Evening star., 1934-07-18

houses. you Will DC plEhSdilLiy
English melodrama called Nun
This 81 being acted 10 the hilt by
0 promising young man named Eugene
Krcssin: a promising young LADY who
could turn herself any minute into
Norma Bbcarer named Frances Brilnt,
by q splendidiy elastic comedian. Fred
Haskin, tr.: an actress whose voice is
straight june walker, Janet Coon; by
Harold StepIer. whom you would
scarcely recognize as the late uncle"
In the local Journeys End" produc-
ton, by Thomas Cahill, who plays
his role with a deftness that makes
Mister Marten" genuinely touching
by Henry Haviland. who, let me see,
appears once, twice, thriee--no--four
times on the program, and by many
another who gives his all TO a splen-
did serviceE
We we're frankly amazed last night
at the smoothness OF the entire pro-
ductlon. The sets by Edith Allen
were extremely effective tneat. but
not gaudy); the piano playing by
Louis Malone heightened the high
spots and did away with the weak
spots. the direction by Anton Hardt
showed up particularly well In the
fat-wuman- -thin-man scene and In
other events where crowds" had to
be dealt with: the entre-acts we're not
long, hot and tiresome. and there was
a song which your grandma knows,
called "She Is More To Be Pitied Than
Censored which literally raised the
roof
II Is a curious coincidence that q play
like Murder in the Red Barn" should
fit these times SO particularly well.
1t Is as though Mae West came before
the curtain and said Customers
this amt no sin" No. this melo-
drama, although about sin, 'aint no
sin" 1t shows the wrongdoer weak
and willing on the gallows. 1t shows
a sorrowing nanny and pappy fearful
when their daughter has been be-
trayed--and not too surprised when
they find that she has wrestled and
lost IN a barn and has been tossed into
a hayseed grave by the villains pitch
fork. II shows the error Of sin
and a couple of moments OF pleasure
over the fun of rightdoing And never
for a moment does it do anything but
give the audience complete enjoyment
ana thorough relaxation.
This melodrama is not, however, an
altogether "hiss-the- villain" type. 1t
has its quaint little drops of drama
here and there, and much humor.
Hints that Miss Brunt may quite
easily do excellent and serious work
In the theater were evidenced many
q time by her able reading of lines
And Mr.. Kressin is young man who
could probably walk out into the streets
tomorrow and pick up a paying au-
dience II he wanted to do Hamlet. "
This week the players scowl and
scrape and howl and chatter. But
don't let that fool you. They are an
earnest bunch-well groomed in the
theater-and doing what Washington
has never had done before In a barn
In the Summer-entertain II that's
not the theater's chief function-then
what is?
A MOTHER l-Washington revue
has been announced for Loew's
Fox Theater by Carter Barron di-
visional manager Of the Loew
theaters. This year 1t will be pre-
sented the week of August 10, and it
will To produced by genial Gene Ford.
that capable stage maestro who last
season had local Romeo and JulietS
and Brooks Johns skipping blithely
across the stage Additions for this
event will be held in the near future
ard Y@areaFc t.,f "a
their talents are urged to timber up
during the next few days so as to
be prepared for the ordeal The first
audition has tentatively been set for
week from today-depending on
whether or not Mr. Ford gets here
In time.
An innovation this yeas in the revue
will be the addition of few star
theatrical personalities,
TONIGHT: Nal Hallett and his
orchestra, fresh from a lengthy
engagement at Steel Pier. Atlantic
City, will play at popular Chevy
Chase Lake-where shortly will also
appear Morton Downey. Misses
Teddy Grace and Ann Graham,
vocalists, will be featured this pm.
and am
X X y y
RRIEFS on last nights Murder in
~ the Red Barn" production: That
was Walter Pick, head of the manag-
ing board Of the Roadside Theater
who waved your car into parking
space as you drove in. MIR. Pick viii
probably, some day soon. be in Holly