The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 18, 1927, Page 12

Mae® Pre-War Marriage and Adultery “The Woman of Bronze,” at the Lyric Theatre, Shallow and Out of Date ALINE MAC MAHON Reviewed by JOSEPH FREEMAN. Ste and marriage relations have undergone such deep changes in the past decade, that the revival of “The Bronze Woman” at the Lyric Theatre is the echo of primitive and almost incredible days. Even six or seven years ago, when the play was first produced, it must have struck theatre-goers as weak and sentimental; last Wednesday evening the audience snickered® au- dibly at several “touching” passages intended obviously to evoke tears. - Infidelity as old as marriage, an the wife 2 il husband is attracted by a woman younger and more attrac- tive than herself remains a problem in real life and a good theme for the stage Somerset Maughan’s “The Constant Wife,” now running on Broadway, treats the same problems from our own decades, point of view. There are no hysterics, no wringing of hands and hearts, no fake motiva-| Will play Titania in the open air tions. * The betrayed wife recognizes the property nature of bourgeois mar- riage, and the changing nature of love in marriage. She handles the situa- tion with wit and character, obtains} her freedom of action by earning her| - own living, and repays the husband; in his own coin by going off to Capri with a man she loves and who loves her. Throughout the play she re- mains mistress of herself and of the situation; she uses to make her whole life and happiness hinge on the man who has ceased to be her lover, though he remains her husband and friend and an excellent and secure): source of income; or to succumb to the pressure of conventional morals. If Maughan’s play is cynical, it is ‘a healthy cynicism which exposes the platitudes and pretenses of middle class life. The response of the au- dience showed that it articulates a genuine attitude on the part of civil- ized people. Why Murray Phillips chose to re- vive “The Bronze Woman” at this stage of the game is difficult to guess. Neither Paul Kester’s clever adaptation from .the French nor Margaret Anglin’s fine acting could save it from it own shodiness and falsehood. However, this a problem for theatrical producers and pro- fessional critics. What is interesting for most of us are the ideas of the play. The wife of a scuptor, conveniently rich, devotes her entire life to her husband. Their child was stillborn and her whole maternal instinct goes out to the man and his work. Fif- teen years of flawless devotion and admiration, do not save the wife from the pain and humiliation of betrayal. The artist falls in love with a young musician who is portrayed as a destructive force. As played by Mary Fowler, the girl is sensitive, soft, quiet-spoken; but her real vil- performance of “A ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,” at the Stadium, For- rest Hills tomorrow night. In a scene with the woman who has broken up her home, the wife points out the depth of her sin and depravity. Had this played by any less gifted and self- controlled than Margaret Anglin, it would have been one of the choicest satires on the infantile twaddle that proceeds from middle-class conven- tions. Thus the play upholds not only the sanctity of the home, and the eternal triumph of the good woman, but vin- dicates the great privilege of the bourgeois gentleman to have his cake and eat it. He can with impunity desert his wife for a pretty girl, and then desert the pretty girl for his wife, while the wife “suffers in si- lence” and his “partner in sin” is cast out and reviled as a ‘thief,” “vixen,” ete. Fourteen Shows Close Shop Tonight Fourteen theatres will go dark after tonight’s performance. Of this large number of closings, two Theatre Guild productions, “Mr. Pim Passes By” and ‘Ned MecCobb’s Daughter” will end their run this evening. The others are “Kempy,” “Namiko San,” “Wooden Kimono,” “Triple Crossed,” George White’s “Scandals,” which ran for over a year, “Oh Kay,” here eight months, “Two Girls Wanted,” playing since September; “Gertie,” “A Very Wise Virgin,” “Baby Mine” and “Caponsacci,” the Walter Hamp- den production which ran through the season. The Paul Green show, “In Abraham’s Bosom” closes to- morrow night. No new plays have lany is shown by the fact that it is{as yet been listed to take the place she who first says “I love you.” The wife discovers the secret and “iTlicit” love by walking in at the precise moment of its declaration. She suffers in silence, with the as- sistance of the usual friend of the famjly. , She suffers in silence, not only be- cause she loves her husband and is generally a noble person after the best mid-victorian pattern. The truth is, she wants her husband to finish his masterpiece, “the woman of bronze,” which is to represent some vague social ideal about the ascension of humanity to vague heights of splendor, nobility, truth, and other nice things referred to by senators on official occasions. Quite incidentally, the statue is to be entered in a con- test for a million dollar prize, which, as everyone knows, is the usual re- ward of idealistic artists. of the closed productions. ee |__Broadway Briefs | Additions to the cast of “A Mid- summer, Night’s Dream” which will be presented in the open air at the Stadium, Forest Hills, L. L., tomorrow night for the benefit of the Actors’ Fund, are Reginald Goode, who will play Demetrius, Jay Fassett, as Flute, J. Malcolm Dunn as Philos- trate, and Betty Lawford, as Pease- blossom. The other players are Stan- ley Harrison as Snug, Horace Bra- ham as Oberon, Guy Nicholas as Starveling, Ernest Stallard as Snout, and Aline MacMahon as_ Titania. There will also be a ballet and chorus fo the supervision of Alexis Kos- —S—_ The Theatre Guild Acting Company in aoe “The Second Man” GUILD THEATRE 52nd Street, West of Broadway. Eves at 8:30, Matinees THURSDAY and SATURDAY at 2:30, “Mr. Pim Passes By” GARRICK THEA. 65 W. 35th St. Evs. 8:30, Mats. Thurs, & Sat, 2:30. “The Silver Cord” THEATRE, 58th St., East of B’way. CIRCLE Matinees THURSDAY & SATURDAY. 5678 JOHN GOLDEN LAST WEEK OF CONTEST. United Actors, Inc., announce that the award of $500 for the best letter on The Ladder will end with the twelfth, and current week. The last chance to win a prize is to submit your letter before 10 A. M. Monday, June 20th. scene been - CORT Theatre 48th St., E. of B’way THE LADDER No Performances Saturday Summer Prices Nothing over $2.20 Joseph Stanley, well known musi-; cal comedy star, is going in for pro-| ducing on his own the coming season. | His first production will be a musical | version of A. E. Thomas’s comedy, | “Just Suppose,” which was played| here two seasons back. The young) producer will direct the production and also appear in the principal role.| “Jail Birds,” Upton Sinclair’s im-! pressionistic play dealing with the I.! W. W. in Southern California will be presented at the Gamut Theatre, Los| Angeles in July. There will be a cast of over 200, and a large chorus of male voices. George M. Cohan is going back to producing. Next month he will stage his own play, a farce titled “Cyclone.” He. may also appear in the produc- tion. bed Oncth. ( “Len Ay ‘Old San Francisco’ Coming to Warner’s Tuesday Warner’ Bros. newest produe- tion “Old San | Francisco” will have its premiere at the Warner Theatre next Tuesday evening, June 21st. The star, Dolores Costello; Warner Oland and Anna May Wong of DOLORES COSTELLO . the cast and Alan Crosland the director will be there _in person. The premiere will be for the benefit of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. “Old San Francisco” is a romance of the early days of the city. High spots are The Barbary Coast, China- town and the celebrated fire. The scenario is by Anthony Coldway from Darryl Francis Zanuck’s story. The cast also includes William Demarest, Sojin, John Miljan, Josef Swickard, Anders Randolph, Angelo Rossitto, and Rose Dione. The pic- ture will have the accompaniment of a special synchronized musical score arranged by Dr. Hugo Riesenfeld rendered via Vitaphone. 4 Little Theatre GRAND Evenings at 20." STREET MATINEES WED. AND SATURDAY, 2:30. FOLLIES SYD CHAPLIN ‘’ THE MISSING LINK moss COLONY BRoapway Contin. Noon to Mianight.—Pop. Prices, The new Vitaphone prelude will embrace Tom Brown and the original Six Brown Brothers and Blossom Seeley; Willie and Eugene Howard who will be seen and heard in a comedy skit called “Pals,” and Beni- amino Gigli in scenes from “La Gia- conda.” The Fifty-fifth Street Cinema, newest of the little film theatres, beginning today will share a revised version of “Grass,” the Copper- Scholdsack film which preceded “Chang,” and “Madame Wants No Children,” produced by Alexander Korda with his wife, Marie Korda in the leading role. The latter pie- ture was produced in Germany, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” with Werner Krauss in the role of Dr. Caligari and Conrad Veidt as Cesare, the sleeper, will be seen at Moss’ Cameo Theatre beginning today.