Evening star., 1937-04-25

after First Lady" returning to the
National tomorrow, ends its long run
in the provinces.
The road, it seems, wants only two
things:
First, a play which enjoyed unusual
favor in New York touring with the
original cast or one equally as we'll
known, or,
Second, play without Broadway
reputation, but featuring star with
tremendous personal following.
Katharine Hepburns Jane Eyre" is
specimen of the second type Miss
CoWls First Lady fits snugly into
the first category. Given either of
these, those not nightly blessed with
theaterlcal art will hop into their
cars and travel a couple of hundred
miles to catch a famous play or
famous player. There will be nothing
jaded about the appetite for the
drama Of those who make such effort.
And the players will respond to the
audience mood as never they can
under less favorable circumstances.
Be the theater itself modern, medic
val or ancient (and Miss Cowl has
played al three types) or be it a
movie house. converted for the night,
high school auditorium, a fraternal
temple. church hall or municipal au-
dltorium-the artist has no complaint.
Audience enthusiasm more than COM
pensates for any inadequacies in
theater facilities.
And audiences are enthusiastic. The
two to which Miss Cowl played in
Madison, Wis, might have been Just
one but for gesture which is pretty
emphatic Illustration of how much
the theater is wanted. But one per-
formance was booked for the Wiscon-
sin Capital. The house was sold out
long before the demand for tickets
was satisfied.
Ihe Madison citizens were not
beaten by that circumstance, however.
They simply induced Gov. Phillip La
Toilette and Mayor James r. Law to
request that Miss Cowl add a matinee.
Miss CoWl did and both she and Madi-
son were very happy about it. 1t is
typical Of the spirit with which the
road goes after what it wants.
"EIRST LADY" for all its title, has
nothing to do with the White
House-nothing directly, that is. 1t
Is cheerfully merciless study of
type OF woman in politics, the one
highly placed who pulls the strings
that make her husband dance. In
this particular case, two women are
involved. Each of them is determined
to get her man into the White House
and whether by hook or crook makes
little difference to the ambitious
ladies. Out Of the situation, George
S. Kaufman and Katharine Dayton
have contrived a 24-character play
that bears pretty close resemblance
to what has been going on here for
long time in some Of the better
drawing rooms.
A FULL week Of Ruth Draper is
scheduled at the National next
week for the first time. Miss Draper
has been here before, but never for
such protracted stay. In the course
VI lcl elslL peTloTiuduCeS she Will
portray 40 different characters. That
number will take her through 27 of
her repertory of so speaking por-
traits" that being the name of those
plays" which Miss Draper writes for
herself and which cover just about the
entire range of womanhood.
Most famous, perhaps, of the por-
traits is Three Women and Mr.. Cliff
ford" 1t is in this piece that Miss
Draper interprets three women, the
selfish wife, efficient secretary and
sympathetic other woman. 1t will be
IN her Monday, Wednesday and Fri
day night programs.
Each program will be full-length
affair, with from four to six Of the
portraits on each bill.
YOU can thank Dorothy Croissant
II you like those costumes which
will add 50 much realism to 'Lysis-
DANCING