Evening star., 1935-03-31

4 n DCllC4lIldl COAA 4O1 AlAdIly
years to this column of advice to
playgoers, Prof. Phelps now seems To
have succumbed a little to its poison
GUS influences. In his annual Easter
Parade of Times Square entertain
ments (printed below, he includes
Robert Sherwood's The Petrified
Forest" a drama acclaimed as holy
by nearly one and all; but denounced
by him as dull, slow, monotonous, and
in general, unamusing. Such plucky
gesture Of unpopular protest indicates
that Prof. Phelps is about to become
one Of us. Having tasted play
wright's savory blood for the first
time, he may enjoy it so much that
he will join the banded Broadway
carnivora, whose profession it is to
hunt and to devour. If such is the
case, we welcome Prof Phelps to our
barbecues and promise him that it
is more profitable for a conscientious
drama critics to be cruel than to be
kind. Meantime one wonders why he,
a liberal lord of learning at Yale Uni
versity should shut his mouth against
| THE Children's Hour" and in his
almanac of current theatrical events.
make no mention Of the seasons best
and most intrepid play.
Prof. Phelps opinion of the plays
now prevalent follow:
With thanks for your courtesy in
offering me both space and time, I
herewith submit my Spring list of the
plays most worth seeing in New York.
The season of l934-l935 should be
remembered for the scarcity of impor-
tant new plays and for the magnifi-
cence and efficiency with which nearly
all the plays have been produced and
acted. The productions have been
marked by beauty and taste; the
| team-acting of most of the plays
would have been a credit to the best
efforts of Moscow, Berlin, Vienna,
Paris, or anywhere you like.
! Thus, although not single new
play that has appeared on our met
ropolitan stage from September to
April can be called great or even
important Il mean in the same class
with Outward Bound Strange Inter
lude,' Anna Christie Hotel Uni
verse Berkeley Square The Show
off, The Wisdom Tooth, What Price
Glory Journeys End The Silver
Cord John Ferguson Green Pas
turesD, scenically and histrionically
we have reason to be proud.
In 1929 there were IS legitimate
theaters open in New York; there are
not that many now, and we all know
why. recommend the following
current attractions, naming them in
alphabetical order.
Accent on Youth'-Continuously
entertaining. A sparkling. delightful
comedy. And it is amusing to see the
elderly gentlemen in the audience
preen themselves.
Awake and Sing'-This is not SO
good as Gold Eagle Guy and is very
inferior to Men in White But it is
worth seeing
Escape Me Never'-This is bet
ter play than you were led to ex-
pect; yet even so. the chief attraction
is Elisabeth Bergner, who accepts all
chances without an error. I am al
ready looking forward to seeing her ir
Barrie's new play in October. Escape
Me Never is the first two lines oi
Browning's poem, Life in Love.
Read the whole poem and see how
perfectly it fits the play.
"Jaburnum Grove'-This is a di-
verting comedy. and confess I was
completely fooled at the end of the
first act. The end of the last act Is
not tragic, although had to go back
and ask Mr.. Gwenn to make sure.
Personal Appearance'-This is a
skillfully constructed comedy and is
enormously funny. Its tremendous
box-ofice success is fully deserved.
Post Road'-Mirth and melo-