Evening star., 1925-12-13

IN line with tendency among
4 numerous stars to revert TO the
standard drama, which, after all,
forms the basic element OF theatri-
cal interest. Nance O'Neirs Stronger
Than Love brings forward the emo
tionai actress convincing and over
whelming. She is one Of the few
, players to whom the term emo
technical sense, although instead of
being entirely the high-strung. SEN
sitive victim of desperate entangle-
nent among the threads of fate,
Nance O'Neil adds to her work in
frequent moments a spirit of tragic
and magnificent mental poise. Her
excellent play, built on complica-
tion quite plausible, unfolds the
struggles of mothers mind as she
grows jealous of her foster child,
who is usurping the place in fortune
and affections that she covets for
her own son. Situations arise cal
eulated to thrill the student of COM
piexes with new interest, for it is
q manifestation concerning mother
love under the utmost heart stresses.
II
Stronger Than Love" reveals the
war atmosphere Of the home where
were busy with wool and
needles. laid aside now and then to
write sweetheart letters to the boys
at the front. 1t showed the idyl.ic
aide Of war; the side which idealized
and refined, clinging to the hope
that, in spite of all reports of grue-
some terrors, the ennobling devotion
10 high purpose and the safeguards
as TO physical we'll being and morale
30 devoutiy undertaken for the boys
1t the front must somewhere oper-
ate to lift war above the level of
mere man-hunting rage. The hero
seturns to his home. bringing news
of brothers death. The grief is
intense, but it is the grief of love
end not the torture Of hate.
-
The other side OF the war is
khown in What Price Glory?" The
audience digs into the trenches with
group of men, follows them into
jfheir drinking haunts, observes with
neither sympathy nor blame their
vawdry love affairs. If one accepts
that group as typical he finds new
light thrown on events and condi-
eions which it has been SO difficult
TO understand.
II assumes with daring bluntness
10 reveal the lives and passions of
boys, handled en- masse, whose in
dividualities under such strange cir
cumstances could not be intimately
understood or even too closely stud
ied for fear that sentiment and af-
fection would relax too far the iron
discipline necessary to make the hu-
man material in hand swiftly effec-
tual. The reeking profanity swept
through attention scarcely more
hkeded than if il had been a foreign
language, with signihcances grasped
snore by means of emphasis and
context than because of any intrinsic
kneaning.
1t is one Of the very few plays
(which have no sincere love theme
rs dominant motive. Nance
O'Neil's play departs from the usual
love interest and uti,izes mother
and son affection. But an altman
play must turn to patriotism for its
Inspiration as inevitably now as it
did when Julius Caesar was writ
ten The What Price" title sug-
gests a cynicism. The tag sweeps
Il all away with the three words,
~Wait for me" They are uttered by
. man a moment previously ready
TO murder a comrade in arms in a
drunken brawi concerning a worth
less girl. The two men respected
each other as soldiers as truly as
they hated each other as rivals un-
der every circumstance excepting
where there was fighting to be done
Here they trusted each other i'm
p.icitly. Their mutual antasonisrn,
capable OF any dcspicable trick that
colid be contrived to humble pride
OF thwart a purpose, was over
whelmed by the supreme faithful
ness to the great and real duty. In
spite of criticisms lcveled at author
ity that never escapes criticism un-
der conditions that are here depict
cd, the play is sublime lesson in
loy4lty. such as sacrifices not only
life, but, for the time being, heart
and sout The words WAT for me"
snizht not be unfttingly breathed IN