The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-21
The World of
the Theatre
BY HAROLD EDGAR
Analysis Of a Success

Of Scotland" until 1t appears in pub
lished form. The production that
may be seen at the Alvin Theatre
makes what appears to be a very at
tractive show for the theatre going
bcurgeoisie, but obscures and prac-
tically betrayS MIR. Andersons script,
Because this production represents
the combined efforts OF the Theatre
Guild, the most firmly established
American theatre; Robert Edmond
Jones, in some respects the dean"
OF American scene-deSigners and an
unusual number Of high -salaried ac-
tors, 1t is important to examine In
as much detail as space will allow,
the result Of their collaboration.
We must sacrifice for the moment
q general discussion Of Maxwell An
derson's work. He is one Of the few
American playwrights who merit
serious consideration. He is a SIM
cere romantic and he brings to the
theatre q feeling for the heroic--for
the broad gesture, the full word, the
fearless action and longing for a
wind-swept, unfettered existence. It
Is this spirit and an original and
invigorating sense of the English
language, born Of this spirit, that
may be set down without dispute as
notable contributions to the Ameri-
can stage.
In the thrice-told tale of MARY Of
Scotland" moreover, Mr.. Anderson
has found material not only for a
colorful story, but for a theme that
is central to his thought. Briefly, 1t
Is MIR. Anderson's intention to con-
trast the ruler who would govern on
a basis of humanitarian tolerance
and sensitivity with the ruler whose
tactics are shaped by considerations
Of reason and interest. The first
ruler, Mr.. Anderson says in effect, is
doomed, and although his sympa-
thieS follow her (she is Mary Stuart
in this case) he recognizes the i'm
practicability of her principles as the
basis of political method. What
ever our opinion of this thesis, we
will concern ourselves today only
with an analysis Of how it is ex-
pressed in terms of its 52nd Street
production.
Helen Hayes, who is ordinarily an
actress of simple charm, gives a
rigidly conventional performance. To
make the impression of queenliness
she holds herself with tense upright
ness-chin in the air, eyes in the
skies-and speaks in the most naive
tradition of declamatory acting. Her
unnatural carriage and evolutionary
articulation of the lines, added to
her small body, create the effect of
a clever high-school girl initiating an
actress of the old school. With these
attributes, it is impossible to believe
in her womanliness, her passion or
her pride. Thus the love scenes are
not only ineffective as such (being
devoid of true emotion, but do not
convey the authors purpose, which is
to show the conflict between her per-
sonal feelings and her political ideals,
Lacking the quality of maturity,
the contrast between
Mary's sensibility and Elizabeth's
logic falls to be anything more than
a matter of the authors lines. This
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