Evening star., 1925-03-01
Record Making Both IN
Drama and Spectacle
By Ph,1ander Johnson.

BY way of variety in titles, new
play adapted from the French by
A. E. Thomas, a .dramatist of unob-
trusive personal methods, but re-
markably reliable in his workman
ship, dispenSes with the customary
punctuation and concludes its title
with a question mark. The title,
After Love-" is far from convey
ing in Eaglish a hint OF the intel
lectual intensity which renders this
work one of the most important,
even though not as yet one OF the
best-patronized presentations OF the
current season.
x x x x
1t is fair to assume that a play
which attracts the public to an ex-
tent which throngs the auditorium
week after week and season after
season is, technically speaking, a
good play 1t has made its appeal
to the final arbiter, public opinion,
and no amount of adverse protest
concerning its details can obviate
the fact that it is received as part
of our social thought. 1t has dem
onStrated its right to exist, since 1T
functions reliably and securely. The
theater, despite the commercial ma
Chinery which has for some years
past rather automatically modified
its expression, still retains the privi-
lege of ancient democracy; that of
speaking voice to ear, direct to the
populace 1t is this privilege that
makes censorship so difficult
matter.
While it may be optimistically ad-
mitted that all plays which appeal
on terms of box office patronage are
good plays, since they have the i'm
mediate Endorsement of Vox Populi,
there are still plays which appeal to
the respectful student of dramatic
literature as even better plays de-
spite their lack of this Endorsement.
A vast number find an intense ad-
miration among audiences who wish
to go little deeper into the ex-
ploration OF the theater than the
current demonstration for purposes
purely OF entertainment will permit.
Such plays show the courage OF con-
viction on the part of their pro-
ducers, bold desire for innovation
that discloses a spirit almost of de-
fance to the public mood. But there
are moments when the public rather
likes to be dehed and rushes eager
" to welcome an attraction designed
with no respect whatever to the
preference of the passing hour. 1t
will be a triumphant demonstration
of public taste if After Love?" is
able, by sheer merit and power, to
assert itself as one of these. 1t is a
play which requires considerable
amount Of acting on the part of the
audience in so far as it becomes
necessary to subordinate customary
modes of thought and to release
imagination SO as to come into an
intimate understanding OF the i'm
pulses and ideas of a social system
toward which we may be tending,
but which is not yet entirely our
own. X x x x
To the playgoer who demands
boisterous mirth or tempestuous
retribution this drama will say but
little. Even so accomplished a
comedian as Mr. Nicander sheds
but a faint glow of humorous relief
by his Interpretation of a droll and
rather unscrupulous- father-in-law
All is subtiety, after the first act
has established in terms that seem
for the moment questionably abrupt,
the theme, which is thenceforward
to be discussed with an accuracy so
pitiless and yet so sublime with hu-
man sympathy. The love of man
and woman is revealed both in its
possibilities of frailty and of faith.
The love of parent for child is dis
closed as a supreme and immutable
devotion.
X X X 4
1t is to Henry Miller that the
playgoers of this country, whether
they respond in discriminating
groups, or, as they ought to, in
immense throngs, owes this classic
production. Mr.. Miller has done
many fine things. He has reserved
tzr this particular work the great
sst acting af his entire Career. His