Evening star., 1941-03-10

catch every glistening nugget of wit
in that long first scene, but it saves
the audience from whatever fates
are worse than being talked to
death. That is an achievement
which, in itself, might justify the
curious to look in on this work of
Director Leon Askin and his players.
The Apple Cart" which this de-
partment does not remember as
having been seen here, is Mr.. Shaw's
account of king and his progress
sive cabinet. Their collaboration up
to the point of 1862 having created
a kind of economic Utopia-by ex-
plotting other countries-they have
nothing left to fight except each
other The cabinet thinks the king
should become a rubber stamp or
resign and, for all his social con-
science, he is not so sure the cabinet
is wrong. Not at first, that is, but
when he thinks it over, he agrees
to abdicate with the qualification
that he shall run for Parliament,
where he will fight the group as
private citizen.
BY way of enhancing the ironical
wit of this arrangement Shaw has
made his king an understanding
monarch, a clever fellow who de-
feats his ministers so easily in de-
bate that they are afraid to tackle
him on an equal basis. Obviously
1t would be less embarrassing to
keep him on as king.
The residents and callers at
Shaw's palace represent no assort-
ment of characters to be taken on
by players merely possessed of cour-
age, especially the courage of ignor-
ance. They are difficult people in
more than the usual sense of diff
cult people. That they come alive
is a pleasant reflection on the skill
of Askin and his players. Major
honors among the latter fall to Ru-
dulph (please, Mr.. Compositor, he is
senSitive) Watson in the role of
the human, but almost inhumanly
clever King Magnus. In that one
role Watson has learned enough to
be conversationally bright for a life
time and he has learned it what
might be called surprisingly well, if
that wouldn't be misunderstood. 1t
is his best performance as one of
Clvlc's most talented males.
AS the knowing, so very knowing
Orynthia, the other woman whom
Shaw put in that famous boudoir
scene in which the intellectually
of the play is encroached upon but
not seriously, Audrey Fenshaw
manages to be excellent, If broad,
in spite of some unhappy tricks of
voice. Good also are Harrison Libby
as the stormy prime minister, Doris
Cooper as the powermistreSs, Eileen
Fowler as the circumSpect wife and
Paul Walter as the pompous, satir-
lcally drawn idol of trade unionism.
William M. Girvan once more has
designed excellently atmospheric
settings for Civic production. this
one a Shaw play which moves as
much as possible considering the
burden OF words imposed upon every
one.
Bulletin board: With Twelfth
Night" so nearly a sellout even be-
fort opening performance. Guild
representatives are. pointing out it
will be in Baltimore next week.
Rage of Heaven" in which
Robert Montgomery is blessed with
Ingrid Bergman as leading lady,
will be screened today. Such is
the versatility of Hollywood, how
ever, that Montgomery does not get
the girl in this picture. . {. The chap
who does is George Sanders, who
heretofore has played mostly mur-
derous heels. :. . Heroics are a new
sensation for him. . The picture
is the Capitols next attraction.