Evening star., 1933-04-23

TIME past season in the the
ater has not been as lean
as some would have it.
= With the advent of tomor-
rows National Theater Players it
is perhaps fitting to see what has
been what during the Legitimate"
theater months and ponder on
that frightening phrase which a
1ugubrious soul has written in to
us, namely, that "the theater'S
bright torch is extinct"
The theater's bright torch is
definitely not extinct. You have
only to read George Jean Nathan's
current statistical list in the
American Spectator to realize that
while other businesses have drop
ped into nothing, there is still
something left of the mother
theater. If you look over at
Broadway you will see that there
is still much pretty coin lingering
around Design for Living"
Twentieth Century" "Strike Me
Pink" Music in the Air." For
saking All Others" (although this
is said to be not so prosperous as
some would have IT'D and ALLEN
Corn" which, however, Miss
Cornell will remove from Broad
way so as to be able to show it
to cities which are still short on
their subscription seasons. And
that other attractions such as
Autumn Crocus" and "The Gay
Divorce" (Which has risen to
heights on account of its tune,
might and Day'D have not Jared
at all badly.
With such list of theatric mat
ter the torch can certainly not
be said to be dead. 1t may be
Pickering a bit, but it is still held
high by fighting brother artists
who will not let the depression
get them down.
Can one say that Washington,
for instance, has suffered unduly
during the past season? 1t has,
of course, had the disadvantage
of having a lone theater play host
to theater attractions. And the
American Theater Society has had
to fight the good fight to get its
quota of plays. Nevertheless,
there have been some very good
plays on the market, and local
theater patrons have had occa-
sion for loud and raucouS rejoic-
ingS.
Alone in this season has been
the disappointment of having to
sandwich in "road showings" of
films at the National-when you
knew that a few weeks later you
would be able to see these same
attractions for quarter the
price.
A season is not, however, all
crepe when it has offered its pa
irons the Abbey Theater Players,
by far the most important event
of the year; the inspiring Green
Pastures" the Lunt family and
Mr.. Coward in the unusually
provocative Design for Living;
George M. Cohan in pigeons and
People" (Which we didn't happen
to enjoy, but which most every
one else did; last weeks BEST
Sellers" which had some particu-
1arly clever moments; There's
Always Juliet" nice little COM
edy, badly cast, but we'll enough
dCVCd, 41lC SdV d1lo OllC =
one of the best musical offerings
of the past few years; Show
Boat" in a pleasant revival (there
should be a law about reviving it
annually; Tallulah Bankhead,
even in such a bad play as For
Saking All Others; Counselor
at Law" with the brilliant Paul
MUM; "The Good Earth" which
we will never forgive the public
for not liking; Ed Wynn in his
amusing nonsense musical, THE
Laugh Parade; when Ladies
Meet" one of Rachel Crothers
better comedies with a smooth
and likable cast, and even "The
Picolli," which was cordially
evaded by theatergoers, and
which, nevertheless, was one Of
the most entertaining attractions
of the year.
With such a list to look back
upon it is not fair to say that the
theater is tstuff and nonsense"
and that it has left its patrons in
the lurch. 1t may have made
them suffer a little at not pro-
viding them with a big and hand.
some musical comedy CForward
March" was pretty awfuD, never