Evening Star Newspaper, April 14, 1929, Page 69

{- Theater, Screen and Music Part 4—20 Pages LLYN REESE- Fox - (S‘/aqe) N RS DR R AT TR A Conspicuous Display of Exotic Drama. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. THEATER season that has been erratic in many re- spects made a very distinct departure from the usual in reserving for a very late dem- onstration perhaps the most pow- erful drama that New York could present in this city. ‘“‘Congai” travels some pathways of human interest which have become fas- cinatingly familiar and close in appeal to sympathy since the day when Asia and its people were such entire strangers that even so scholarly a wit as W. S. Gilbert permitted himself to select the august Mikado “as a source of in- nocent merriment.” * % x % The production of “Congai” was made by Sam Harris, who ‘put “Rain” on the stage, and there are traces of relationship in the methqdoutagehandlmg. Thisplay is a far ety from the times when the ethnological magnificences of strange lands were utilized only by the librettist. We now must take our “Wang” and our “Cam- bodians” in the spirit of deep and serious tragedy, and make the ac- quaintance with our fellow men not in a spirit of masquerading gayety, but with the pledge of earnestness which a teardrop ex- tends. *x Xk X Xx The theme of the forsaken love which animates “Madame Butter- fly” is present in this drama of French Indo-China. But, com- mfl to “Congai,” “Madame But- y” is only a fragile moth. * %k X% * Grand opera in unprecedented 3lendor might be rendered avail- le if the touch of Puccini could be summoned to the task of add- ing musical expression to so great a dramatic theme. With Helen Menken in the leading role, the drama needs no melodious em- phasis to hold close interest. Without Miss Menken the play would need all the artifices of vocal finesse and orchestration to make it as convincing to the imagination as it stands at present. * Xk % ¥ “Congai” ventures upon elabor- ated splendors of physical detail which threaten at moments to overwhelm the poetry with sheer spectacle. Men and women cross Truths of the Theater. MANAGE’RS and critics of the the- ater may differ in their opinions as to its ultimate destiny, its power for good or evil, its place in the affairs of men, but there are some truths con- cerning its most loyal patron—woman- kind—that no one with even doubtful vision of the earth mole will ever deny. Long before the days when the heart- rending appeal of “East Lynne” was ever dreamed of, it was an established fact that woman adores a play that can make her weep; and the more de- mand it puts upon her sympathetic tear ducts the more she likes it. Now it isn't common sense to say that women like to be miserable, but tears are not always evidence of misery. And the tegrs a woman sheds over a character or a situation in a play that makes her ‘weep are not. testimony that she is un- happy. They are, rather, the strongest evidence that something has touched in per nature that which of all things lifts her above the rest of creation and she a mumepln.mmaefi.gum of its dul qualit But ‘wants to be as wise as else about the “is & third truth that the scene with nothing to do con- cerning the story excepting to re- mind the eye that the place and people have customs very ancient and all their own, and yet none which exempt them from the cruel heartpangs common to all mankind. Despite much excellent acting, the burden of responsibil- ity is placed squarely upon one woman, who has the gift of throwing herself completely into the spirit of sorrowing woman- hood. There are symbols and temple gongs aplenty, but the heart throb sounds over them all. * X % ¥ Another touch of the exotic much nearer cotemporary. interest was contributed by “Ta Bouche,” which came on from the Paris musical stage without taking the trouble to translate itself. The custom of presenting foreign plays in the original tongue has grown amazingly, and to arrive at a thorough appreciation of the theater requires not only artistic sense, but a considerable skill as a linguist. The spirit of “gay Scere Fom BroaDwAY | MEeLoDY Columbia Paree” has never faded. The consciousness that seeks frivolity. | “Ta Bouche” arrived at a moment | when it might have served slight- | ly to alleviate the resentments of | the merciless spirit depicted as | characterizing French regime in | Indo-China. * k% % From time to time the National Theater stock company performs a pleasant service by reaching into the archives and bringing to attention some half-forgotten manuscript. A hint of Panhcho Villa’s career serves as a whimsi- cal revelation of generous extrav- agances to which an outlaw may go when he feels a sense of per- sonal obligation. The different slants from which varying minds will view a somewhat similar character is illustrated by recall- ing an English satirist’s discussion of the American bravo. There never was as funny a “bad man” play as Shaw’s “Showing Up of Blanco Posnit,” as rich in uncon- scious humor as it is in inten- tional satire. It approaches in its character analysis the famous minstrel man who delights n picking the banjo on race day and entertaining the crowd with verses about “’Is 'Appy Little ’'Udson River "Ome.” theater, and that is that woman’s naturally timid nature delights in tast- ing even terror at times. It is not that she craves to be frightened out of her wits, but when something really does frighten her almost out cf her wits she ‘strzuely finds a happy contentment n it. Manager Steve Cochran, wise in his day and generation, wise as an old owl that has haunted the dark and dismal places inhabited only by the shades of the ancients, the halls of ruined castles, the haunted spots of mouldering grave- yards, in spite of the rosy flush of youth upon his bulging cheeks, and in spite of years that must have been busy ones of investigation, however vain they may have been in whitening his Jocks, bearing in mind two of these it truths established by the theater, knows what “The Gorilla” did; he re- members what “Bulldog Drummond” did, d his memory is more than |and light as may be afforded by the fresh on “The Canary Murder Case” | drama in its more literate, human and | and others of that dramaturgical ilk.|intelligent aspects. p | Aoieves o b the peer of them ai, 1 ol B Ercater than bhem il And this| The first performance of “Coquette” week, with all the skill and of | the other night by Miss Mary Pickford AM. e‘ WASHINGTON, D. C, S+rand LTHOUGH the Theater Guild is . 10 years old today, no attempt is being made to solemnize the oc- casion with suitable ceremonies. ‘The most auspicious anniversary in the drama’s calendar, it will pass un- honored save for such salvos as are fired and such bells as are pealed in private. ‘This absence of music and parade upon & morn so significant is characteristic of and becoming to the guild and its fellowship. The holiest of all holidays are those Kept by ourselves in silence and apart. Later, perhaps, when time has further consolidated the guild’s achievements, April 13-14 will be a period of public 1l iving and prayer, a legal fes- tival, forbidding work and commemo- rating still another important day of deliverance. Pilgrimages will be made to the homes of Mr. Shaw and Miss Helen Westley, brass tablets tacked upon the rural birthplaces of Alfred Lunt and Dudley Digges, odes addressed to Mau- rice Wertheim and Miss Lynne Fon- taine and effigies unveiled by Eugene O'Neill, Richard Bennett, Miss Pauline Lord, John Golden and Martin Beck. 1t will be known upon the national stat- utes probably as Drama day and there will be dancing in the streets. As a drama lover, man and boy, these E:st nine years, I wish that there might ve been a bit of ritual in behalf of the guild’s natal hour—something to suggest the importance of its accouche- ment—a masque, for instance, illustrat- ing its commencement and its develop- ment into the most pleasing, powerful and esthetic of the stage religions. Since the.guild’s sense of humor prohibits it from' exhibitions of pride, we must be content to banquet its accomplishments teria. Still, ever I'7ed. It has 32,000 sul in | New York City, 7,000 in Chicago, 5,000 | and the vocal cinema thrilled your cou- rler with disappointment. That' fine is said by her press a “mike voice,” and without rasp announcement is made with 's first o £ GLADYs MCormack VicTor MLAGLEN Fox On the ‘Broadway Stage By Percy Hammond. falsest. When I was a boy, 15 years ago, I saw talking pictures made more ex- pert in their blending of movement and voice. Why Miss Pickford, whose wealth, genius and popularity are not at the moment incredible, should sacrifice her- self in a mess so awkward is beyond the understanding of one who has hereto- fore looked up to her as among the several first actresses of the nickel- odeons. * k kK ‘To those who ask nothing from the theater save a . performance by Mrs, Fiske, Mr. Tyler's revival of “Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh” will be more than amusing. It is an old bit of semi-far- cical claptrap, made entertaining only by Mrs. Fiske's brilliant and occasionally subtle performances of the better histri- onic tricks. She is so skillful in her burlesque role that you forget the forced tawdriness of the comedy. She is so expert in her graceful mannerisms in the lumbering “Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh” that I think she could make any part real, from Little Eva to Mary Dugan. Sunda C LARA BOW and . FREDERIC MARCH- . Earle el SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 14, 1929. 8 SCREE Scene /Qom,“ SiIMBA” Little Theater Rialto’s De Luxe Opening. WIIH Florenz ' Ziegfeld and Carl Laemmle’s famous Movietone pic- torial pegeant, “Show Boat,” which Ziegfeld declares is “the greatest motion picture ‘of the greatest extravaganza ever produced,” for its. attraction, and with all the prestige that can be given by the personal appearance of its stars, Joseph Schildkraut and Laura La Plante, as well as of Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal Picture Corporation, and of notables of Wash- ington official and social life, as well as celebrities of the motion picture world, the Rialto Theater, at Ninth and G streets northwest, will again resume its place as one of the leading palaces of motion picture entertainment in g;uhl.nmn on Monday evening, April The occasion has been likened to & world premiere of one of the most notable pictures of the day, and elab- orate preparations have been made, not only by the local management of the ‘ SINGING STAR OF “SHOW BOAT.” I | theater, but by the Universal Pictures Corporation, which sponsors it, to make the evening a memorable one. It will be recalled that a notable premiere of “Show Becat” was recently staged in Miami, Fla., before a gather- ing of distinguished guests, with Florenz Ziegfeld himself as the master of ceremonies, and with Miss Helen Mor- gan, star of the stage production of “Show Boat,” as one of the prominent personages present. The picture is a musical, speaking adaptation of the famous Ziegfeld stage production, in which ' Joseph Schild- kraut is the Ravenal, Laura La Plante the Magnolia and Otis Harlan, famous in his day and generation, is the Captain Andy of the stage show’s rep- lica, a ®superproduction’ made _under the personal supervision of Ziegfeld and Laemmle. It is said to be striking in its blending of story, plot, music and song. ‘The performance will begin at 8:30 p.m,; and the audience is expected to be one of the utmost distinction in the social and diplomatic circles of the National Capital. “Show Boat” had its premiere in New York and $10 ‘a seat was the price of admission on.that occasion. R Cold Facts. OEW'S PALACE announces that it not only broke, all records in busi- ness last week with “The Duke Steps Out,” but’ established a new record in the operation of its refrigerating plant. The plant’ was started earlier this year than at any time since the theater that Washingtonians may find comfort from the torrid heat in the clean, comfortable, fresh atmos- . | phere of the Palace Theater. Capt. Joe Nash h;s tl:‘eumschhaz‘; Inmper{m {‘ug- ning order r spending 8] e thl?s‘ Winter in_ caring for CE:: and SR overhauling them. .~Fan Mail, , VIC‘I‘OR MCcLAGLEN, star of “Strong Boy,” does not claim to receive more fan niail than any other male or it is mostly from men hemtmdm Momu&r“ is o “omh,” e for most from ‘wives, 3 Iz B e e e War vel { " This deluge came after “What Price o .’ .and has continued to the pres- ent day. - § Buf the mail that McLaglen prizes moest. is that from former bud- : remote places of the' earth actor. TUnique because the feminine H picture | bill, &ene. /[;)‘om tor, Aviation ; and Radio News *"The SkuLL-’ GusTav Von SEYFFERTITZ and Louise Brooks - /\/\e+roPo|i+au Na-HonaI Attractions in Washington Playhouses This Week IN LOCAL THEATERS THIS WEEK. NATIONAL PLAYERS—“The Skull,” mystery play. Opens to- morrow evening. POLI'S—Metropolitan opera; “Manon,” Wednesday evening; “I Pagliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana,” Thursday eve- ning; “Aida,” Saturday matinee. BELASCO—Jane Cowl in “Paolo and Francesca,” tomorrow eve- ning. WARDMAN PARK—“Penrod” (Juvenile Theater), Friday and Saturday matinee and evening. STRAND—“Red Hots,” burlesque. PRESIDENT—"“The jazz Regiment,” coiored revue. ning. NATIONAL PLAYERS—“The Skull.” ‘Tomorrow night the National Theater Players will present a comedy-mystery thriller that Washington has not yet seen, although it is now being played on a road tour across the country, after a successful Broadway run. to be an unusual and extraordinarily high-powered mystery thriller and is called “The Skull.” It was written by Bernard J. Owen and Harry E. Humphrey, who set out to concoct a piece of dramaturgy to beat “The Bat.” The action is staged in an old, aban- doned church near Greenwich, Conn., which, though abandoned by its congre- gation, proves not to have been aban- doned at all by certain mysterious ele- ments that hold forth in the old struc- ture and from time to time manifest themselves through blood-curdling calls and caterwauls, hands darting from dark corners, menacing figures which slink across the chancel and terrifying music from the wheezy old organ in the choir loft. After the New England fashion, there is a' graveyard adjoining the church, and from the headstones and elsewhere within its environs steal all sorts of weird and fantastic figures, to. create one long nerve-wracking tension after another. The characters in “The Skull” are most unusual, not quite like the char- acters in any other play, including an old .professor, who is a hypotist and who does a lot of other work on the side: the 'Skull, whose identity is not revealed until the final curtain, and also a group of men and women who become inextricably in the happenings of the old church. METROPOLITAN OPERA. ‘The Metropolitan Grand Opera Co. of New York will present four operas this week at Poli's Theater. The company comes under the auspices of a committee of Washington society women, with Mrs. Wilson-Greene as manager. ‘The opening opera will be Massenet’s “Manon,” to be given Wednesday, at 8 pm., in French, Hasselmans con- ducting. The title role will be sung by Lucrezia Bori. Other roles will be sung by Benlamino Gigli, as Des Grieux; de Luca, as Lescaut; Leon Rothier, as Count des Grieux; Aida Doninelli, Minnie Egener and Dorothea Flexer as Pausette, Javotte and Rosette, *Thursday night at 8 o'clock a double “Cavalleria Rusticana,” by Mas- and “I Pagliacci,” by Leoncavallo, be sung in Italian, Vincenzo Bel- lezza conducting both operas. In the Mascagni work the roles will be sung by Rosa Ponselle, Marion Telva, Ar- mand Tokatyan, Lawrence Tibbett and Philine Falco. In the Leoncavallo opus \aeppe Dasis: Angely Bada and George useppe 3 ani Chechanovsky will ¥ Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock the ‘Washington “season” will be It is said | This afternoon and evening. This eve- roles will be sung by Rosa Ponselle, Marion Telva, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi. Ezio Pinza, Louis d’Angelo, Mario Basi- ola, Alfic Tedesco and Aida Doninelli, with incidental dances by Rita de Le- porte and corps de ballet. Tickets are on sale at Mrs. Wilson- Greene's office, in Droop’s, Thirteenth and G streets northwest. WARDMAN PARK—“Penrod.” The Junior Theater at Wardman Park will present this week end that idyl of boyhood “Penrod” that has been made into a play from the stories by Booth Tarkington, in which the inimit- able Penrod figures. This will be next to the last production of the Junior Theater this season. There will be the usual Priday matinee at 3:30, Saturday matinee at 2:30 and performances both evenings at 8:15 o'clock. George Vivian will stage the play and will also take part. Shirley Horton, Leslie Kent, Henry Fonda, Kent Smith, Marguerite Thorne, Betty Kilbourne, Kay Conway, Kurt Nothnagle and all the favorites of the Junior Theater wil be seen. There will also be five chil dren in the cast to please the kiddies. As “amateur, dettecatif” the exploits of Penrod make a play that is a delight. It is written in vein of pure comedy and is based on the last of the Penrod stories, but episodes from earlier stories are incorporated into the ami drama. The play won instant favor in its production at the Globe Theater in New York. STRAND—“Red Hots.” ‘Wava White and her “Reéd Hots” are holding forth at the Strand Burlesque Theater this week. Wava and her “Red Hots” are said to be firmly intrenched in the favor of those who enjoy this form of stage fare, which makes for laughter, the comedy spirit and attractive singing and dancing, especially by the chorus, which executes some amazing dances. Among the 'leading players are Agnes McCormack, Billy Gordon, Bert Scott and Gordon Rydeen, with Milt Frank- ford, whose name appears in type wnde-vl ‘White, who is especially fea- tured. A new scene, “The North Pole,” ap- pears to have caught the public fancy and is described as the last word in modern. burlesque revue. rusmlh—"m Jazz Regiment.” ‘The_all-colored musical comedy “The closed with a performasce of Verdi's “Aida” in Ital- Jaszz Regiment” will return and reopen here at the President Theater. for a spe- thcmla it of one week, L . A. A, Lichtman, head of the Lichie g‘nux theaters of Wi o , and Sam risman, producer of “The Jazz iment,” have completed m(am for ‘the latter’s large ?m a’yhymu:u extra period ore