Evening star., 1933-04-02
Two Hours of One Actor
Likely to Prove Boring
But George Cohan, in Pigeons and People,
Managed to Garry 1t OF Pretty Wells Some
Thoughts of Changes in Stage Production.
By E. de S. Melcher.

~ GORGE M. COHAN proved
4 to us here during the past
week that he is one of the
few actors who can make
Q play his very own. While
Walter Hampden, John Barry
more, Otis Skinner and many
other great names of the theater
have in the past linked them
selves with famous characterize
tions, SO that after a time they
seemed one and the same (Hamp-
den as Cyrano and Barrymore as
Hamlet, for instance), still, no one
has done just exactly what Cohan
did in Pigeons and People
the stage for two solid hours and
never give In for more than a
minute or two to any of the other.
players. After all, in "Cyrano'
Roxanne had her moments, and
heaven knows that Ophelia and
the King and the Queen and
Tolonius have their moments in
Hamlet!" Mr.. Cohan's role,
though, in his latest play was
never anything but Parker and
himself, and he never let the audi
ence think Of anything but Parker
or himcelf.
This YVES a stunt. And, accord
ing tnlmany, a good one. 1t gave
Mr.. COhan a chance to browse
around in his philosophy, to sing
song, to dance a dance and to
behave himself as he is most fond
of behaving. The play began at
nowhere and arrived at nowhere
and it left you with the pleasant
opinion that pigeons in the park
have much better time than
we do.
We venture to state, however,
that no other actor in this coun-
try could get away with such a
stunt. We venture to state, also,
that those who do not know Mr.
Cohan, and do not know his inter
eSti1g theatrical history or what
he has contributed to stagecraft
and stage wisdom, may have been
slightly annoyed at the proceed.
ings.
The reason for this is that in
the past few years the theater
has grown to be more of COM
munity spirited affair than it ever
was before. 1t has made us be-
lieve that good plays are those in
which human values are presented
not through monologueS or Solilo-
quies, but through an exchange of
ideas between two or more per-
sons. We have grown accuS-
toned to seeing actors fight their
mental fights on the half and half,
rather than, as Mr.. Cohan did,
giving out his questions and get
ting back his answers only
through himself.
No character in Mr. Cohan's
play, other than Parker, was worth
two nlckelS. The author put out
his theories on a string and got
them back with scarcely a mur-
muir from his fellow beings.
When he got out onto the stage
he was there for good. No counter
trritant was presented; nobody
: who could handy words around.
Therefore, Mr.. Cohan banded
&o-1s with himself. And the play
eventually was swallowed up in
Parker'S brain and no one elSe's.
llC AlCGIlOo was q 1lONCl OIlS
and vastly successful, according
to many of the intelligentsia. It
brought to this reviewers mind,
however, lesson that the modern
theater has taught uS-namely
that we are well rid of the star
system. For, in spite of the fact
that Mr.. Cohan's performance
was brilliant, that he spun out
his deeds and his fancies with
clear-cut precision, that his smile
and his coat and his hat and his
wandering and restless spirit
were as familiar and pleasant as
they have always been, the play
itself seemed to cry out fol
strength and for the help of some
one other than the main per-
former.
The films have taught us the
meaning Of the word cooperation
So have the Irish Players and tht
Tncater Guild and Eva lie Gal.
lieune'S troupe. We know nov
thct we are most pleased when
for instance, we are privileged tt
see an Alice in Wonderland" (on,
of the current theatrical Joys IL
New York; in which the LIE Gal
iennes and Schildkrauts and tn,
RutchinSons are showed under b.