The Washington times., 1930-10-14
Ethel Barrymore Presents
Scarlet Sister Mary"
Rx ANDREW r. KELLEY

6dETyHlOES pEUpOCCu 70 pldCC Jullh
Peterkin's Pulitzer prize novel,
Scarlet Sister Mary" on the
stage, 1t struck me as a unique
and daring venture for America s
acknowledged first actress.
These Gullah negroes of the
Blue Plantation as pictured in
the fascinating pages of the
beautifully written Peterkin book
had distinct and difficult dia
lect. They lived and died in an
immoral, slovenly atmoSphere-a
primitive people of quaint ignor.
ance welded to folk customs and
superstitions-far removed from
our everyday life.
Scarlet Sister Mary was the
erring member of the Plantation
who lived and loved and suffered,
bearing many children Of clouded
.parentage as the fruit Of her
promiscuity, a victim of tragic
miscarriage. This was the role
which intrigued a great actress
because of its dramatic and emo
tional content.
For Ethel Barrymore it meant
shedding the drawing room man
ner,. the polished speeches of con.
ventionalt roles where her beauty
and histrionic charms found their
most congenial background. It
meant Smearing her body with a
mahogany stain, don7ling a kinky
wig, Stimulating a mongrel speech
and living a SHINING sister in
baggy homespuns.
For an all white cast to
attempt to project the crowded
chapters in the love life of ST.
Maye into the confines Of
theater evening seemed a man.
moth task. almost heroic.
When the curtain dropped on
the final scene at the Belasco
Theater last night, the warmth
Of the applause expressed the
verdict. A courageous and alto
eether worthy adventure in the
unusual, far removed from beaten
paths, had provided an interest
ing and memorable evening for
playgoers.
This tribute might indeed have
been glowing-pe aps great
might have been applied to the
play-had Daniel Reed in his
adoption been able to sustain the
degree Of enthusiasm manifest
when the plush descended on
act one with Si-Maye joined in
holy wedlock to the scallywag
July in a scene brimming with
grand hallelujah and true Gullah
hurrah.
Thereafter the play drifted into
tragic grooves in which the lack
of powerful dramatic incident
placed a greater stress on lines
not compelling in interest, dull
stretches relieved by such asides
as the wiggling toes of a real
pickaninny. Attention is reawak-
ened with the entrance of Sera-
phine (Ethel Barrymore Colt.
fifth generation of the acting fam,
ily). and in the final scene where
Scarlet Sister Mary renounces
her runaway husband and sees
her first born, Unex, die in her
arms. Here we had the emo
tionally superb Ethel Barrymore
pick up the play and by the sheer
power Of tear stained acting in.
vest 1t with treasured moments.
The story of Julia Peterkins
heroine is simple enough. It tells
of humble plantation girl who
marrieS July. a worthless scamp.
July soon SuccumbS to the charms
of 'Cinder" and runs away with
the wench. For 20 years he is
gone and the unhappy Si-Maye
gives herself to life of abandon.
Life is running free in me again" :"
she shouts, and II like to shoot
down ducks as they fly" A
pointed-out creature, sought by
men, Stunned by women, she
finds her comfort and solace with
Maum Hannah and Budda Ben,
who share her cabin. She learns
to smoke a pipe, raises her chill.
dren. and tries to forget her July.
When he finally turns up penitent
she rouses enough spirit to turn
him away. Such is the story.
To those who apply the stand
ards of dialect precision hmned
in "Porgy" or Green Pastures"
as presented by the native negro,
Scarlet Sister Mary" is far from
perfection. Neither Ethel Barry
- o%o NV. fha ~ ovr1 INnrc Of laoI- caVrN.