The Play
Skinner, R. Dana
382 THE COMMONWEAL February 9, x927 THE PLAY By R. DANA Saturday's Children AXWELL ANDERSON is the author of the first play presented by the re-reorganized Actors' Theatre...
...After one has discounted some sentimental singing by a tall blonde named Marion Harris, and some miniature Fanny Briee comedy by Ina Williams, there are only the incomparable Tiller girls to sharpen up the performance to first calibre...
...There will be less surprise at finding moments of brutal and quite unnecessary frankness in the dialogue, the acceptance of birth control as a matter-of-fact institution, a scattering of that theatrical profanity which throws doubt on the author's sincerity, and a tot~ misconception of the finer things contributing to successful marriage...
...The name of Yours Truly is selected because Mr...
...Those who think of Mr...
...There is no understanding of the fact that this freedom and the protection of individuality in marriage come from a delicately adjusted inner attitude...
...In brief, it is a play of decidedly mixed ValUes...
...SKINNER Yours Truly G ENE BUCK, having left the Zieg~eld organization to stage reviews on his own account, now presents us with some mediocre music of Raymond Hubbell, a sketchy and nearmelodramatic book by Clyde North, and the sustaining antics of Leon Errol...
...The only disappointment is the play itself-allowing, of course, for its many splendid moments, but appraised, as it should be, in its misleading entirety...
...But a little sane observation is able to detect the difference between the forces of nature governing actions, the permanent truths, and the surface customs which we salute or despise as "the times...
...And right here we might as well face the difference between a sappy and turgid play which "points a moral," and the play which simply impresses us with its truth to human experience...
...Human nature was not born yesterday, and there has surely never been a generation which did not believe that "times are changing...
...McClintic as director and to the individual members of the cast for a surpassingly natural, smooth and often poignant performance...
...It carries them only to the point of a somewhat cynical question markma temporary solution of the problem of two young married people which, one believes rather sadly, can lead only to disaster because it rests on illusion rather than solid reality...
...But it is distinctly Miss Burgess who brings to this bit of nonsense its special charm...
...McClintic's work seems to lie in bringing out precisely this quality of naturalness in his actors, a quality as replete with the fine arts of restraint and minor business as it is gratifying in its apparent simplldty...
...Bye Bye Bonnie l OROTHY BURGESS, who shyly crept into New York's heart some months ago in a comedy known as The Adorable Liar, is now the bright and particular star of the musical comedy, Bye Bye Bonnie, with a passable book by Louis Simon and Bide Dudley, and some colorful bright music by Albert Von Tilzer...
...Anderson's play undoubtedly reflects the surface opinions of today, but it does not carry them to a conclusion...
...But tlmt leg has been seen countless times before, and is now good for just those five minutes and no more...
...She is, with the possible exception of some of the talent in Mr...
...After that, one waits patiently and disappointedly for signs of the true comic genius...
...There is also a deal of sprightly dancing in this piece, some thoroughly amusing situations and a chance for Louis Simon himself to do his best as Noah Z. Shrivel, the soft-soap manufacturer and ex-Puritan who lands in jail on a charge of bootlegging and forthwith capitalizes this episode by becoming a wet candidate for Congress...
...Aside from this basic aspect of the play itself, a real tribute is due to Mr...
...In fact, every member of the cast stands forth individually without in the least detracting from a smooth and finished ensemble...
...The impeccable rhythm of those young ladies from England may not be new to Broadway theatre-goers, but it is a never-ending joy...
...Instead of being tragic it is merely pitifuL No matter how true it may ring in the ears of a l~sieian, it is material for the laboratory rather than the stage...
...Errol himself...
...We are not interested in seeing the mind of a man who retreats, practically without struggle, from hard realities to a dream world of his own...
...Ames's Gilbert and Sullivan troupe, quite the freshest, most natural and unspoiled little prima donna who has smiled on Broadway in many moons...
...Roger Pryor is excellent as the distracted young husband...
...Damn the Tears S THIS expressionistic play by William Gaston has already run its short life, it deserves only a word of high praise for the interesting settings by Norman Bel Geddes, and the following epitaph: an expressionistic drama which tries to make us look through the eyes of a dementia praecox patient is doomed to commercial failure...
...There is also Lottice Howell, recently of Deep River, and w~rth considerable attention on her own account...
...Ruth Hammond attains a fine directness and absence of stagey quality which bring her spontaneous recognition from the audience...
...He will always be amusing for five minutes---as long as it takes him to make his entry and pull his one stunt of the faltering leg...
...Errol plays the part of one Truly "fxom nowhere in particular," or perhaps for any one of three dozen other equally important reasons...
...They do not appear...
...nor of the great paradox that freedom discovers itself only in apparent surrender...
...There is nothing, for example, in the whole play, to indicate that th~ successful union of two souls may rest on more than sex and romantic love, or that the more primitive instincts may have their controlling parallel in a plane of richer understanding, tolerance and the true freedom springing from profound respect...
...Ruth Gordon has never appeared more convincingly a human being, and surely never so fine an artist...
...382 THE COMMONWEAL February 9, x927 THE PLAY By R. DANA Saturday's Children AXWELL ANDERSON is the author of the first play presented by the re-reorganized Actors' Theatre under the directorship of Guthrie McClintic...
...Anderson in terms of Outside Lookin' In, or as co-author of the stormy What Price Glory?, will be surprised to see themselves witnessing a quiet comedy of manners among the $40.00 a week toilersma comedy replete with human and humane touches, bristling with dialogue so true that it hurts, and displaying with rich understanding the mole-hill tragedies of those who remain petulant children long after their time...
...It is the antithesis of heroism...
...If one confesses to long periods of boredom in what is intended for an opulent musical show, part of the blame must be assigned to Mr...
...The growing supremacy of Mr...
Vol. 5 • February 1927 • No. 14
