The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-16


Aolt&tional oper2-1ouffe Scene
As IA -ROan, CAfnal" and The Hairy
Ape," we have a realistic picture OF
nte among the workers. In the crew
Of the steamer the author has created
strong, loVable heroes With whom we
feel comradely sympathy, So real
istic Is the atmosphere of tropical heat
IN which the screw labors at the open
ing Of the play, while the British cap
tain and rich American passengers sit
in steamerchairs under canopies, that
we ourselves almost drip with perspir-
alton. And so vivid Is the storm in
mtd-ocean that we feel the motion of
the ship and the wind against our
faces; 1t seems that we too are swept
along the dark decks In the hurricane
and finally lie painting with the sail
ors In their hunks. The five episodes
of the first act take place on deck, in
the captains cabin and in the sailors
hunks, the walls Of which, sliding
back, throw open the cabins onto the
deck. The fifth episode shows the
arrival at the port OF New York and
the appearance on shipboard of vari-
Gus quacks and crooks, including the
Salvation Army singing, In the Sweet
Bye and Bye"
The steamer set, with the aid of
certain decorations, becomes a New
York cabaret In the second act, where
an exaggerated and false picture of
the New York underworld is present
ed; as In the 'cHairy Ape" the Amer
lean millionaires are characterized as
degenerate gentlemen in top hats and
dress suits, who come to survey in
coldblooded curiosity the antics of the
prostitutes and pimps, and the sailors
who have gathered here for recreation
after their long voyage This scene
devoid of originality, unreal and ugly
Gas a critic in +.Pravda" has observed)
is unworthy Of the rest of the play
It could only justify its existepce as
an episode, instead Of a long act
since 1t has no direct bearing on the
plot.
In the third act, the Immigrants are
sitting about on the dock and oul
sailors who drift in, discuss the recent
Russian revolution with a Russian
immigrant, who later joins the crew
The appearance of a motion picture
company and the communicating Of
the immigrants to take part in the
thrilling film of a Russian princes!
trying to escape from the bowling
4 mob represented by three or foul
actors in Russian blouses and huge
boards, and the immigrants at the
dock who are Instructed to pull on
their shirts makes very funny eli
max to the act.
In the last act, back on the line
| again, we find military discipline pre-
yailing, as the steamer is carrying
arms TO the Russian White Guards ant
he crew preparing to mutiny- Thu
play ends with the oyerpowering o
the captain and officers who watcl
helplessly as the crew greets a Bol
shevik cutter, and as the CHEEKY com
mand, Left Heinz" is given, tn
steamer turns back without deliver
ing the arms.
Adhering TO the conventional form
of the Mali Theater. the production
while more realistic In some way
than Roar, China lack originality
The playwright, on unfamiliar grounl
in depicting foreign scenes and char
aCters (altho as a seaman he know
the life of a steamer), is less powerful
than IN storm" But tho play On tn
whole has that wholesome simplicit,
and sincerity characteristic OF tn
playwright and, in production borrow
ing somewhat from fits predecessors