Evening star., 1926-11-28

only as a player out as wit, gen
tleman whose companionship meant
an experience of charm, and Of
George Drew. an actress held IL
universal admiration, would have the
benefit of naturai good taste anc
acquaintance with tradition such a.
Ethel Barrymore obviously enjoys
All of the BarrymoreS act and act
we'll.
An actress, whatever her gifts
cannot be better than the role as
>igned to her. Ethel Barrymore has
given polished and conscientious skill
70 number of characterizations
which lacked the quality worthy OF
her efforts
In the title role Of "The Constant
Wife she has found the most salts
factory vehicle accorded her i'll
Years.
II is always a mission of the stage
TO assume a controversial attitude
and champion the newest idea which
Iontradicts convention. It is when
a new idea begins to attain too much
>ocial momentum that the satirist
,teps in with a bom0ardment OF
ridicule which usually makes good
fireworks without leaving any praC-
jical impression. Even Oscar Wilde,
With his sunhowered estheticism,
could not be reduced from perma-
uent and admiring fame by the keen
caricature of him by w. s. Gilbert
in the languishing Bunthorne, any
more than he could be destroyed by
public humiliation and imprisonment.
The edicts Of current opinion are
seldom to be held as absolutely re-
liable. II is a venture TO express the
conviction arrived at over night that
N The Constant Wife" ". Somerset
Vaughan has written himself down
'lnmistakably a master of wit in the
Inglish-s speaking theater.
The art OF writing dialogue, for
a while much neglected. has been as
serting itself season by season in
'orceful terms. This play develops it
more skillfully by far than the great
majority Of those who are seeking
10 depend upon the spoken word
rather than on scenic display, aero
hatic gesture or plots dependent on
preposterous coincidence. 1t has
been said that the province of the
dramatist is to search the uncon-
~Cious mind and release ideas OF
which the auditors are themselves
scarcely aware. If Maugham has
done this. the American home is due
or some sessions of solemn intro
spection, for he has taken the newest
and most liberal philosophy of mod
crn wedlock and announced it to the
public IN terms apparently of schol-
arly enlightenment and ingenious
siucerit~.
With all its handsome nodernity
one of the most attractive vistas in
the National Theater is the gallery
of stage portraits recalling favorites
in their successes OF the past. In
Manager Rapley's gallety there is a
picture OF d serious faced girl whose
large eyes appear 10 he looking ont
with wordcrment upon the world be-
yond the ;ootiights. AS 10 the foot
light world itself she could surely
have had no aDpreheusions. for acting
vas TO her 50 familiar an expression
IN all her surroundings that it must
have been an intuitive incident of her
'one 4itc.
The picture shows Ethel Barry
more on the occasion Of her first ap-
nearancc as a star. This appearance
was made in tine National Theater
The picture IS souvenir of the
event The play WAS entitled Cap
tain links. 1t was from the facile
pen Of Clyde Fitch, whose capacity
Tor light and tasteful superhciality
was l;mitless. His mode OF work
nanship was peculiar. He did not
scciude himself Tor thought, but liked
20 have friends about him, talking
with entire freedom among them
selves while he piodded along ap-
QarentlY obl;vlous TO his surround
irgs
In Captain links" her success was
not hailed with unanimous enthusl-
aSm. Ore lore reporter found him
SELF alr,losl . conversational exile
when he wrote IN terms OF bubbhng
youth or the strange but irresistible
charm o. her speaking voice. Pro
tessioral voice culturists met the as
sertion with volley> oj antagonistic
postage stamps. Il WI- not SIX
months, however before youth
ftl actrcsst> innumerable were
seeking something OF that same in
dchnabic appeal i'll speech. and the
reporter often -olaccd himself by at
lending some 81 the many perform
ances in which proie, sionai IIinlics
announced "a q sure fire demon
strst;on my next imGation will be
Ethel Barrymore
The theater when Clyde Fitch was
writing was something Ut school OF
department. ari conversational ia
cility. The town cul-up borrowed
the tr,tk.t>t ui Ne cor dian for the
entertainments ui the friendly circle
while a small brother Whistled the
latest tunes unhampered BY the tech
rical diff, ,cuitits CI >yucOpatiOn. The
village belle studied the graces OF the
leading lady and tearfully contem-
plated the death oi Camille as a
beautiful melancholy warning OF the
results OF mistaken like. II IS fortu-
nate that the stage at present is en-
tirely an objective consideration
measured solely bv its capacity to
interest or anluSe and with very
little status as Source oI smart or
polite suggestion. TO take seriously
the role OF The Constant Wife, and
memorize is cpigranIS would involve
much precociouS acquaintance with
theories which require the utmost
skill of learned, experimenters with
thought and custom FOR their logical
presentation.
X
In order IL be- or,gl,al the plav-