Evening star., 1931-12-27

Sidney Howards They Knew What
They Wanted"
The Washington engagement Of DIS
tant Drums" precedeS the New York
premiere Of the play.
In Distant Drums" Totheroh tells Of
the march westward Of a band of pio-
neers who seek to settle in the virgin
timberlands of Oregon. 1t is the year
before the gold rush to California. The
title of the play derives from the ever
present, ominous beat of the drums Of
the Indians. who are constant men
ace to the Fasteners who sought the
promised land in the West. Much of
the material for the drama was taken
from old diaries found by Totheroh IN
Western attics
Miss Lord is supported by a large
cast, including Beulah Bondi, Arthur
Hohl, Edna Heineman, Kate Morgan,
Margharita Sargent, Charles Kuhn, Ed
ward Potter, Mary Michael, Edward Ell
lis, Edward PaWley and Thomas Finley.
10 Meilziner has designed the settings
COSMOPOLITAN GRAND OPERA
TINE Cosmopolitan Grand Opera
Co., Jacques Samossoud, musi-
cal and artistic director, will
i come to the National Theater
next week for eight perform
ances of grand opera, starting Monday
evening, January 4, under the spon-
sorship of Mrs. Wilson, Greene.
"Rigoletto" will be presented in
italian Monday evening, January 4;
evening; Romeo and Juliet" in
and Gretel" in German, and "Pag-
liacci," in Italian, Wednesday evening;
Faust" in French, Thursday evening;
Carmen" in French, Friday evening;
"Hansel and Gretel," in English, and
"Pagliacci," in italian, Saturday after
noon, and "Rigoletto," in Italian, Sat-
urday evening, January 9.
The company includes such artists
as Dreda AYES, soprano, of the Metro
politan Opera; Blanca Saroya, soprano,
Of the San Carlo and Philadelphia
Grand Opera Co.'S; Dorothy Dickerson,
soprano, of the Paris Opera; Colette
D'Arville, new and colorful Car
men" Gladys Mathew, soprano, of the
Dresden Opera; Ralph Errolle, tenor,
formerly of the Metropolitan Dimitri
Carlo and Philadelphia Opera Co. IS; Ivan
Ivantzoff, recently heard in the title
role of Alban Berg's "Wozzeck"; Alex
ander Kurganoff, tenor. of the Paris
Opera; Joseph Roger, baritone, Of the
San Carlo and Covent Garden Opera
Co.'S; Mario Vale, baritone, formerly
with the Chicago Civic Opera Co.,
and others, including a symphony Or
chestra of 81 men and chorus and
ballet of 40.
O'NEILL TRILOGY-January IL.
THE Theater Guild will present
Eugene ONeill's Mourning Be-
comes Electra" at the National Theater
the week beginning January IL, the
second appearance outside of New York
Of the play, which is the sensation Of
the current season. and which score
or more of the critics have declared is
Eugene O'Neills greatest masterpiece.
Mr.. O'Neill's Strange Interlude"
was one of the most successful plays
ever presented here, but word from New
York is that Mourning Becomes Elec-
ira" has eclipsed "Interlude." One
thing is certain-"Mourning Becomes
Electra is longer play. Like Strange
Interlude," 1t begins at $50 pm, pro-
vides for a dinner intermission of an
hour, from 7 to pm, and from s
o'clock it runs until 40 pm.
Strange Interlude" was written as a
single play in nine acts, Mourning Be-
comes Electra" is described by the guild
as three separate plays, tctaling IA
acts. The first play is called Home
coming" the second THE Hunted" and