Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04

essential optimism of the drama
lovers that they accept the Mid
i summer announcements of the
Broadway producers with straight
faced seriousness. About this time each
year the coy theatrical magnates break
down and confess to few sturdy drama
reporters that they are planning pro-
duction or two for the coming season.
These conscientious observers thereupon
compile long list Of the plays We are
destined to see during the impending
year and every one seems to believe in
1t. Forgetting the twin facts that each
producer announces at least half a doz-
en- more offerings than he plans to pre-
sent and that study OF dramatic his
tory proves, with reasonable conclusive
ness, that about one out of six promised
works reaches the tryout period, the edi-
tors, reporters and drama lovers insist
on taking these madcap lists with gal
liant earnestness.
These announcements, despite the la
bors various compilerS devote to Them,
are, OF course, the expression of wild
hopes rather than of serious intentions.
Nevertheless, there is a certain definite
value in such lists, If only as hints con-
corning ambitious trends, and in addi-
ton there Is welcome lure for the drama
lovers, both professional and amateur,
who must live on hopes for the future,
no matter how precarious. Perhaps you
will forgive me, therefore, If, accepting
the current announcements with decent
reservation, a list is appended anticipat-
ing some Of the more alluring exhibits,
both with naive acceptance of the pro-
ducer's intent and with some hasty crit
ical attempt to consider the worthiness
of the ambitious offerings that are so
hopefully announced.
For example, it is pleasant for a pro-
fessional drama lover, who must live on
prospects for a new season, to recall
that the newest Bernard Shaw comedy
Is on its way: that such additional for
eign talents as those Of Werfel, Piran-
dello, Galsworthy, IRVINE and Noel Cow
ard are to be offered us, and that the
local prophets are to be represented in
the labors Of Behrmann, Paul Green,
Richman, Sherwood, Sophie Treadwel,
Philip Barry and Sidney Howard, among
others. It Is alluring to be told that the
MeSsrS. Lardner and Kaufman are to
collaborate on q play and 1t is pleasant
70 note that there will be new Helen
Hayes vehicle; that Cole Porter has
written musical comedy score and
that Eugene Walters has returned from
the shadows to try it again. The prom
1SeS OF the magnateS are replete with
threatened thrills and denominations,
and it is impossible not to contemplate
them with interest, even If you are sure
that no more than fraction viii re-
alize. y
*% X II
60 many ambitious and generally dis
~ tinctive offerings have been earn
estly heralded that it Is difficult to pick
any one Of them as important enough
to warrant primary attention. It seems
safer, therefore, to fall back on that al
most completely reliable group known
as the Theater Guild and to contem-
plate its promises as being, on the
whole, not far from the most poten-
TALLY stimulating currently offered
There Is, for example, the Shaw play,
The Apple Cart" which has SO far
been seen only in Warsaw. Advance
reports on it are fairly vague, but they
suggest that it is one of the most con-
troversiaf Of the playwright's sermons
and that 1t presents the acceptedly re.
publican dramatist as defender of roy
atty and scourge Of the democrats,
as well as the advocate Of an Anglo
American empire, ruled from London.
It an goes to suggest that the play.
wright has grown little too anxious for
hardly hints at tedious drama.
On the guild list there Is also to be
found Mirror Man." which doesn't
sound attractive until 1t is described as
the latest play by. Franz Werfel. Only
those who remember "Jusrez and Max
imilian" and "Schewiger" as among the
most eloquent of modern dramas, who
have admired the sensitive originality
OF the novel translated into English as
Glass Reunion" and who feel, as does
this observer, that the combination Of
unique viewpoint, genuine lyricism and
modern psychological insight, which are
allied so tellingly In Werfel, 60 to make
up one OF the greatest talents in mod
ern letters, can agree with me as to the
potential importance OF this offering.
You are much more likely to agree that
9 new comedy, currently called "Me-
teor," which Is the work Of Samuel
Behrmann, who wrote Ia ''The Second
Man" and Serena Blancish'' two 81
the most impressive Of that small group
OF American high comedies" Is some
thing TO look forward to with consider
able optimism.
To q number Of us, however. AZ As
somehow bit more exciting to know
that the gigantic Ring Lardner has
very likely found proper collaboration
at last. For years every one who has
contemplated the dramas frailties has
lamented the fact that, outside OF few
magnificent nonsense playletS and n
brief sketch or two for the "Follies."
the most probably immortal OF the cur
rent American writer's has had his
troubles with the stage. Now q drama
tization Of that superb story Of his,
Some Like Them Cold" Is offered for
the coming season, and though IL Is
dtmcult to kees how thta narrative ly1