Evening star., 1926-04-18


have been appropriate to the
declining season OF the high-priced
thcater and the awakening to inter
card has again asserted itself as all
easily victorious rival OF the play
house program. Blossom Time
carries significance OF renewal un-
der April skies. and The Kiss in the
Taxi" manifests itself as a farewell
Salutation.
The Kiss in the Taxi" a French
farce, se~ed to make the parting
with the regular season little
easier. II suggested no regrets nor
lingering farewells. but plodded
through 4 familiar maze OF charac-
teristicai.y l'renti. situations hinge
ing upon The racrcant male who in
Ssts upon q ilirtatiouS career. and
the young woman who (to avoid
Speaking PANTY intrudeS through
force OF circumstances into a circle
Of staid domesticity for which her
personal customs and associations
render her entirely unsuited.
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1t is play OF the type on which
certain small theaters IN Paris spe
cialize, ringing new changes week
after week on the same old theme
There will be three Or four plays in
the same evening, al OF them dealing
with sad experience OF some absurd
family man who Caunot restrain his
feet from pursuing . primrose path
Z I 4. :, 4
FULLY making hi, way III public prom
cnadc Churchward on the Sabbath
The Americanized version OF one
of these tarCcs Is. in many instances,
likely to seem little thin, owing to
the necessity OF expanding the idea
of one-act piece into an evening
entertainment. The perpetual pop
ularity of this playing on a familiar
theme is surprising. Underlying the
much advertised gayety of the
French metropolis there is evidently
spirit of staid conservatism which
finds the social miX-ups matter OF
unendiug astonishment as prepostcr
Gus departures from decorous stand
ard of conduct which they apparent
'v assume to be generally prevalent
The vitality of the so-called French
larce is amazing and bears interest
ing testimony to the ease with
which, after ALL the Partisan public
may be entertainingly shocked.
x = !: i;
Old plays continue to revive i'll
glorious reincarnation. Where once
hey were dependent entirely on au-
thor and actor, they now enlist the
services of the costumer de luxe and
the director of an augmented orches-
ira. That they were hits when non
fuusically produced does not inspire
sufficient confidence TO permit their
matte form. Yet the successful musi-
cal shows are those whose intrinsic
romance and characterization have
stood the test of many bygone au-
diences. Hamlet's remark. THE
plays the thing" is still so true and
so significant that we may expect
almost any day to find that some
weary beachcomber along the sands
of time has picked it up and set it to
music.
x x y
There was an especial sense OF
sadness among many people IN this
city on learning of the death OF
Henry Miller. His earnest ambitions
were far from being content with a
very secure and comfortable position
attained quickly i'll the impersona-
ton of roles such as gave rise TO the
flippant designation matinee idol.
He made it his purpose to develop
his contacts with the theater on the
lines of the actormanager. Once ii
a while he wandered afield into ex-
perimentS which seemed to contra
dict his ideals, but never SO far as to
commit him to an Endorsement OF
the deliberately meretricious or to
prevent him from returning with
firm and steady stride along the
highway az original aspirations. He
was not co-tcnt with little triumphs
He soon had theater named after
hin1-but so alany people have the
aters named after them! He made
his own name a personal and indi-
vidual standard for big ideas and
high ideals in the theater. standing
out in cleap. clear prominence indie
pendently of the intermittent cleo
trical illumination above the side
walks.
Some of Henry Miller's most no.
table plays were produced in this
city. and the very distinguished as
scmhIagc IT the Little Church