The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-03-02
BY Walter ID. Hickman :

with her all the time, even about
nothing. But she loved him and hun
gered for a word of kindness. That
evening, just before Mr.. Zero left
the office, the boss enters and starts
to tell him that the firm has decided
to GUST all their bookkeepers and put
in adding machines, because a
schoolgirl could operate them"
Then the small brain of Mr.. Zero
snaps. And he knows that he is
whirling through space. and sudden
ly you actually see what he sees
while his brain is whirling.
Mr.. Zero and the boss so round
and round. Masterful stage equip
ment makes this possible. Here you
see the value of having George
Sonnes direct productions. Here is
the finest and most complicated
scene that the Little Theatre has
ever tackled. And the result is a
masterpiece.
Very Cruel
In the third scene, after Zero has
stabbed his boss to death, you SEQ
Mrs. Zero in an angry mood waiting
for her husband to come home. He
is late. She is giving a party, TO
which Mr.. and Mrs. One, Mr.. and
Mrs. Two and the like are invited.
When they arrive, these narrow
minded people indulge in talk that
oven a baby would be ashamed,
| There is excuse for child, but never
married people being so mentally
small.
The crash comes when police
man arrives and arrests Mr.. Zero for
murder and Zero thinks that his wife
even didn't give him credit for
having enough courage to kill the
boss.
George Somnes did a startling
and an effective thing when he
created the set for the Court OF
Justice trying Mr.. Zero for murder.
You see, in the background, a
Judge wearing a mask. expression
less, hearing the evidence. In front
of him in a sort of suggested cage
is Mr.. Zero. Remember there are
only two people on the stage. None
on the stage actually talks. The
author permits you to see what Mr..
Zero sees and to feel what he feels
while the trial is going on.
The jury is not on the stage. 1t is
in the front row of the theater, right
| .o..A A.. 49, o,,dia1oa XNbay, fba iifrv
yells Guilty" and marches out, we
see Mr. Zero trying without success
to find out Just what justice really
is.
The Grave Opens
We do not see Mr.. Zero put to
death by an order of a court of
justice, but we see his grave in a
graveyard along with other graves.
A street walker enters the grave
yard at night with boy companion
for a definite purpose, because her
apartment had been raided on a tip.
off given the police by Mrs. Zero
and she had served time.
The girl recognizes the new grave
and thinks it would be a great joke
on Zero if she would stage petting
party on his grave. Her boy friend
does not see the joke and they leave
Then the grave opels and Mr.
Zero stretches out and decides that
he will walk about. He does, and
another restless soul comes out OF
his grave. Both find out that they
are murderers. One had killed his
boss, the other his mother and who
feared that he was going to burr
for his crime.
So the two leave the graveyard
and travel to "a field" all pretty
reminding one of the country. Here
the two souls of murderers talk over
things and they can't understand
why they should be in such a pretty
place when they should be burning
Then a voice calls for Mr.. Zero
Zero fears that it is his wife trying
to keep up with him. But it is only
the girl who worked opposite hin
at the bookkeeper's desk. She haC
committed suicide.
So the two sit down and stage ;
loving scene and even plan littl'
bit of free love. At least. they plaI
to be together. because the girl fig
ures that Zero is now no longel
bound to his wife because the mar
rlage vow only bound him unit
death.
But Mr.. Zero hears that there ar
thieves. liars, free thinkers ant
about everybody in this field" an,
so he decides to journey on. So h