The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-31
BROADWAY SLABS
BACK AT RURAL (
CRITICS IN PLAY
George NJ. Cohan Presents
Home ToWners' for a
Long Run.
BY The NEA Play Jury

BY The NEA Play Jury
NEW YORK, Aug. 91.-George
M Cohan in his newest play, gives
ais regards to Main Street.
And since Mons Cohan is highly
urban and to the Broadway manner
born, these regards are none too
warm.
The play is THE Home Towners,
and represents Cohan at his most
Cohanesque.
It's basis is the common suspicion
and animosity of metropolis and av
erage town. The small town frowns
upon the city slicker and the metroi
polls becomes superior to the yokel.
The small towner views the metro
politan population as so many po-
tential crooks and the netropolite
looks upon the Main Streeters as
victims of smuggery and hypocrisy.
There is, doubtless, something to be
Faid for both sides.
A son of South Bend, which be-
comes symbol for the provinces,
has made a fortune in New York.
He is about to marry and invites
his closest friends from the old home
own to attend. One Bancroft, after
few drinks, becomes suspicious
that the bride and her family are
typical "city slickers' trying to get
his friends cash. This preciptates
a crisis. The brides family starts in
pursuit Of the accuser and the wind
up is very Cohanesque assault on
the Small town mind" quite as GER
tain toA get the crowd as did the
grand old flag stuff of the earlier
cohan pieces.
Earl CAROLS Revue of 1926 does
little to improve the standard of ma
jor league revues The big" pro.
ducers can learn wit, taste and origi-
nality by visiting such smaller eff.
fort as Americana" and the Gar
rick Gaities. The best of them was
THE Merry World" with its col.
lection of adroit and skillful British.
ers. 1t persisted while many taw.
dry things survived, and the Shu-
berts will send it on the road under
the title of 1.-THE Passing Show"
Which is Broadway's loss and the
roads gain.
The Carroll opus is costumed and
presented with about the same taste
The manager uses in his publicity.
Il T.
Lawrence \Lander, who should
know better since he has written
good satirical stage material and has
had long association with the The
alter Guild, provides Broadway with
I standardized farce, Henry, Be
nave" He uses the old amnesia de-
vice wherein soured and Grabbed
old geezer gets tapped on the bean,
loses his identity ard reYerts to his
1evilish youth back in the Anna
Held days. Thus he tips off his past
10 his kin and associates and hui
nanizes himself in their eyes.
i. T. f.
Meanwhile the theatrical astrolo-
gers proceed with the seriouS bust
ness of casting the stars.
Jeanne Eagels, who has given two
years of her life to Rain" goes to
a less psycopathic comedy, THE
Garden Of Eden a part originally
considered for Katherine Alexander,
who shifts to owen Davis Gentle
Cirafters."
Pauline Lord also ends her two
year appearance in They Knew
What They Wanted" role that
sent her skyrocketing among the
dramatic notables, and is cast for
"Sandalwood." a sardonic comedy re-
gadring which there has been much
advance Juror. It seems that owen
Davis dashed it off a couple of
years ago, gave all the managers a
chance at it and found them un-
friendly to it, Thus it kicked around
until Robert Milton decided he
wanted it, and now finally has got
1t.
Jane Cowl, who has been bringing
the crowned heads Of Europe to her
feet, returns to America with
French play, LA Riposte.' Which
reminds us that the invasion of for
eign plays will be more formidable
than ever.
Thus far seventy-two productions
or one.fourth of the entire years
output, will be of foreign man
ufacture. Among these will be a
new Michael Arlen; "a Cavalier Of
the Streets" Somerset Vaughan
play, 1.-THE Letter" Masefield
drama, ANNE Pedersdotter." and a
Molnar, Riviera"