The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 12, 1927, Page 12

A HAND-PAINTED PAPER CUTTER “Pinwheel,” a play of New York in four parts, by Francis Edwards Faragoh, at the Neighborhood Playhouse. RANCIS Edwards Faragoh handed the Neighborhood Play- house the manuscript of a_hard- boiled little play about a stenogra- pher who wanted romance and found only pork chops and a husband. The many scenes-span as on a pinwheel. The play was as American as the New York Graphic and as real as a brass spittoon. It was laid in a sub- way, at Coney Island, an office, a stockroom, a poolroom, a movie, a cabaret, a cheap flat, a cheaper fur- nished room. Its people stenograph- ers, bootleggers, pool-room bums, sugar daddies, taxi drivers, book- keepers, were real enough for any child to recognize. The. manuscript may have had its weak spots. But it also had its great moments. As staged by the Misses Lewisohn at the Neighborhood Playhouse this play is a failure. I do not share the feeling of the critics that its form is at fault. The episodic play is an- cient English dramatic form, per- haps the true English dramatic form. People who insist that audiences lose interest in a story strung together out of short scenes, forget that Ham- let is still pretty good. Broadway, of course, demands three rigid acts with pot more than two different sofas. But Broadway only * follows rules. Scmebody else has to lay them down or break them up. Mr. Faragoh is one of the pioneers, Unfortunately, his Pinwheel fell into the wrong hands, The producer of the play “Broadway” might have; made it shine like brass. The ladies of the Neighborhood Playhouse tried to aestheticize it. They clipped and trimmed it. Too often they cut to the quick. They stylized the acting in the first part—God knows why; then finding that it simply wouldn’t do, they dropped into straight stuff. They sheathed the metallic lines in tremulous sighs and _ attenuated yearning. They smothered the sharp- cut characters in bizarre settings, constructivism sterilized by soft lights and velvet drapes. A good play. got lost in shadows. It emerged here and there for a trenchant mo- ment, but in general it remained a queer hybrid, not wholly real, not wholly fantastic, its hardnegs dulled, its realism sentimentalized, its beau- ty prettified. You can’t make a pag« from the Graphic into a Dybbuk. To the Neighborhood Playhouse goes the honor of converting a good sharp sword into a dainty, hand-painted pa per cutter—HARBOR ALLEN. BROADWAY GOSSIP “The Little Spitfire,’ Myron C. Fagan’s amusing comedy, will come to the Bronx Opera House Monday night. The company includes: Arthur Aylesworth, Dulcie Cooper, Edward H. Robins, Eileen ‘Wilson, Lester Vail, Peggy Allenby, Dudley Hawley, and Edna Earle Andrews, “1928,” the revue scheduled for the Intimate Playhouse, in the Bronx, is announced to open Saturday night, Feb. 19. “SPELLBOUND,” described as a anti-liquor bigots, by Walter Elwood, will begin a series of spe- cial matinees Tuesday afternoon at the Klaw Theatre, Mary ” In the cast are Esther Stockton, Bud West, Arthur Morris, James J. Morton, Richard Bowles, Arthur Gray, Charlotte Altemus and Adelaide Fitzallen. Forrest is the producer. “POSSIBILITIES,” by J. 8, and E by Clara Tree Major, at a series of special matinees, beginning Tuesday afternoon at the Princess Theatre. The play, it is stated, deals with philosophy. The New Plays TUESDAY LAURA HOPE CREWS One of the principals in “The Silver Cord,” the Sidney Howard play at the Golden Theatre. NEW YORK SYMPHONY Four concerts are scheduled by the New York Symphony Orchestra next week. This Sunday afternoon_ in Mecca Auditorium, Elizabeth Reth- berg will be the soloist, with Otto Klemperer conducting. The program follows: Concerto Crosso No. 4 in A-minor—Handel, Aria “Der Frey- schutz”—-Weber, Kanzertmusik fur Blas Orchestra—Hindemith, Songs— Strauss, Prelude and Isolde’s Love Death from “Tristan and Isolde” Wagner. The concerts in Carnegie Hall next Thursday afternoon and Friday even- ing, will have Pablo Casals as the as- sisting artist, The program includes: Overture, “Oberon”, Weber, Concerto in B-flat Boccherini, Symphony No. 7 Bruckner, Sunday afternoon, February 20, in Mecca Auditorium, Alexander Brai- lowsky will be the soloist. PHILHARMONIC Wilhelm Furtwaengler will include the Seventh Symphony of Nicholas Miaskovsky next Thursday evening and Friday afternoon at. Carnegie Hall. The program will open with the Second Symphony of Brahms and close with the “Tannhauser” Over- ture, This Sunday afternoon at Carnegie Hall Mr. Furtwaengler has scheduled the Beethoven “Leonore” Overture No. 2, the Seventh Symphony of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky's “Romeo and Juliet,” and Berlioz’ Rakoezy March. Next Sunday afternoon Paul Ko- chanski,, will be the soloist with the Philharmonic orchestra. prohibition drama, dealing with rnest W. Martin, will be presented “Weaves a spell” “A hit” KLAW THEATRE A play you won't forget THE LADDER By J. FRANK DAVIS Thea, 50th Street, WALDORF East’ of Broadway. Eve. 8:30. Mats. Wed. & Sat. SPECIAL MATINEE Washington's Birthday (Tuesday, Feb, 22), with ALLAN DINEHART and CLAIBORNE FOSTER West 45th Street. Eves. 8.30. FIRST MAT, TOMORROW, AM GILBERT & SULLIVAN All performances exc. Thurs. Evgs. PIRATES of PENZANCE THURSDAY EVENINGS ONLY IOLANTHE INTHROP Es’ RT e OPERA CO, West 45th Street. PLYMOUTH Evenings, 8:30. Mats. Thurs. & Sat., 2:30. EXTRA MATINEE Washington's Birthday (Tuesday, Feb. 22) CIVIC REPERTORY CORNER 6 AVE. AND 14 ST. TELEPHONE WATKINS 7767. MATINEES WED. AND SAT. PRICHS 50c, $1.10, $1.65, EVA LeGALLIENNE WEEK OF FEB. 14th Mon. Eve., Feb. 14..“Master Builder” Tues. Eve.,. Feb. 15....“Cradle Song” ‘Wed. Mat., Feb. 16..“Master Builder” Wed. Eve. Feb. 16..“fhree Sisters” Thur. Eve., Feb. 17....“Cradle Song” Fri. Eve., Feb. 18, “John Gabriel Borkman” Sat. Mat., Feb. 19...“T'welfth Night” Sat. Eve., Feb, 19 “Cradle Song” WEEK Mon. Eve., Feb. Tues. Mat., Feb. Tues, Eve., Feb. Wed. Mat., Feb. Wed. Eve., Feb. OF FER. 21 21..“Master Builder” 22..“Master Builder” 22....“Cradle Song” 23,...“Cradle Song” 23..“La Loeandiera” Thur. Eve,, Feb. 24...“Three Sisters” Fri. Eve,, Feb. 25....“Cradle Song” Sat. Mat., Feb. 26....“Cradle Song” Sat. Eve., Feb. 26, “John Gabriel Borkman” Meighberhood Playhouse 406 Grand St. Drydock 7516 Every Eve. (Except Mon.) Mat. Sat. “PINWHEEL” By Francis Edwards Faragoh “THE DYBBUK”—Feb. 17, ‘BROTHERS KARAMAZOV Week Feb. 14—PYGMALION Thea.W.52 St. Evs, 8:15 Mats. Thu. & Sat. 2:15 THE SILVER CORD Week Feb. 14--Ned McCobb’s Daughter Th.,58, E.of B’y |Circle Jonn Golden Mts. Thurs, &Sat.] 5678. An @ MERICAN TH TRAGEDY MONTH, Longacre West "and Sat Thea, 48th St., W. of B'y. Ev RITZ 8.30. Mats. WED. and SAT. 2.30, Bye Bye Bonnie Musical Bon Bon with Dorothy Burgess, Rudolph Cameron, Louis Simon, William Frawley. Sam. THEA. West 42nd St H. HARRIS Twice Daily, 2:30 & 8:30 WHAT PRICE GLORY Mats. (exc. Sat.) 50c-$1. Eves. 50c-$8 Guest KLEMPERER, Conductor ee AUDITORIUM, Sun, Aft., Feb. 13 SOLOIST HANDEL, Concerto Grosso No. IV in A minor, for String Orchestra and Cem- balo (Mr. Kiemperer at the Cembalo); WEBER, Aria “Der Freyschutz”; HIN- DEMITH, Konzertmusik fur “Blas Or- chester; STRAUSS, Songs; WAGNER, Prelude and Isolde’s Love-Death from “Tristan und Isolde.” TICKETS at Steinway Hall, 113 West 57th Street, Room 1001. George Engles, Mgr. Steinway Piano, MUSIC NOTES. Ernesto Berumen gives his piano recital at Aeolian Hall Sunday Even- ing, February 20, featuring music of modern Spain by de Falla, Turina, Al- beniz and Granados. Beatrice Pinkham, at her second piano recital in Town Hall next Thursday evening, will play numbers from Bach, Handel, Chopin, Liszt, Grieg and some moderns. Nobu Suzuki, the Japanese con- tralto, at her debut in Town Hall, next Saturday afternoon, will include a program of German lieder, groups of Schubert, by Wolf, .Werkmeister, Mahler and Roger. FU RTWAENGLER, Conductor at CARNEGIE HALL THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON at 3:00 Beethoven—Tchaikovsky—Berlioz Thurs. Eve., Feb. 17, at 8:30—Fri, Aft, Feb, 18, at 2:30 Brahms—Miaskovsky—Wagner Sunday Afterncen, Feb. 20, at 3:00 Seloist: PAUL KOCHANSKI Arthur Judson, Mgr. (Steinway Piano) Aeolian Mall, Sun, Eve., Feb. 20, at 8:30 BERUMEN SPANISH PROGRAM Works by De Falla, Albenis and Granados Haensel & Jones, Mgrs. Steinway Piane TOWN HALL, Sat. Afternoon, Feb. 19, SONG RECITAL Nobu Suzuki Concert Mgt. Daniel Mayer, Ine. Steinway Plano. TOWN HALL, Thurs. Evg., Feb. 17, 8:30 PIANO RECITAL BEATRICH PINKHAM Concert Mgt. Daniel Mayer, Ine, . Chickering Piano,