The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-28
The World of
the Theatre
By harold EDGAR
Variety

fdIltty
Not many years ago, IN the heyday
of the art-and- little-theatre move
ment, young reviewers imbued with
the new aesthetic talked about some
thing they called pure theatre"
Those plays were pure theatre"
which involved no moral or social
problems, and did not depend on
character portrayal for their inter-
est, but simply employed conven-
tionalized figures treated with clev-
erneSs, fantasy, patterned movement
and attractive color. To most audi
ences these plays, when they weren't
simply a musical comedy Of vaude-
vile show, seemed more than little
arty, and only the devotees Of the
old Neighhorhood Playhouse sup
ported them. Today, however, with
the attempt to forget some OF the
harsh realities knocking at our
doors, this kind Of show is being
brought back to us, without benefit
of aesthetic justification, in the form
of costume plays. Champagne Sec"
at the 44th st. Theatre, and The
School for Husbands" at the Empire
are outstanding examples.
It is interesting to note the treat
ment they receive at the hands of
Broadway theatre managements-tor
whom such productions are rather
in the nature of experiments.
Champagne Sec" is Johann Strauss
"Fledermaus" CThe Bait, a Viennese
operetta of the last century, and
The School for Husbands" is based
on a play by Moliere. Here, in other
words, is an opportunity for theat-
rical people TO show what they can do
In the pure" craft Of the theatre:
no psychology to worry them, no
depth of thought, no message, Here
they have an opportunity to "play"
in almost the literal sense Of the
word-to have fun for no other pur-
pose than to amuse themselves and
the audience.
The result in both cases is COM
plete giveaway of the poverty the
American commercial theatre suffers,
There is little Joy in either of these
shows. In one, We hear the nicely
upholstered tunes of Johann Strauss,
entertainer par excellence of a COM
Portable European bourgeoiSie, in the
other we see library limitations OF
seventeenth century clothes. But
with the exception Of Helen Ford in
Champagne Sec," who is a cute
Irish soubrette, and June Walker in
1.-THE School for Husbands who is
the most genuine Of ingenues, both
productions are almost wholly lack
ing in theatrical exuberance, gusto
and human charm Not only that,
but the kind of plays these actors
and producers are accustomed to pre-
sent make them unfit to create vivid
stage movement, so that in both
cases the movement which such plays
need is furnished not only by the
actors but by professional dancers
especially engaged for the purpose.
The actors are incapable OF play
ing-Osgood Perkins in 1.-THE School
for Husbands" seems like a college
professor trying to be bright and
modern in the recitation OF ancient
verse-and many Of the performers
in Champagne Sec" for all their
efforts to appear carefree and gay,
look as If they were worried about
the length Of the shows run and
the doubtful source of their future
income. These actors, for whom an
unemployment play might provide
more appropriate material, wear their
rich costumes as if they felt ridiculous
in them, and make merry as if their
hearts were bitter with a safety of
bad lunches at Semi-luXurious Broad
way restaurants.
These old comedies made for a
people who were living we'll, accord
ing to the standards of their times,
are static, strained and bloodless on
our New York 1888 stage. Their to-
tai effect is that Of large decorated
pastry made entirely Of old rubber
and cotton wool.
The reason for this is twofold.
Such plays can be produced properly
only by organized collectives, in
spired by desire to perfect them
selves in the special technique re-
quired for them. Also, the mood OF
the general run Of American actors
IS not naive, robust or free enough
to permit them TO enter naturally
into the spirit of these plays. They
can be wise-cracky, they can be ner-
Vously energetic. they can be flip
pant in mental way. but that COM
edy which can be expressed only
through the coordination Of q
healthy, joyous spirit with supple,
trained body and a real aliveness of
the senses is something very few
American actors possess, and others,
who might possess them, generally
lose.
SO that in the matter of pure
theatre" which is the theatre Of
physical action plus a sense of style,
Broadway is even more deficient than
in plays Of social significance! The
only substitute for such a theatre is
our musical comedy, which is deter
iorating through endless repetition
Of hackneyed formulas. and in &C.
casional farces like "She Loves Me
Not" The latter-playing at the A6th
st. Theatres the kind of old-fash-
toned crazy-quilt comedy in which the
American Theatre before the war ex-
celled. With a good humored juvenile
quality. it weaves all manner OF topi-
cal material into an ingeniously COM
plicated plot. The subject matter
is up-to-date, the spirit is small
town. The whole thing is no more
serious than Saturday Evening
Post story, though much more divert
ing. II it isn't pure theatre" it is
certainly an example Of popular"
American showmanship.