Evening star., 1925-01-25

critics could have been sighted on
Tuesday night in the rear Of the Ma
tional Theater by any who took the
trouble to inquire who the tall,
smooth-faced parsonage was who in
terrupted his close observation OF
the stage only to dictate memoranda
from time TO time to a secretary.
This reviewer was one whose privi-
lege it was to speak with genuine
authority. It was Ziegfeld, who
eminence in the domain OF the re-
vue. A faithful scribe he proved up
to the final hour or so OF the pro-
, duction, and then he philosophically
Joined the remainder of the audience
and waited passively for the close OF
\ the lavish entertainment, which was
not effected until after midnight. 1t
was probably the longest show the
National Theater has seen since Les
lie Carter, after separating from Be
iasco, launched "Kassa" under her
own direction.
It was a tantalizing and lingering
farewell. The audience would feel
that the ending of the entertainment
was due; then the show would re-
commence and people would settle
back in their chairs, determined not
to miss anything. 1t suggested COM
pletion and then reasserted interest
s1ike the finale of Rossini's William
Telp' overture.
Equipped with one OF the most
ailuring and Itra-modernistic deco
rative schemes yet revealed. The
Comic Supplement" was irresistible
in a pictorial way, but uncompro-
misingly diffuse in its literary de-
partAlent. Any unkind words here
stagers' are hereby withdrawn. At
the public dress rehearsal" as the
first performance was candidly
enough referred to in the announce
nlents, the impression was left that
the entertainment had been left to
form itself in grand swirl of lumi-
Mostly, in dependence on the nebu-
Jar hypothesis.
There was almost a week in which
to make the selections of what TO
leave out and give the carriage
starter an opportunity to contribute
his final bit to the joyous demonStra-
ton at reasonable hour. Should
this length of entertainment become
customary it will be necessary to
add alarm clocks TO the equipment of
taxicabs.
Out-of-town managers were, of
7+4arI,--, n,a ~
was Morris Schlesinger, who since
his activities in this city as a theater
manager and producer has been
highly successful i'll his management
sof theatrical properties i'll Newark,
. n. J., a town which has grown into
much Importance in theatrical book
ing. "The Comic Supplement" goes
from here into his Broad Street
Theater at Newark ITS a great
show" said Mr.. Schlesinger to Mr..
Zicgfeld, "and / hate to miss any
of it. Suppose we book it like a
Chinese drama and play it two weeks
at the Broad; the first half next
week and the second half the week
after"
: There could have been no greater
influence in favor OF The Comic
Supplement-" than the new play en-
titled conscience" which. as it as
sailed its audience with fierce lam
guage, seemed deliberately calcu-
lated to make towards of us all. 1t
sent you into the night gasping for
comedy relief. Novelty depends on
assaiiing previous standards. 1t is so
in fashions of dreSS and of friyOiorS
diversion apart from the footlights.
We gasp and exclaim, That's the
limit" only to find that the limit
of today is the starting point of to-
gmorroW conscience" manages to
90 q little beyond the usual indecen-
cies by reverting TO suggestions OF
the theme OF Damaged Goods. y
which play may easily be credited
with a large share of influence in
breaking down public resentment OF
theatric themes and phrases unfit for
print.
In "Consciencc' the most conspic-
uous role, as in the case of Lionel
Barrymore's recent play depicting a
"ryiker,' is a character study which
would in more elaborate productions
claim passing notice as character
bit" The neurotic specimens in or
about the underworld constitute the
} prevailing theme. Miss Lillian Fos-
ter is 50 true to life in portraying
the struggles of ignorance for some
thing of the glamour of pleasure and
in showing the type that cannot