Evening star., 1927-10-09

of the theater the magician
holds very straightfor-
~ ward and perfunctory pace.
He amuses the children, who frankly
voice their pleasure, and also the
parents, who restrain their mirth tor
the sake of dignity.
He assumes no great intellectual
responsibility and makes no effort
to play upon the emotions relating
TO more or less unhappy marriages.
Yet. despite the modesty of magic,
Il was Thurston who supplied the
reliable element of entertainment III
the dramatic theater. His running
fire of comment contains enough
speeches to make fairly large man
uscript and is better than the dia-
togue listened to elsewhere by a
patient few.
1t has been long time since a
theater reverberated to the call.
@Author! Author!' Except, Of
course, in the case of Mr.. Belasco,
and even then the literary function
is submerged in the calls for the pro-
ducer.
No more does the diffident creator
of fancies and phrases for public
entertainment step to the footlights
to stammer incoherently in an
ecstasy of gratitude to the kind audi
ence, and retire allowing his bushes
10 mirror his inexpressible, beatitude.
Such Joyous moments are no more.
The audience does not invite the
tuthor with genial handclapping. 1t
bits in a huddled knot, or else is
scattered among far spaces in an
effort to dress the house" with set
laws and narrowing eyes implying
the thought within, Il dare him to
tome out!"
Even the play bills that faced the
streets were the heralds of dlsap-
pointed hopes as they announced a
new play by Frederick and Fannie
Hatton, to whose credit stands SO
many popular pieces. On Monday
night high hopes attended this bit
of atmosphere drafted from the un-
ierworid and bearing on its banner
the title, Synthetic Sin"
The title is probably the cleverest
line of the play, which was appar-
emily designed to make actors as
uncomfortable as possible.
Even more glorious was the prom
ee given out by posters for The
Zoo" Mr.. Dillingham; presented
and Dillingham; presentations have
built up an average of quality SC
high that the name inspires conf
dence. Whether or not he detected
premonitory symptoms in the early
stages of the rehearsal is not known
But he went on business to Pitts
burgh, and so escaped the gloom
germs scattered SO copiously here.
" X
When a collaboration by Winchel
Smith and Michael Arlen was men.
TONED dreams of another Beaumont
and Fletcher combination brought
Intellectual gayety. When two such
well known favorites as ROLAND
Young and Wallace Eddinger were
placarded the opportunity was ap
parently at hand to enjoy some goot
situations, such as have borne tn,
Smith trade mark in the past, to
xether with Arlen dialogue. which
knows how to be impudent and otter
smart.
The authors and the players were
like butterflies caught in the rain
They were expected to revel in thu
golden sunshine of the public smile
and disport themselves without ;
care. This had been done by th'
authors, but before an hour ha'
elapsed it was evident that the actor
were careworn. indeed.
In The Zoo" Jew traces of "col
laboration" were apparent. 1t looke'
as If a problem in cancellation ha'
asserted itself, with Mr. Arlcn pull
ing out Smith situations and Smitl
blue penciling Arlen epigrams. Tn
effect was very much as if Mr.. Smitl
had tried to write an Arlen play
and Mr.. Arlen had tried TO write
Smith play. Whenever a vein OF III
terest came to attention 1t wa
promptly neutralized.
n X
Players with so much responsibiit
rs that placed upon Young and I'D
dinger must have felt as if they ha
been caught in one of those night
mares which appear to have throw
. the Aambsxe< suddenly from tn