Evening star., 1926-03-21
Transmitting Notoriiety Into
Fame.
By Ph;1ander Johnson.
GREENWOOD - Keithy

THE enormous poW-WoW that can
l. be created over a small matter
was illustrated in the case of the new
play, "Ashes of Love-" produced in
this city under circumstances which
ing affairs of personal conduct far
more conspicuous than any promise
of artistic interest. The Countess
of Cathcart was presented to public
attention in d most maladroit man
ner, which aimed evidently, to capi-
talize the unfortunate, celebrity into
which her adventures have led her.
Only reportorial attention was re-
quested from the press. This was i'll
advised, for the result was demon
stration of ridicule which, in view
of the fact that the Countess Cath
cart, in spite of her social miscalcu-
lations, is still woman struggling
against rather desperate odds,
seemed shade unchivalrous.
X X X r.
A trained reviewer generously dis
posed would, for instance, have noted
the fact that the play shows no mean
sense of dramatic values. 1t is COM
posed of familiar elements, as most
plays are, and does not disguise
them with any effort of laborious in
genuity. In announcing it as a story
from real life, the posters hold it
down to a sense of human probabil-
ent and aloof from the weird touches
which are now so extravagantly en-
ployed in the hope of startling popu-
lar attention. Although a part of
the plot is laid in Africa, the tempta-
ton to introduce a parti-colored
love affair Is nobly resisted.
The play reverts directly to the
domestic triangle, the unhappy wife,
the neglected husband, the fascinat-
ing intruder, combining to induce
the heart pangs Of recreant mother
love. It is all good, honest, stand
ardized material, which has been uti-
lized through many years gone by
years to come. In presenting it
the Countess Cathcart suggests
thought that she made a consider
able mistake in not addressing her
attention earlier to dramas in manu-
script instead of putting herself
through nervous ordeal in trying
to live them in personal experience.
The performance was an insincer-
ity, enlisting though it did the serv-
ices of some undeniably competent
actors. The author-star left no
doubt as to her own earnestness. 1t
was display of temperament, tense.
but without technique. That she felt
the severest meaning of every word
she uttered could not be doubted.
Yet she has been mercilessly left to
her own resources. There was not
shadow of evidence that she had
had the benefit of expert coaching,
which, in view of the competence
surrounding her, should have been so
abundantly available.
II Is an evidence, perhaps, of the
interdependence of all human rela-
tions that great authors are seldom
good actors, and yet for some
strange reason writers are willing,
with strange frequency, to appear III
their own plays, and actors are no
1903 "litlh6 W PiNoNhS
for intellectual analysis in the cold,
uncompromising terms of printers
ink. The task which the countess
undertook was one in which the per-
centage of chance for failure was
originally enormous and further ex-
aggerated by an utter indifference in
the process of her theatric exploita
tion to any consideration excepting
that of sensational notoriety.
y n X *
Ed Wynn appears in his own
show. There is no doubt from over
ture to finale about whose show it
is. Mr.. Wynn is in every act and
permits himself liberties in diverting
the attention OF an audience on the
verge of applause for some clever
incident of song or dance which
would never be tolerated on the part
Of an employed performer. Having
once appeared in the show Mr..
Wynn never permits himself to dis
appear. The Grab Bag deprives