Evening star., 1932-03-06

TINE news is that Eugene ONellPs
period of recuperation has
passed, and that he is again
i astir with plans for three plays
dealing with America in 1776,
in 1840 and 1882. Thus at about the
time Mourning Becomes Electra
reaches the angle of its repose, replace
ments will be at hand from the O'Neill
reservoir, assuring the theater OF an
uninterrupted supply. The trilogy still
thrives in New York if not in other
capitals.
Mr.. ONeill has an especial advantage
over dramatists of lesser vogue. HIS
eminence as the first playwright" en-
ables him to disregard the rules that
restrict his brethren, and to employ as
much time and space in the spinning
OF his tragedies as ne deems to be nee
eSsary. Whereas others are required
by the conventional ordinance OF the
theater to begin at 9 o'clock and to be
through as soon as possible, Mr.. O'Nel!l
rings up at 5 and rings down at such
an hour as is pleasing to him.
How, it may be asked, did Mr.. ONeill
Barry of The Animal Kingdom" S.
M. Behrman of Brief Moment" Marc
Connolly of The Green Pastures" and,
to cut the list short, Mr.. Harwood OF
"Cynara"? Why is he allowed to go on
and on and on while Ed Wynn in THE
Laugh Parade" has to wash up after
three hours Of entertainment and Mr..
GalSworthy's THE Roof was dismissed
before 1t ran not much longer than
single performance of Strange Inter
lude"? The answer Is that Mr.. O'Neill
is crafty Snowman as well as a COM
petent playwright, knowing the bats
yIfar- n l
and bred in the deep purple of bad
acting and bad melodrama, he is wise
enough to improve upon his heritage
and write reasonably square and ag1-
tating plays, rouged considerably with
beguiling tints of abnormality. In ad-
ditlon, he has been the pet of the show
business canniest producing concern.
the Theater Guild, and has been bally-
hooed by its brilliant publicity service
into something like colossus.
Were I not fearful that I should be
hssed as blasphemist, I should sug-
gest that Mr.. O'Neill is blend of the
sincere artist and the tricky mounte-
bank. Even when, as one Of the satir-
Ihnklng. thinking" he has his mind
upon the gadgets Of the drama, the
little talking points of salesmanship.
The masks in THE Great God Brown"
the asides in Strange Interlude" and
the Greek ''trilogy" device in Mourn
ing Becomes Electra" are but the sale
able nostrumS Of q cunning vendor of
theatrical produce. All of this, no
doubt, is legitimate practice In the most
charletan of the arts. And it is to be
praised for the dignity and skill with
which 1t achieves results You cannot
get In to see Mourning Becomes Elec-
ira" unless you have influence. When
play is able to arouse an indolent
community from inertia to frenzy. as
Mourning Becomes Electra" does. it is.
as 1 have limited, more than work OF
art.
Nevertheless 1t is possible to remain
calm while attending the long snc
lugubr1ous amusement which MI.
| O'Neill has nicknamed a "trilogy:"
That is to say that you can enjoy its
tragic and melodramatic excitements
and its efficient acting without going
haywire. Its ugly people and their
gloomy perversions may be observed
with tranquility by cooler playgoers.
VINO VIII have almost as good time
as the hysterical fanatics. =.
Complaints are made that the SHOW