The Washington times., 1932-10-21


"Iay ask" asks Mr.. Montague, taking the affirma-
tive for granted "what certain critic turned dramatst
had to say in his adaptation entitled Lysstrata? The
only two recOectiOns carried with me from that
enjoyable entertainment those of mattress scene
which would have put anything in Al Woods The
StOrk Is Dead to shame and cOOrful dancing finale
staged by whose name has escaped me. IL
the critic turned dramatist had anything to say in that
play it also escaped But this did not lessen its
entertainment value"
As Mr. Montague means me by his "critic turned
dramatis" can answer easily Hearing from my friend,
John Anderson, whose opinions the drama respect,
that "Lysistrata" "smutty bore l stayed away
from it and never saw a performance. did see bits
during rehearsals And took good care that injected
nothing into the play because old dead man named
Arisophanes had put into that play more than enough
for one play to carry. He had said something OF vital
Importance about and something interesting a0ouC
He had chosen the two subjects on when nearly al
the world is either too preudiced too sentimental to
think clearly and had thought clearly And so spoken
Remembering that he had produced his play, the most
spirited and entertaining attack ever written, IN
the midst of war which going badly for his own
country am two years after the last performance still
moved with admiration and respect. , 49,
If what Afistophanes had to didn't get over the
footghts to Mr. Montague there was fault somewhere
But it wasn't in Arstophanes. He was all right
Mr. Montague gives long list OF plays whlcn mace
loads of money and hadn't idea to their three acts
weld the point was talking about plays interesting to
an adult and intelligent man, not about money;
something to say-that the rowing temperament OF the
artist is poison people who want to be here tomorrow
and next year-and said it through set Of characters
too special to have universal appeal and with plot
little too loosely stitched to please people who want their
drama neat In "Black Sheep" Mr.. Elmer Rice, VINO
usually says what he has to say almost too earnestly.
gives the reverse of the propositon that the life OF
solid respectable people is poison to the artist Botn
IDEAS are largely bunk and Mr. Rces presentation IS
ecuarv dispeasng because his characters are carca-
fures of people who to have lived I'm Here
Today" Mr. George Oppenheimer presented semlDelouS
cartoons of two or three people who have am pleased
to say, lot of life in them.)
do not crawl under the seats OF theaters looking Tor
messages If a playwright says only this much These
neople are interesting" he carry me along for
night without protest. "Clear All Wires does this with
a lot of excitement. "Men Must Fight (Which l saw
when it was first tried out says something about the
wav mothers and sweethearts feel about sending men
to war and even if it says it stumbngy it says it with
passion and vehemence.
Our distinguished and intellectual producers have
chosen to give plays pointless as possible Mr.
Hopkns offers "RendezvOus,' which fumbles with the
idea if followed closely that reasseron of the spirit
of Amercanism would stamp out graft and bootegglng
felt no belief whatever in the characters. And Mr.
McCntic fresh from staging The Barretts of Wmpole
Street and preparing to stage "The Rape of Lucrece
ION which Thornton Wilder worked) for the distinguished
Miss Cornell presents Criminal at Large" mystery
play, full of hokum but fairly well-made hokum en-
oyed the last two acts thoroughly hope the producer
makes lot of money. And sends it all to the home for
underfed and pontless dramatic authors.