Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-25
CAPACITY AUDIENCE
HEARS WOOLLCOTT
Noted Dramatic Critic Calls
Journeys End" Best
Play in World.

Confessions of Dying Newspaper
Man" was the startling ti.ls of the
lecture given yesterday afternoon by
Alexander Woollcott. This brilliant
dramatic critic, who, until his with
drawal from the field about two years
ago, had served several New York news
papers in that capacity, attracted a ca
pacity audience to the small ball room
of the Willard Hotel yesterday after
noon ana Geld its attention through
out his lecture.
The lecturer explained with what
might have been construed as an apol-
ogy for his, healthy almost bouncing
appearance and its seeming incongru-
ity with the title of his talk. that he
had felt it necessary to have a title
that would fit any emergency, and
thought Confessions of Dying News
paper Man" would cover practically
every exigency.
Outlines His Early History.
"And, of course, after all-'aren't we
alp" added Mr.. Woollcott.
He continued by explaining that he
was born in Phalanx. N. j., and giving
other brief illusions to his early his
tory. He received his education In
Central High School, in Philadelphia,
where he determined to try and be a
high school principal. He touched upon
the failure of his effort. He received
college training in Hamilton College.
with postgraduate work at Columbia
University.
He was dramatic critic of the New
York Times Q914-1922) and of the
New York Herald in 1922 and the World
in 1925. He spent two years as an en-
nsted man In the A. e. F., including
one year on the editorial council of
Stars and Strines
Journeys End" Called Best.
It is possibly partly due to his Army
experience that Mr.. Woollcott feels. as
he said yesterday. that Journeys
End" is the best play in the world to-
day. In the course of his talk, he
gave some fascinating anecdotal back
ground on the writing of this play
by an inconspicuous insurance agent
of England, who was trying to write a
play for his boat club members to pro-
duce as an entertainment. His material
was letters he had written home from
the front" His club refused to pro-
duce the play. So did all theatrical
produces of both London and New
York, yet on one experimental per-
Torrance. the play was witnessed by
a producer who was willing to take a
chance. Mr.. Woollcott predicts that
Journeys End" will be running in
London five years from now. 1t is being
produced all over the world, including
a translated version in Japan.
The only other play upon which the
lecturer spent any detailed comment
was THE Last Mile" which has the
colossal theme of capital punishment
Mr. Woollcott has the dramatic quail
ity of merging himself and his person.
ality completely into the story that he
is telling and he made his audience
see wildly yesterday the different scenes
in this tense drama.
AS conclusion, to relieve the strain
after dwelling upon two such tragic
plays, Mr.. Woollcott amused his audi
ence with witty comment about both
his own fellow critics methods of ham
ding unhappy material In their reviews
so as to avoid libel suits and, at the
same time, not compromise the truth
as they saw 1t.
This was the second of series of
events sponsored by the Junior League.
II. F.