Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-02

delight. he lined up the cliches o
have the full force of his scorn.
melodramatic hokum has never
been the same since, but Shaw
gave its destruction one of the
great human tries-and posterity
an enduring favorite play.
At this moment. a talented
group OF Shaw's disciples at
Catholic University theater are
reaffirming most. if not all. the
acidly amusing judgment of the
author on melodrama. They are
not able to conceal that THE
Devils Disciple" is one of his
less adept works in point of
craftsmanship. The ablest pro-
fessionals never have been able
to do that. Nevertheless. they
are having then selves, and pro-
viding others with, remarkably
fine time.
Greatly TO the advantage of
this production of THE Devils
Disciple" is that it's core cast
is composed of several of the
most gifted veterans the univer-
sity group has produced. These
Bob Moore, Teddy Kinsey Hand
field, Dick Sykes and Bill Ora
ham-have acquired the polish
for Shaw while at the same time
they are at the height of their
scorn for stage hokum.
Moore not only plays the Dick
Dudgeon role in the production
but also has directed it with
keen appreciation of its mockery.
The result is that the Uni
Versity theater has its third sue
cessive comedy hit of the season
although this is not exactly fla
gravity apparent until the third
act. It is in this one. of course.
that the fully warmed up Shaw
really lets go with his whitening
wit.
New Hampshire, of all places, .
at the time of the American
Revolution provides the setting
of 1.-THE Devils Disciple"
Here Shaw beams with de-
light upon handful of Wester-
bridge villagers who run the
gamut from dolthood to the an
archial genius of Dick Dudgeon.
These provide Shaw with the full
variety of human nature neces-
sary to his laughably malevolent !
purposes.
Most useful of the lot is
Dudgeon. This handsome, high |
spirited romantic fellow who has
proffered his soul to the Devil,
has rejected all of the conven-
tons. most enthusiastically the
obligation to love his mother.
His every act is calculated to in
spire the loathing of his fellow
man, and most especially of |
beautiful Judith Anderson, wife
of the family pastor.
Yet. when the occupying Brit
ish come to demand the Rev. |
Anderson as a human sacrifice
to their authority, it is Dudgeon
who assumes the pastors identity
and sticks his head in the in
vaderS' moose. Why? Because
he is fundamentally noble, sadly
misunderstood and in love with
her, Judith Anderson concludes.
When the audience settles snugly
with her in the same conclusion,
Shaw makes it clear that
Dudgeon's act is mere whim,
final mockery of the absurd
heroics that men practice. wom-
en- treasure, and writer's sell.
The hilarity of the JOKE has
kept THE Devils Disciple" 60
ing now for Sc years. Until
human nature changes, there is
no reason why it should not con-
tinue Sc times Sc years.
+
In comparison with Shaw'S
later plays. THE Devils Disciple"
lacks polish. AS against the luSter
of the subsequent works, how
ever, it has contrastingly vigor-
GUS action. 1t moves with the
tempo of conventional melo-
drama to show the absurdities of .
conventional melodrama.
1t is effectively played in its
principal roles, and at. it's best in
the famous third act trial scene
which is one of the funniest pas.
SageS ever written by anyone,
anywhere.
The burden of the perform
ance is effectively handled by
Moore and Mrs. Handfield as
Dudgeon and Mrs. Anderson.
There is a lively Shavian bounce
in the formers hero, a creature
of boundleSs disdain for every
one of life's standard values in
Guiding his own neck. Mrs.
Handf1eld's Judith, whose hatred
for Dudgeons gradually curdles
into love, is virtually everything
Shaw expects OF such woman,
beauty, vanity, emotional insta-
bility and a giddy concept of the
dramatic.
Actor Graham gives another |
of his excellent portrayals as the
Rev. Anderson whose clerical |
costume conceals a wiser and |
stouter hearted male than its |
ADJUSTMENTS.