Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-27
O'NEILL'S TRAGEDY
HAILED BY CRITICS
Drama From Greek Classic
Rated as Masterpiece
of Playwright.

~ the Associated Press
NEW YORK. October Eugene
O'Neili like some Gutzon Borglum
carving a giant drama from the cold
stone Of an ancient Greek tragedy. had
created today In Mourning Becomes
Electra" what critics generally called
his masterpiece.
The dramatist's i4-act- three-in-one
opus was given It's premier yesterday.
The curtain rose on the first OF the
three consecutive dramas, The Home
coming" ct pm. Al the conclusion
Of The Homecoming" 81 pm. there
was dinner intcrmkSsion. following
which the other dramas The Hunted
and The Haunted, we're played. The
performance ran past IL o'clock.
Okeili has based the mood Of this
new drama upon the Greek tragedy.
Electra" and one feels the unalterable
doom OF death throughout the perform
ance.
Alice Brady Praised.
Alice Brady. ALA Nazimova and Earle
Larimore won long cvattons from the
frat night audience for their perform-
ances Miss Brady is the only member
of the cast who appears IN every act OF
the play All critics praised her per-
Torrance IS the greatest in her long
career.
The scene OF Mourning Becomes
Electra" is placed in New England
seacoast villsge. The Mannon family
cyershadows the town, and 4tseH Is
overshadowed by death.
Gen. Mannon returns home from the
Civil War TO be greeted by a betraytng
wife. who climsxes her hatred for him
by numbering him in his own bed. The
daughter, Winnie, vows for revenge. but
she Is unable to gain the cooperation
Of her brother, who believes his mother
innocent.
In the end the son discovers his
mothers guilt. The Puritanical perse-
oution Of Winnie drives both the mother
and the son to suicide. And Winnie
half Puritanical witch and half-Pagan,
is sole survivor and Is condemned to
pay for her sins of asceticism by living
among the ghosts Of those who have
died.
The play is marked by the morbid.
interpretive characterization seen In
most O'Neil works. The revealing
scapel Of his pen exposes so many alb
horrent and depressing human traits
that the audience was stunned into
several moments silence at the final
curtain before 1t began an ovation that
lasted for fully 10 minutes.
Hailed as Masterpiece.
Comment Of the critics included:
J. Brooks Atkinson, in the Times
Mr.. O'Neill has written overwhelming
dramas In the past, but he has never
before fulfilled himself so completely
Mourning Becomes Electra" Is Mr..
ONeill'S masterpiece.
Gilbert w. Gabriel in the American
The Theater Guild has again to thank
Eugene ONeill for a success Of extraor-
binary size and import and ennohling
prestige No play In years has won so
stirring an ovation at its close. Mourn
ing Becomes Electra" bulks as the ma
Jor event in the history of the Theater
Guild.
Burns Mantle In the News-Eugene
O'Neill's greatest tragedy is artistically
important and physically wearing.
Electra" proves a solemn gesture on
the part of the guild that again justi-
fies its existence as .. producing unit.
II we had to have the depressing adj
ventures Of Agamemnon's daughter re-
written. 1t is well that it was done by
the one genius of American drama
equal to the Job.
Percy Hammond in the Herald
Tribune-All that is needed to enjoy
electra" Is endurance and the spirit
of an intelligent fanatic. / congratu-
late Mr.. O'Neill and the Theater Guild
for their superior performance Of
thoughtful, earnest, theatrical and
sanely delirious stunt.