Putnam patriot., 1930-03-06
Heat of midsummer


 4 little farther down the street, and. as in the heat Of midsummer, the stage doors were thrown open to one of the larger theatres and there, in as little clothing as possible, troupe of 1.-the and active young Seminarians of the chorus were going through a series of difficult yet agile steps to the accompaniment of the rasping commands of their dance master. They were perspiringly preparing for the advent of Mir. Leslie's "Interna- tional Revue" pretentious musical af fair which. two nights later, register ed one of the most pronounced Hops of the theatrical season.
 It was late that same afternoon that We beheld another strange sight, this time on Fifth Avenue. We were walking homeward towards the Park, when we passed a calm and sedately dressed lady. leading a little boy by the hand. On her arm she carried quite comfortably very much alive and beautifully be-plumaged cock atoo We have seldom seen a more beautiful bird Accustomed to the unusual. New York Workers glanced at the odd pet, walked on and smiled, even as Parisians smile when Ray mond Duncan. in midwinter. passes down the Boulevards in his dirty Greek toga and unwieldy sandals.
 Then. if one must dine out in the evening. the favorite game in called Florida. It is easy to play. One goes with the lady of one's choice to restaurant or theatre with a stake prepared The one who spots the largest number of people with glow ing tan or a red. red sunburn wins the kitty. for nothing apparently pleases the man or woman who has been so- iourning in the South quite so much as to display his tan in public. One must be careful. of course. in playing Florida" There are the ladies who paint themselves Co the color of an octoroon and who have not been any further south than the Battery and there are the men who have become devotees of the "sun-lamp" and who talk knowingly of Palm Beach and Miami. though in reality they have been doing their daily nine-to-five right here on the island of Manhat- tan.
 Recently. We have been having an orgy O. play-going. Talk, there is the air that the theatre of the spoken actor is dying and. truth to tell, when one sees the gigantic and brilliant signs on Broadway announcing this and that tremendously successful "talkie" one is almost convinced that the theatre of Bernhardt and Booth and the Barrymores has gone the way mechanical But the theatre still has hold on life and in a season which started somewhat disastrously there have developed surprising number of box-ofiice successes.
 Berkeley squar
 If you should come Co town and went Go see the very best play pro- duced since "JOurney's End" opened ts deseryedlv phenomenal run at the Henry Miller Theatre. then We advise that you go Co the old Lyceum and see that splendid young English actor, Leslie Howard. and his excellent sup porting company in Berkeley Square" Here is a play that has charm. imagination, beauty and wit It is altogether a lovely thing in the theatre. A young American inherits an old Queen Anne House in Berkeley Square. London. According to the Einstein Theory 1t is not difficult for him to project himself back into the eighteenth century and there, still keeping his modern identity. he meets with adventure. Mir Howard with his long list of fine theatrical portraits, has never given more beautiful per formance IL is an inspiration Co the excellent company which supports him.
 Also eighteenth century but in di- rect contrast in spirit. Is Children of Darkness" rowdy baudy play of che inmates of Newgate prison in the days when Good Queen Anne reigned with her Dutch consort Mary Ellis. formerly of grand and comic opera and now forging to the front of thv younger actresses. and Basil Sydney, her husband. are the starred players and while both of them give excellent