Evening star., 1933-11-22

Yet. with this air Of austerity, with
the mechanical inovations-the en-
entrance and exits and the platform
over the orchestra pit-Miss Galliennes
play is as lyrically fine thing as
you will find. This Is due not only 10
the warm, impassioned and youtn1ul
Characterization given by the star.a
breathlessly moving portrait In the pal
cony scene-but to Romeo who Is
young enough and well enough 70 De
more than a mere figurehead.
Richard Warnings performance OPP
posite Miss lie Galltenne Is sensitive
and intelligent reading OF a role TOO
often played by some one who Is creep
ing up on middle age. Mr.. Warmg Is
extremely young and extremely clever
in his speech and try as you will, you
will not be able to miss SO much as
SYLLABLE Of what he Is saying. This
keenness in elocution and the fact that
he neither rants nor roars mite more
than the script calls for, dying without
the sometimes dragged In Camille coughs
which some thespians insist upon,
makes his Romeo one of the more re-
markable feats in this years theater.
And as the somewhat excited lady to
our direct left said last night: His curls
are far too pretty to be real-but they
are real, aren't they, Sadie" Where
upon Sadie said. "Yes. they are-I have
friend who Is friend of his who
told me so.''
Thus with a Romeo who is Romeo,
and with Eva La Gallienne's genuine
fine-spun work as the daughter OF
Capulet, and Mercutio played by Don
aid Cameron, and with nurse done to
a crisp by Leona Roberts, there Is as
much reason for seeing this production
as there is Alice in Wonderland" which
boasts, Of course, much larger audi
ences.
Further reasons for attending this
performance Is that audiences will have
no better opportunity to hear their
Shakespeare spoken with an ear for
pitch, for sorority and for purity. You
have only to listen to the way the actors
say "banish-ed" to know that they
know their English. 1t is almost as
though that famed Shakespearean au-
thority, Prof. Kittredge. was standing
in the wings goading the players on
into speaking their syllables with that
profound respect for the Avon bard's
words with which he instills all Of his
pupils. The joy of listening to Miss LIE
Gallienne and Mr.. Waring speak their
Shakespeare is very real JOY and one
lers for such things.
One or two of the old guard may
object to the shrinking which has gone
on In the script. Miss LIE Gallienne
has. of course, done a little tampering
here and there so that her audience
may be out into the streets by dawn.
She has done it, however. wisely and
smoothly, what remains being what you
want to hear. ard what is left out
skipping quickly out Of your minds eye.
Nor is the balcony scene less remark
able than was Miss Jane Cowfs q few
seasons back. While they are as differ
ent as hot Is from cold, while Miss
Cowl was tall and stately and so hand
some that you couldn't blame Romeo
from embracing her as ardently as he
did, and while Miss lie Gallienne is
small and white and emotionally not
as excitable as was Miss Cowl never
theless she plavs with fine sense OF
shading and with a girlishness and
sense of poetry which is genuinely
moving. So much SO that less stalwart
members of last NIGHTS audience found
themselves instantly overcome with
tears.
ONLY the older generation seemed to
be at fault in last nights Dlay, the Cap
ulet family being less moved by the