Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-23

e
1t is not easy to define the boun-
daries of polite restraint which must
limit discussions of what is disclosed
apparently with great popular ap-
prevail in the playhouse. A group Of
puzzled policemen were putting their
heads together in front of the the
alter during recent performance of
"Nanities."
What do you think of it," said
one.
Il know what | would have thought
10 years ago. said another But now
it looks as if they can do and say
what they like, and get away with it.
In defying the school books the
playwright divests himself early in
the proceedings of any responsibility
for accurate historic detail in por
traits of personages; however close
and satisfactory may be the repro
auctions pertaining to scenic ct
feet. The story makes Hannibal
a man of graceful personality, we'll
calculated by the youth-loving
gods to entrance the eye OF
an impetuous Roman girl-wife. The
historian who represented Hannibal
with shaggy poll, a harsh. heavy
beard. and, at this particular time,
with only one eye, goes to the scrap
heap. to be burned along with the
rest of the historians. But from this
Pyreh what phoenix of fun arises !
The Road to Rome" points to
source of stage material but little de-
veloped in this country, but utilized
consistently in England. Mr.. Sher-
wood is the editor of Life. 1t has
ever been the fate OF the confirmed
wag to meet with efforts to leave
him hoist by his own petard, and 1t
was cruelty suggested that if Mr..
Sherwood has had all this genuine
fun in his intellectual system very
long, he has been holding out on his
magazine.
The relations of humor to print are
not always easily adjusted. The
spoken word carries point more
convincingly by far than paper and
ink can ever do. w. s. Gilbert was
once asked if he wrote the clever
things that got into Punch.
Il write them" answered Gilbert,
but they don't get in
y
A number of the men who edited
London Punch have been valuable
contributors to the theater. 1t was
Tom Taylor who wrote Our Ameri-
can Cousin" which happened to be
playing in this city at the theater in
which President Lincoln was assassi-
mated. 1t was the fashion then for
America to assume literary rivalry
with England, expressed very fire.
quently in pretty rough buffoonery
as we'll as in caustic innuendo. Tay-
ior's "lampoons" crumbled into sorry
confusion in the presence of the great
tragic event. and perhaps his best
poem was an apology, IN spirit OF
humble self-accusation, for some OF
his writings that seemed intended to
apply to Lincoln personality as typ
icai OF the American described by
Punch as Brother Jonathan"
The shop-made play has come to
be wearisome. as it reveals familiar
patterns and dialogue, neither nat
ural on the one hand, nor scholarly.
on the other Mr.. Sherwood bids us
take cheer and revive the slogan.
while there is life, there is hope!'
" y y
Blanche Ring declines to assert
herself as an influence of delicate
feminine refinement in drama. The
actors of the day still strive to please,
but some of the actresses are entirely
coercive in method.
If YOU want ali audience treated
rough. leave it TO a woman.
Next TO the Duncan Sisters, Miss
Ring is the leading club wielder in
the ROMAN of farce. When she gets
into the principal feminine role of
Cradle Snatchers" she does not care
a rap whether people think she is
lady or not, and the auditors, espe-
cially the men. are reduced to hila-
rious hypnotism. They sit in an
ecstatic trance as subjects of her
cavewoman demonstrations.
The entertainment afforded by
Baiieff, not to mention the genial
prominence assumed by the radio an
nouncer, has given rise to the desire
among star comedians to abandon the
attitude of I'VE try to please you,
one and all; we hope we don't in
trude"-and appear in solitary au-
thority as master of ceremonies.
Collier is smart, rapidhre come
dian, with a gift of making the we'll
rehearsed repartee of the manuscript
sound like perfectly impromptu wit.
On the stage he needs companion
ship. Ching a-Ling" left no doubt
that this favorite player is at his
gloomy worst when lonesome.