Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-27


evidence, and a new school OF drama
sfounded on the standards which pre-
walled when the theater was closely
linked with the best literature of
our language is frankly called for.
Lost" came sponsored by person
alitieS whose attainmentS command
. ed regard and seemed to forecast
work of unusual merit Mr. A. E.
Thomas has given the theater many
delightful hours and Mr.. Chamber
lain's authorship has found wide
circle OF appreciative readers. The
acting talent, too. promised we'll and
it is difficult to understand how the
combination should have lacked the
mysterious force which compels an
audience to sympathize closely with
the performers.
1t is possible for one man to under
take too much 4 series of very
: responsible and delicate tasks rested
their burden on the shoulders of one
man, Mr.. Wallace. Many eminent
players have laid down the rule
that to be an actor man must act
without the disturbances involved in
much attention to practical details
of production. An actor cannot
think of the front of the house and
the back drop simultaneously.
X x *
On~the stage the instinct of self
preservation is developed to a high
degree. A player must protect himself
from forms of competition often SO
Subtle as to be visible only to those
informed as to stage relationships.
A player becomes schooled to study
the scenes in which he figures with
a view to making them highly eff
fectual. The other scenes, however
important they may be to the story,
cannot have quite the significance
of his own, into which he is casting
his work and reputation However
judicial and however generous he
may feel, he cannot distribute as
stage producer the same energies
and enthusiasm that he bestows on
his own part. Such is human nature.
: A strong impression of dispropor-
tion arises in Lost, because of a
superabundance of tense, neurotic
roles. The interest interchanges
from one personality TO another with
mental conditions almost identical;
each struggling for ethical ideals, yet
always hindered by reckless impulse.
There is too much self-sacrifice in
the play. The sacrifice becomes
not so much shining example of
distinct personality as group habit.
X
Why playmakers should select for
bidding titles when there is such
wealth of pleasant and more or less
poetic words available is one of the
one OF those cold, hard words calcu-
lated to leave the auditor dis
couraged at the outset
If stage performance is bad, its
only chance for survival on self-sup-
porting pecuniary terms appears to
be 10 let il grow worse until IT be-
!, comes as bad as possible. Mr.. Wal
lace's play compared to The
Awakening" is polished gem en-
pIoying skilled talent and recognized
material in hope of finding in the
crucible of the theater blending OF
various elements to produce the
elixir of success. The needful at
finities were absent, yet the effort
was intelligent. Had Lost" con-
.triyed 10 render itself utterly absurd,
as the Cherry sisters once rendered
themselves, it might have command
ed at least a patronage from the
ranks of people who take a cruel
satisfaction in laughing at crude in
effectualities perpetrated with all the
innocent egotism OF the untutored
amateur
"The Awakening" welcomes all
Corners TO the stage door, gives them
costumes, lets them do exactly as
they please. demanding only that for
the most part of the play they keep
time to the music. There is weird
interest in studying the results to
be attained with entirely unframed
material Up 10 a point these results
are remarkable Though sometimes
grotesque TO the eye and battling TO
an ear attuned to grammar, they at
least leave the audience secure from
fear of the terrible experience-ter-
rible for the sympathizer as for the
victim-known as stage fright.
Everybody on the stage is per-
fectly happy and contented. Why
should not the audience be the same!
y
The fact that d play, as is the case
OF Lost" leaves this city without
the popular Endorsement accorded
when a work falls easily in with the
public liking does not prevent if from
hopes of an eventual career. Wash
ington cannot expect often 10 repeat
such an experience as II had when
George Taylor launched himself as a
manager and Hall Game as play
wright with The Christian.
pluckv determination and expert
nursing have saved many an unprom-
Using dramatic infant. Mr.. STANCE s
play Glamour" which was not well
received at the outset, has been gone
over, recast and IS again slated for
a production. There are all kinds of
good luck wishing for it, II the son
OF StanilauS STANCE cannot write a
good play, a large element OF faith
in the law OF heredity must begin to
waiver.
In the topsy-turviness OF the cur
rent stage there was 10 surprise IN
finding the best legitimate acting OF
the ves.. =. vaudeville, That Nazl-
nova should e without play OF
her own with the usual number OF
acts and the customary length OF
supporting cast is another Of those