engagement and marries
/ the applesauce spreader He doesn I
work. nor does he worry about a
/ Job Hazel is ready 20 work and sup
port her husband if necessary, but
hubby knows when he soft soaps"
( his and her relatives to the right
point that they Will shell out and
give them their blessing. The apple
sauce spreader wins.
/ The comedy rests upon the apple
sauce remarks of Bill McAllister. the
/ ,ad who spreads it. Also by the
/ comedy quarrelinE work Of Jessie
/ CrOmmette as Ma Robinson and
/ George Barnum as Paw Robinson.
/ Miss Crcmme;te was the mother in
/ ''Kempy" and she is just the same
in this play. Nobody could get
more out Of this sort Of a charac-
ter than this woman.
Allan Dinehart gets along very
well with his job Of spreading the
/ sauce. He is q matinee sort. Clai.
borne Foster as Hazel Robinson
who marries Bin. is sweet as she is
! supposed 70 he.
The cast follows:
Ma Robinson ......... Jessie Crommette
Paw Robinson ----..-....- George Bsruum
/ Mrs Jennie Baldwin ......-- Carrie Weller
. Hazel Robinson ...-.-. Claiborne Foster
I Matt McAlhster ......-..... jules FarraT
/ Bill NcAllister ...........Al Allan Dinehari
hO.o .fclikluS ---...-.- 10 " atlfT toilholiy
"ApplesaUce" is a new play. Only
a few weeks old. It is 10 open sun
day in Chicago. This comedy is
not a bad sort. but the main trouble
rests in the repetition Of situations
/ It seems to he that the idea might
have originated from vaudeville
sketch As it now stands there is
not enough variety in the situations
to scatter Il over three acts.
Time will tell if the kenny
type Of a play has passed out OF
fashion.
"Applesauce" remains on view al
the Murat all week.