Evening star., 1945-11-11
The Clowns Say 1t
By Jay Carmody

By Jay Carmody
Pwrghs Howard Lindsay and Russell Grouse have them
selves the dmat the with
OF the Unn which just closed five electng
@eater.
have talked of pets the
ghtminded they thinkers as
politicians social panaces editorial writer's the
colunnss the That
critics and commentators and the abies of the better
bistros.
Lindsay brought upon themselves and have reason
to be delighted with their achievement
clowns ones
but clowns nevertheless It the that
write the most brilliant contemporary play based the condition
of mankind The condition mankind deporabe
the subject of the LndsayCouse spiritually
wrhed than they have been before material
be around the Human misery in
which Lindsay Grouse
material that they
season. the one which has the most to say which saws it most
pertnent dares with provokes the
hilarious and healthy laughter heard in the land in day.
And Why Surprise?
later authors of state of the
Union admit that likelihood they will have interrupted the journey
for two oneha of the merries hours ea had
years.
second guess out OF which Sunday drama columns usually
dmnshes the surprise delight
Lindsay
why should they not be better qualified than their supposedly scholarly
uperiors his pdcamen
America They the species
buoonh aspects not bitterly cyncay but with tenderness pity
understanding They
upeo OF the tragedy implicit the immediate and
These gifts enable them in State of the Union to express their
out of being udcros still be possible to laugh them of it.
Misses Few Pitfalls
State OF the Union comedy whose mood of in
vng dance the brink disaster the contrary
the away there.
The explctness of the warning the thing that makes the
the pitfalls beckoning
the being quickly the
laugh
ideal then refuses its faith the Allies who shared
sacrifice the absurdiy industrial
plies the world shuts the
they dislike
These and dozen other attitudes actions revealed
ridiculous tragic kind of bufoonery State of the Union
the of the play is why democracy
working better prevent these suspicious hates
udices, and like emotions
with merely humorous speculation
but with which not be but has not been
well times.
hopeesy democracy democracy
cumbd class political consciousness
cousne sectonaism other dvdng-and
influences.
They Leadership
In this dsmayng situation this chaotic Union that
has dubious whether there will
wrghtS demand leadership the solution They
label that leadership Republican Democrat but they
desperately The hero their play striking resemblance
the late Wendell Wie while
with the bandness telephone directory the authors
to let their type whom they call Grant Matthews He
symbol who looks inspiring the party and class hacks
otherwise people State of the Union"
His intelligent fortnight wife inspiring symbol
and perhaps the best single thing about the play.
In outlining the American they think
choose their next leader Lindsay and Grouse exhibit tolerant
understanding
free choice the President they
the national political chairman his satellites
industrial ycoons and labor other
represented the
They tolerany products system
which the play merriy without which
says had better be changed as rapidly possible
No much well long if did
happen to be written by couple of clever clowns.