Evening star., 1924-03-23

the keenest interest. not always un-
mingled with trepidation. We fear
that some blossoming realist may
expect us to take all impossible in
terest i'll the way he combs his hair
or eats an egg for breakfast. The
new actor is calm. easy and frankly
superficial. The old actor is vibrant
with sense OF responsibility and
dcsirous OF reading into his lines
the utmost shades OF meaning OF
which they are capable.
=
Mr.. Lee Wilson Dodd, author OF
The Changelings," gives the mod
ernists rather the better of the op-
portunity. His comedy is OF the
present hour and cynical He
touches on the Freudian impulse to
nathematicalize the operations OF
mind and conscience, and makes the
role OF the novelist who feels that
his dignity has been outraged be-
cause friends wife changes her
mind about their elopement an out
standing figure of whimsical interest
This novelist is unruffled and secure
The player is as Indifferent to elocu-
tlonary considerations as his role is
to conventional morals. And so it
is with the young husband. who
speaks earnestly, though geSturing
but seldom. Their attitude toward
the rest or the cast appears to be
that OF a man who says, LET EN-
raver
The playing OF Mr.. Miller and Miss
Bates reveals the earnestness which
seeks to spellbind even when
speeches lack spellbinding quality.
The result is that instead OF pro-
found emotion they convey only an
impression OF acidulous irritation
1t seems probable that these well
famed players, and their audience,
too, would feel more at home if they
were to renew their relations with
drama of the more traditional and
poetic style. Mr.. Dodd's authorship
has a neat and cauStic manner and
affords little congenial scope to the
sentimental interpreter.
< :: ::
Mr.. Schildkraut is reflection OF
both the old and the new. His train
ing is obviously complete in all the
tricks and traditions of stage craft.
Yet he is naturalness itself He has
temperament without exaggeration.
and by the lift OF an eyelash makes
commonplace glow with sudden
brilliancy. He has in a superlative
degree the delicate correlationship
OF brain and nerve centcrs that
makes the artist What he does
easily. whether intuitively or by
careful design, is precisely the right
thing. timed to the infnitesimal frac-
ton OF a second. He should be sur
rounded by cast of the greatest
possible proficiency, for the pace he
sets is stimulating. There was no
doubt that he made great char
acter OF the title role and there were
moments when he made "The High
wayman' seem almost big play.
= x 4 4;
An exceptionally long season is
promised, but it may be doubted
whether there will be another week
placing in evidence so much great
reputation, both native and foreign
The attitude of the public was Sc
lective. THE Lullaby" remained a
second week at the President, which
is plainly determined to shatter the
old idea that a single week is the
limit for an engagement. Audiences
were not so large as to test capacity
at any of the theaters, yet they were
appreciatiye; and since acquaintance
has been established. would un-
doubtedly be larger for the Russian
drama ii the Moscow Players could
afford to come again.
:; x !; <
SO much has been sent over from
Russia that it would seem almost
time that we reciprocate, returning
gayety for gloom. The least we
could do would be to establish a
radio system that would enable Mos
COW to listen in on "Roxie' and "his
gang"
The drama ignores vital topics.
though making grand huliabaloo
about its audacity. 1t turns to safe
and sordid themes and claims with
arrogant hypocrisy to aim at expos
ing vicious conditions in order to
reform them. 1t offers scant psyche
logical relief from the anxieties of
an eventful time, and, in comparison
with actual happening about us, is
tame in dialogue. and feeble in dra-
matte climax IL studies every his
tory and every society except our