Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11

q TRETCH1NG hands across
the sea-" our English cousins,
as they are sometimes called,
supplied Washington with
its real theater this week. At the
moment it is rather difficult to de-
termine how grateful we are, or
how astonished. Had the double
hill been shorn of half its attrac-
tion and the Barrie play alone
been relied upon to provide US
theatric Joy, everybody might
have been happy, whether some
of New York'S writer's approved OF
MIR. Hampden in his entirety or
not. That distinguished actor was
an admirable Admirable Crlchton,
if. perhaps, a variant one, Judged
bv the Gillette standard. One OF
the notable surprises of the Tyler
reproduction of Barrie'S profound
est fantasy was the decorously ar
raved feminineS after the wreck
upon the desert island. One would
naturally expect. in this daring
day and generation, to see the
Exposure" exaggerated. Alas, ana
perhaps alack also, instead, 1t was
as decorously minimiZed as the
Etrictest censor of the Victorian
era of virtue could have wished,
thereby robbing the play OF one
of the incidents for delightful
contemplation later on. Mr..
Hampden is said to have dis
rlayed an undertone OF SNAKE
spearean technique, which Mr.
Gillette did not. Individual taste
must determine if his character
ization suffered thereby: There
is not the barest possibility OF
doubt that the audiences which
rapturously greeted the play
throughout its too brief engage,
Ynent were otherwise than elated1
with it. It was finely staged ana
excellently cast, and it is contl-
IDENTIFY believed that if any expert
enced disappointment, it was due
rather to the author than to the
production of his work, because
in 1.-THE Admirable Crichton" SIR
James M. Barrie abandoned the
lighter realm of fantasy with
which he is always so closely as
ISOLATED for a theme whose under
current suggested depth rather
than the surface frolicking OF the
mystical light in Peter Pan.
x 4 K
TRANSITIONS from JOY to Sor-
- row are often sudden; always
deplorable. But such a SHIFT
presses at this stage of the weeks
comment. J. B. mot Myron O.
Pagan, who but a few years back
gave us the delightfully."- intriguing
"And So to Bed" provided Maui
rice Brown, who gave us the
memorable production of Jour
ney's End" with a sour lemon, in
stead of a luscious golden apple,
to satisfy our craving for bet
ter theater in The Improper
Duchess" And it does seem as
if the Professional Players Guild,
which made it's debut with it in
presentation, was really betrayed
in being given. the Duchess for our
delectation as the first Offering,
/. for by no stretch Of generous al
;" lowance can "The Improper
Duchess be included in the
"finer and better drama" which
the Professional Players are said
to champion London may have
enjoyed it and even raved over
it, as the advance notices claim,
but not the London which cul-
tured Americans like to remember,
if our critics have justly recorded
their verdict. Our finer and
better drama, apparently, has a
standard far beyond 1.-The I'M
proper Duchess" which not even
the delightful Bordoni could re-
deem.
X x X X
60 clever and intelligent pro-
- Queer as John Golden, recent
ly in print, told the world that
his new production, after To-
morrow" has now been modified
in accordance with the construc-
tive suggestions of many critics,
whom he named, giving the sug-
geSted revision by each. Whether
this signifies the dawn of a new
era in the world of play produc-
ton, denoting an intention to COL
lsborate with the critics, or sim
ply a wider invitation to dear, old
Vox Populi itself to take hand
in the salvation of the stage in
pursuing the quest for what the