Evening star., 1924-12-07

pay whose tltIe mas almost the las
clnatlon OF current puzzle. 1t is
delight to follow the words along,
line by line, through some of the
smoothest, brightest, yet most un-
pretentlouS. dialogue that has sifted
over from London in some time.
The English theater, even in its
most joyous moments, preserves a
certain respect for the language
which IS spoken in so many parts
OF the world with so many varia-
tlonS. Even the revue, as in the
case of The Chariot" production,
becomes a revelation of smart in
tricacies involving facility in word
management.
= y *
Nobody in this country san cav
"Haw haw" as William H. Crane
used to say it in conveying a no
ton OF deep altruistic unction. With
all respect to a cherished memory,
Mr.. Maude says it better than
Crane did. He is the embodiment
OF genial composure, and, as the
play unfolds, we find the answer to
the title is a paraphase of Puck
most celebrated sentence. Mr.. Ions
dale IN his play points out follieS
and Inconsistencies, but does not
lash them, merely taking refuge,
after raising many other points, in
that inevitable last analysis OF so
many human speculations, the ques-
ton mark.
The urge of exploration has not
been satisfied. Down the Avenue
there is a beacon, newly lit, that
brings the old boat to a spot Of an
cient and varied footlight history.
Hero the old-time amateur night
once fiouriShed. A cold-h hearted
spectator. who carried in his veins
something of the blood OF those
Romans who at the Gladiatorial
games could see the signal thumbs
down without a trace of remorse,
found congenia1 entertainment in
watching the efforts of untried tai
ent as it fought for its artistic life.
There was waiting in the wings a
man with a shepherds crook, high
ly magnihed, with which he dragged
off the unsuccessful debutante, when
the audience shouted Get the
hookp 1t was rough sport, involv-
ing good deal of suffering for more
sensitive types of humanity who
blundered unrehearsed and ill-cos-
TUNED into a glare which made
their crudities the more apparent
and left them with trembling knees
and quivering chins.
4 X X
Here there was again all amateur
show in evidence. A dormant streak
of cruelty wakened and led to a de-
fering personally in order to CRAFTY
that mysterious curiosity aroused by
the sufferings of others.
x x X X
Uncle Sans Follies," a musical
revue, auspices D. c. Federation OF
Federal Employees, was giving an en-
tertainment uncomrs omisingly anna
teur. But it was the amateur de
luxe who now appeared. There
were no quivering lips and no trem-
bling ankles. Smiles were tossed
across the footlights with the con-
hdent charm of the most expert
cnced Broadway beauty. and the
footwork was agile and secure.
Touches of entertainment revived
from old performances that had
hourished on the same stage came
into a joyous reincarnation. Mr..
Jack King was announced as Ameri-
cas- youngest ventriloquist. I didn't
know there were ventriloquists any
more. As usual, in revue the per-
sonal cleverness of the performers
was what counted. Perhaps the
most remarkable demonstration was
that of Mr.. Nash with lariat dane
ing act combined with monologue,
who modestly bills himself as the
local Will Rogers. Mr.. Rogers, as
the parent of that style of amuse-
ment, should see Mr.. Nash. "A
father-and-son lariat act would be
more entertaining than the Duncan
sisters.
The features are so many that
they must be summarized as "Too
numerous to mention" The pro-
duction was worthy a special excur-
sion from Broadway by scouts for
new talent. If this pace can be kept
up the Nations Capital may include
in its other developments line of
entertainment provided by its own
residents that may cause visiting
y 80