New Britain herald., 1929-03-05

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 met in a novel or an essay, put somehow becomes too involved with plot and ceremonial when trans erred 10 the stage. The 'hinctys" and "dictys" are encountered in an all-negro melo- .lrana" Harlem" which is likely 10 prove the Broadway" of the black belt, sanswiched between this lin- .-1Iistic holiday came a comedy of what some folk might call bad man. rars IT was so merry and intelligent and witty and shrewd that 1t took us place al once among the best things to be found on Mazda Lane. It seem .s 70 me rhe best of the drama ore .+r1,cl, in lighter vein during the season. It is Let Is Be Cav and was written by Rachel Crothers, who had done nothing of conse- quence in number Of theatrical sea asors. Her last opus venus . is best forgotten.
 Its conversation has a definitely modern twist, turning 10 thos" matters of home life. younger generation. fidelity and such . things as have been mulled over for the past several years But . here the ideas are adult - all ho- l5uu is missing There is an un- 7ar-on, Of satire. All this is made possible hv an adroit selection Of
 
 rarforrlance I have seen on Broad way in many a moon is done by t~Harlotte Granville. who plays witty. ie crotchetv old dowager. And Francina Larrimore. whose last work of note was in "Chl- pago." plays the clever and lovely 1ornr woman who is called in by the jowager to "varp' young man into whose arms the dow gers flapper granddaugh threatens 10 toss herself,
 The bite of the comedy lives in the discovery by the unwilling "vamp" that the young man is none other than the husband she divorced three years before, Both N~yp his quiet to the others until inc last acr-meanwhile there are innunl era ble amusing and scintil- ant situations.
 The new Milne play, Meet the Prince" is unhappily not so happy Milne has written many things that are better reading than seeing. This is one of them. IL suffers from an 0ver- supply of whimsy and Of char acter writing Furthermore, the pro aucers have not been able to forge that Milne was author of Winnie the-Pooh," and the direction suffers rom too much Pooh" stuff, as Il were
 It's bit too bad that Mary El, lis. who WAS so gorgeous in 'Tne Dvbbuk." should have such diff culty of late years In finding 2 play worthy Of her skill and beau ". However. letting you in on 9 bit Of Broadway gossip. the story goes that since her marriage tc Basil sydney. Mary Ellis has re- fused to appear in any play 1T which her husband also is no' cast. And so things have been Jls1 bit difficult.
 To return now to Harlem" It is a play with two diverse themes; ont thoughtful, one ultra theatrical Tn rnoughtful themes could well be car ried into q more serious and i'm portant play al later time. I do no recall that they have been touchet ID. One concerns the status Of tn elderly negroes, accustomed to thel southern scene, who are brolgh 10 Harlem by their jazzsome son and daughters. From q ramblinl cabin they find themselves penne' ir a six-by-eight apartment. Thel religious aspect is likely to be tha suggested by the negro spiritual and the revival meetings. The re adjustment isn't easy and may b actually tragic.
 Thus the lazy, lstless father find himself throwing rent parties" rent party" IS one where the boy and girls are called in and serve gin. while tinny piano affords nu sic for their primitive interpretation Of fazz-dancing II is the sort { stepping where one may dance on dime and still get change. I am foi that the police made the actors tor their wiggling down, even though vas but mild picture of what ma actually be seen in the Harlem r. sorts.
 Then there are the differences be ween the African negroes and II West Indians-who are called var ouslv monkey chasers" and "hil oaters" It seems that the West II ,lians are winter and more alert ar get along better. A "dicty," by u way, is a "highbrow." and a "hict, Is one who puts on airs,
 Oh, yes, and "kibitzer" is pc son who can always tell someol -Ise how they should have dol something or other. "Kibitzer," the is play concerning a cigar-sto owner who always "kibitzes" ov he pinoche games and finally Xxi itzes'' his way into heroic rol bringing accidental fame to llimse md his daughter.
 PLAY TWISTED TEAM
 The New Britain Blues will me the fast Winsted basketball tea at the Sacred Heart ~ym tOmorro night The Blue Girls will play | Winsted Y girls while the Blue R