Evening star., 1928-12-24
NATIONAL-"Strange Interlude."

| A work approached with delibera-
| ton and in a spirit of bold confidence
| disdainful of hazards, yet reckoning
with masterful accuracy, Strange In
| terlude," even should Eugene O'Neill
decide to strive no further, would rank
as the triumphant elimination of a
career marked by many brilliant liter
ary achievements.
PLAYS have come and gone in which
themes utilized by the "Interlude" were
| touched upon. Some shone brightly
| with cleverness, but not with inspira-
| ton. This one reflects them all as the
| facet of a diamond reflects rays of
| light in interpretations of wonderful
colorings.
The "Strange Interlude" is the span
of human existence, which so many ex-
perience and so few study. 1t was Pros
, pero in 1.-THE Tempest" who gave
Shakespearean voice to the thought,
This little life is rounded by sleep"
It was Puck who said on Midsummer
night What fools we mortals be!'
ONeill takes up the tools of his play
writing trade as he finds them. In
apparent contempt for old models of
classic drama, he vindicates their worth.
Discussion of this play has become an
easy task. Public opinion, immutable
and sincere-a jury that cannot be tam
pered with-haS returned an emphatic
verdict in favor of the poet and play
maker, who is always the defendant in
trial involving question OF artistic
merit.
A play with nine acts seems to defy
the old unities of time, place and
action" Time and place" have been
disregarded in an effort to disclose the
operations of the human mind. Now
A. 1f dc Hicr0iCCpH without
hesitation or remorse and the dialogue
reveals not merely what the persons
of the play are saying to one another,
but what they are really thinking.
The so-called "'aside" speeches leave
the plot intensely interesting as it Is, a
subordinate consideration as they dis
play in merciless clarity the thought
which underlies and animateS the WORD
expressions which seek to conceal
| motives of conduct and of superficial
expression. They assert power rather
as soliloquies than as "asides," COM
parable to the self-searching reVeries
of a Hamlet, incarnated into the many
new identities rather than as the old eX-
| planatory interruption used as a hasty
expedient to assist the narrative In
going on. 1t is a play which makes
| innermost thinking the overwhelming
GleI1l6IG Ol lLlJSLeSI III plOAlCoo ACNCAocAoAi
of hypocrisies to which Ill faith must
| lead
Retributions are subtly suggested
Those who trif1e with life find sorry
disappointment: those who meet 1t with
abiding faith in an ideal are at last
rewarded with a peace that may come
with admitted defeat no less than from
tempestuous victory.
Seemingly, ponderous, as judged by
description, the mechanism of the play
is most delicate. 1t needs the skill
which knows how to select a cast that
leaves the impression of perfection in
the acting. 1t is left to Pauline Lord
to portray the woman, at first defiant
of restraint, then conquered by the
mother love which asserts itself not SO
much in usual sentiment as in the
fierce urge of jealousy coveting the
affection of her man child Charles
Marsden. played by Ralph Morgan, has
role of gentle self-effacement and
loyal humility, which might prove
trivial with less competent treatment.
Marsden makes it splendid. Donald
Macdonald gives sparkling study OF
youth, and convincing picture OF ma
turity, the man of small pretensions
and abiding trust, whose life is a sue
cess because his illusions have been left
undisturbed. His role is an example of
the irony of fate which brings happi-
ness to simple frankness, while denying
it to impetuous world wisdom. Harry
C. Bannister plays Darrell, the scientist,
who pursues the cynical theories of his
schooling so far as to find himself
destroyed by reversion to the ideals
of love in its ancient and inexorable
interpretations. A very responsible
player is the young boy, Lester Shelley,
around whom are woven complexes
that give significance to some OF the
most striking scenes.
James Todd and Helen Hughes have
roles which give opportunity for a
poetic gesture on the authors part.
Their "asides" disclosing mental reser-
vations are few and negligible. They
speak only the language of true fidelity.
Strange Interlude" makes no
apology as to the time and the theater
for which it was written. 1t uses the
boldness of phrase as well as idea to
which the theater has become accus-
toned. But the boldness displayed by
ONeill is that Of the artist and not the
adventurer.
PHILANDER JOHNSON.