Evening star., 1933-01-01


il It has fioated along for
generations on the wings
of sons and daughters and car
ried itself to heighths by the COM
bined efforts of male and female
thespians. The most effective
performances have been those in
which the talents of many were
as smoothly interknit as the tai
ents of one. And from the time
of the Grecian theater downward,
the sight of a multitude of actors
performing on large stage has
always been a Joyous sight-the
spectacle" perhaps, giving the
average audience the most COM
fort and after dinner Solace.
Currently, however, the theater
has begun to divorce itself from
the excitements of this business
of many and much. There have
been suggestions that so little as
one player can make play-that,
in other words, TIE Solo-Drama
fas Oliver Saylor calls It'd or the
Mono-Dran1a has come to be an
important link in this chain of
the arts. While Eugene O'Neil
clings tenaciouSly to his masks,
and week by week insists Tin the
SAmerican Spectator that great
good can come out of them-thus
reducing the players to mere
formulas Of expression-and while
such splendid performers as the
Abbey Theater Players dig up
their material strictly from the
soil and present the spoken word
in a series of poetical mono
logues, and while Mr.. Kaufman
gilds the theater with brilliant
Batirical comments which are too
glib to be reahty-while, in other
words, the theater is busy expert
gnenting with ideas presented and
spoken by many, there are two
people who have been courageous
enough to branch out as little
theaters in themselves and have
proved that one can be as good
as many.
The parlor used to be the place
for such things. Those who could
"amuse" would rise before their
aiattering families and friends
and recite verses and occasionally
burst into more sarcastic COM
Snents and satires on current
subjects. When, for instance,
Miss Ruth Draper or Miss Cor
nelia Otis Skinner, in their youth,
mecited 1--WE Are Seven" or Scott'S
"The Lady of the Lake" in their
families living rooms, they prob
ably little dreamed that some day
they would be reciting more am
bitiouS verses and speeches before
vast audiences which had paid
vast sums land were glad that
they had paid it, to hear them.
Miss Skinner. whom Washing
ton is privileged to see once again
this week, has turned this busi-
mess of the monologue into some
thing which now may be said to
be genuine theater. 1t is the
rounding of a whole = the
thoughts, actions and being Of a
character who thus becomes the
center of a drama which has a
beginning, climax and an end
hng. The theater has never been
lmore than this. If there is life
land vitality and the semblance OF
kactual drama before the foot
flights, then whoever is respon-
ASible for such a deed should be
micensed as 'trouper" who is the
l Nbe-all and the end-all Of a real
E@show."
When, last season, Miss Skinner
presented the wives of Henry
EVIII," she began a gallery which
Eghe Is evidently bound to con-
Etinue. Those who saw her then
twill recall her as several distinct
fperSonages. Not only did Miss
h skinner bring to life women out
tOf the pages of history and re-
Houch them with some of the ways
land means of their sorry exist
kenceS, but she kept the audience
Ean a state of genuine excitement
passing from one situation to an
Kother as though each was scene
1dn the complete and generous
n Adrama which she was revealing
Now, in ''The Empress Eugenie,
II she has done perhaps trif1e NOR,
u advanced her curiously lionel,
art beyond the portals of char
hc5eriZation by Symbolizing tn
n career Of a single woman il
n stages that again make up
compelling drama. And, so as :
Il make certain that her touch wa
sure, that the material which sh
used was not beyond the limi
of reason, Miss Skinner opene
sAlais "Solo-Drama" not in her owI
country, but in England.
Hat For an American to go place
Hlsnnd do things Is q normal stat