Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-01
OPENING ATTRACTIONS in WASHINGTON
THEATERS
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. American
Tragedy"

RT.BELASCO-"An American
Tragedy"
Theodore Dresser, expanding much
time and effert, wrote book III TWO
volumes that he called AN American
Tragedy" One of any number OF oth-
er titles might have served just as
well. but there was significance III the
one he chose For while the tragic
events with which he dealt may have
taken place in almost any corner OF
the globe in almost any period OF the
history of the world, Mr.. Dresser EVIL
IDENTIFY intended to study the effects OF
an environment and philosophy that
are peculiar to present day America. IL
is probable that he never thought that
he was at any time engaged in eXpound-
ing "a great moral lesson" The numer-
Gus moral lessons involved have be IN
dealt with much more conciSely in the
ten commandments. by Aesop and by
any newspaper story that reiterates the
calamitous results Of writing, or TALL
ure to burn, old love letters.
It is with something akin to shock
and establishment, therefore, that one
learns that the weeks offering at the
Shubert- BelaSco Theater, dramatl2a-
ton of Mr.. Dreiser's novel, Is intended
as great moral lesson" and that this
thought is emphasized to the extent Of
a printed notice on the program apollo
giving for some of the language that
may seem rather broad" The audience
is requested to kindly view it accord
ingly" And If the audience so views it
the audience might just as politely but
firmly request more enlightening pro-
rouncement ons what moral lesson is
taught, and why. Are the young men
at lit h. of IND
cretions which they later will repent,
and, repenting. go forth and commit
murder? II they are, they should hasten
to the BelaSco and learn the great
moral lesson" that awaits them there.
If they, do not learn this lesson, the
electric chair is inevitable.
One should always try to be fair. and
It is fair to Patrick Kearney to believe
that in dramatiZing Mr.. Dreiser'S novel
he had no great moral lesson i'll mind,
but that he reSorted to the use of I'M
adorned realism because he was telling a
very realistic story, for which TO apol-
ogies are necessary. There's nothing the
matter with realism, but there is no end
to what is the matter with unreal real
ism. Mr. Kearney has written good
play. In the hands of capable actors it
might have been great play. But one
COIklDCllCus III TIC HlCSCllI AboldllNCs W
view it in the spirit with which 1t is
offered. Great moral lessons" may BE-
necessary, but they often are great boreS,
nevertheless.
The Baltimore company which ap-
pears at the Shubert-Belasco this week
has attained a facile use of the lines.
Experience is the best teacher, and the
company has had successful run as a
stock company playing at stock COM
pany prices for the last two months or
more in Baltimore Howard Phillips
shows real possibilities in the leading
role of Clyde Grifiths. who left no
doubts in anybody's mind that the cleo
trio chair was going to be great moral
lesson. The use of lighting effects in
the three final scenes is impressive and
the highly emotional efforts Of the
actors in these three scenes would have
been equally so had not the depths of
human emotion been SO thoroughly
sounded in the three acts preceding.
POLPS-"GoOd News"
GOOD News" fast-stepping collegiate
musical show, returned to Washington
at Polls last night still speeding along
after two years. There were many
changes in the cast, with scarcely a
good singing voice left but the many
song hits and the enthusiastic juvenile
cast retain the punch that has made
Good News" famous.
The story, such as it is, concerns
TAFT Colleges great foot ball crisis. with
technique by Knute Rockne. There
follows collegiate fiivverS, stockings OF
many hues with attractive feminine
legs therein, freshmen. SophomoreS, foot
ball men. astronomy fraternitieS. Soror-
tiles and many chorus men who look
rs though they actually had been to
college. In Edwin Michaels Is an ex-
tremely fresh "frosh' and Dorothy Daw,
the fiapper sophomore, kicks and dances
her way to the front throughout the
show. incidentally Dorothy halls from
Washington.
william Sully, substitute foot ball
player, who waits for two years for the
chance to snatch up a tumble and win
the game for TAFT, is comedian OF the
first order Don tanning as Tom Mar
low, captain Of the TAFT team, shares
first honors with Dorothy Fitz- Gibbon
and Evelyn Kinder, who take the fem
!nine leads With the exception OF
John Philbrick as "Pooch" Kearney,
the trainer, and Maurice Darcy as
Prof. Kenyon, the cast is entirely juve-
nile, and the youngsters give swash-
buckling, jazz stamping exhibition
which carries the show along with
zip from the first to the last curtain.
Song hits of such calliber as Good