Evening star., 1932-01-30

parts, and the evident purpose OF
the latter group to provide the kind
of an entertainment that leaves in
its wake a feeling that 1t wasn't
Just a performance, but visual
study of human traits of the strictly
timely assortment, which have been
fitted into a consistent idea of liV-
ing experience.
"See Naples and Die" the work Of
Elmer Rice, starts with the obvious
advantage of contrast between the
instincts of social beings and those
of the more primitive kind that live
in the midst of intrigue and force,
under the conditions popularity as
sumed to exist in the Balkan section
of the world. 1t has furnished SIM
pie melodrama, has provided musi-
cal themes, and is here made to
contribute the foundation Of clever
satire and farce.
In its lines, the production is one
of those articles of a literary quail
ity that offer wisdom disguised as
stupidity, merry jests in the form Of
assumed conflict, and highly intel
lectual discussions which are essen
TALLY grotesque. Its illusions are Of
PSSS
is to ornament the individual con-
tributions of a company which has
been gathered from among those
WaShingtonians who wish to demon
state that the stage Is place which
deals with life in manner both
sophisticated and in accordance
with the understanding Of truth.
A representative audience, which
obviously gives its support to the
undertakings of the Drama Guild OF
Washington, followed the work OF
the company with intense interest
and gave encouragement to 1t
as whole and to the indi-
vidual players. The numerous
characters represented are outStand-
ing in their striking traits, and
were made to impress themselves as
real participants in the plot. Pic
turesque costuming Of the italian
and Balkan type added to the ef-
feet, and even the one little touch Of
tragedy was made to contribute to
the merriment of the occasion.
The actors who produced this ex-
cellent result, in the order Of their
appearance, were Robert A. Halsted,
James Otis Porter, Ray C. Mont
gomery, Robert D. Chase, Ida Gar
rett Mattingly, Thomas M. Cahin,
Edwin C. Bergman, Marguerite
Young, Grace Peters Johnson, Eileen
Fowler, Dorothy Crosby, l. Harry An
gelico, Mannix Walker, Eldred Will
son, Maurice Jarvis. Helen A. Sheck-
els, Howard Whitfield and Mitchell
David.
AS in numerous other Washington
entertainments, the direction was in
the hands of Denis E. Connell, and
the smoothnesS of the result is to be
attributed to his technical expert
ness. Harold Snyder is stage man
ager; Eleanor Wells, property man
ager, and the stage sets, attractive
in nature, were designed by William
F. Baker and executed under the
direction of John Otto Johnson, by
Robert M. Wicks, Harry B. Hamble-
ton, Carroll E. Robb, Marvin Beers,
Leila Dunlap and others, while the
lighting was under the direction of
Robert B. Patterson and H. Thomas
Austern.
In connection with the play, there
were Neapolitan songs by Harry An
gelico, accompanied by stringed in
struments from the studio of Sopho-
cles Pappas. D. c. C.
"Seth Parker"
at Constitution Hall.
r AIN or no rain, several thousand
persons turned out last night
to witness Seth Parker and His
JoneSport Neighbors," of radio
fame, hold forth in Constitution
Hall. Everybody went home happy.
Seth Parker" in real life Phil
lips H. Lord, was ably supported by
a cast of nine. Much of the credit
for the success of the performance,
however, must go to Mr.. Parker. AS
the host, he led the neighbors in
singing a number of old songs, in
Guiding several religious favorites.
The whole affair reminded one of
a Georgia tent meetin'." Only two
things we're lacking, rip-snorting
evangelist and sawdust trail.
The audience WAS particularly
hilarious when Mr.. Parker regaled
his neighbors with items from the
village newspaper Perhaps the best
yarn of all dealt with the exploits
of Perpetual Motion Charlie" who
was man of vision, indeed. AS he
MIXED his COW he had a friend feed
it salt to promote thirst and then
give it milk to drink TIE result:
"148 quarts of milk at one settin'."
The review would be incomplete
without mention Of the acting Of
Bennett Kilpack, cast as Cefus
Peters. His principal contribution
was skit in which he portrayed a
male quartet. This is the first one
man male quartet to appear in
Washington, probably the only one
extant. There should be more of
them if they're all as good.
Others in the cast were Ef1e
Palmer as Mother Parker, Agnes
Moorehead as Lizzie Peters, Ray
mond Hunter as Capt. Bang, Carl
ton Bowman as Laith Pettingal,
Norman Price as John, Ruth Bedeu
as Jane, Gertrude Forster as Mrs.
Hooper and James Black as Fred.
The program was presented under
the auspices of the Women'S Guild
of the Central Union Mission and
the Children's Emergency Home.
D. 3. w.
nar THE CCPEEN