Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
STAGE NOTES
A N event, or events, upon which
~ the attention of WASHINGTON
~ theatergoers becomes more
\ keenly focused as Its occurrence

N event, or events, upon which
~ the attention of WASHINGTON
~ theatergoers becomes more
4 \ keenly focused as its occurrence
approaches, is the impendins
| visit Of the New York Theater Guild to
the National Theater, playing its first
subscription season here and presenting
some of its best known works, among
them ONeill's Marco Millions" Sill
Varas Caprice" Ben Johnsons "Vol-
pone" and karel Capek's "R. U. r."
Marco Millions" inaugurates the
Guilds series. opening next Monday eve
ming, October z. Some critics feel that
the play marks the most advanced stage
Of ONeill's art, being In many respects
blending Of all the divers forms Of his
great dramatic gifts. O'Neill, coming to
the American stage at time when it
was characterized by almost unrelieved
dizziness, has attempted nearly every
kind of dramatic writing social satire
in THE Hairy Ape" tragedy in Desire
Under the Elms," realism in Anna
Christie" symbolism in THE Great
search in Strange Interlude" and by
namo." Marco Millions" has realism
and romance and satire and poetry,
much of that earlier lyricism which
Dynamo" for example, seemed 10 have
lost or ignored.
Briefly, the story deals with Marco
Polo, misunderstood by his cotempo-
raries and misjudged by posterity. In a
foreword the author says: Polo, the
as an extravagant romancer. and ever
since he has Travelled down the preju-
diced centuries a prophet without
honor, or even notoriety, save In false
whiskers." Mr.. O'Neill then presents
his hero as the Rabbit OF medieval
times. Marco Polo leaves Venice an
idealist and dreamer; he returns a
commonplace tradesman. who has sacri-
feed his dreams for gold. He travels
into Cathay, toward enthralling adj
venture. only to let romance and love
slip through the fingers that could close
so tightly on a bargain in the bazaar.
With stabbing satire the playwright
shows the growth Of big business man.
a sa-donic reflection of the present age.
In Kukachin, granddaughter of Kublai
KAN, O'Neill has created a beautiful
and appealing figure. She Is the dream
that Marco never made reality, and
her tragedy is itself largely the tragedy
Of human life.
THEATER fare of much lighter type
than the Guild plays Is limited by
Manager Cochran of the National for the
late october or early November weeks
Among bookings for which he Is an
Cling are Earl Carroll's "Vanities," with
w. G. Fields, and Ziegfeld's new Show
Girl" which has had highly success
full time of it on Broadway since its
opening on July 2. An interesting fea-
ture Of the attraction. among many
others, is the dancing by an Albertina
Rasch group Of part Of George Gersh-
wins latest jazz symphony, AN Amer
lean in Paris" The work, in its rhythms
and strange harmonies, is a highly pro-
vocative composition, impish in some
passages, sentimental in others.
Al soon as Gold Diggers of Broad
"A way" has given reasonable evidence Of
how much longer it will continue to at
tract people to the Metropolitan, the
management will book a picture. THE
Four Feathers" which has already won
both box Office and critical recognition.
Made by those hardy wanderers. Ernest
Schoedsack and Merriam Cooper, who
gave Grass" and Chang" to the
screen. -Four Feathers" has q generous
footage of the same remarkable pho
Biography of native life in alien jungles
that distinguished the two earlier works:
Part Of the film was made in Hollywood
and spliced into the story later.
IVA LIE GALLIENNE has announced
H that she will add Tolstoy's "The
Living Corpse" one of the outstanding
classics of the modern stage, to the list
of plays to be produced this season by
the Civic Repertory Theater. Jacob
Ben-Ami will play Fedya, the role
taken by John Barrymore In the first
American presentation in 1918. Alex
ander Moissi German actor, who made
an extended tour in America last Fall.
has also done the role In this country
twice. The Civic Repertory's inter-
literal translation.