The evening world. Newspaper, May 10, 1919, Page 9

Advance of Frankness in Plays of Sex, Real Progress and Much Dramatic Art Problem of “Other Woman” Began With | Adam, Says Playwright Broadhurst, and ideas. Occasionally an author tts hat. Patron of the theatre. face them, Frankness cannot hurt anyone. In @ play It is like an antiseptic. It is food for you and good for the theatre. People who protest they are shocked by it are either fools or hypocrites. ‘There's no sense in trying to get away from life, for Mfe is always at our heels. Kicking us, perhaps, but driving us along the only road we can travel. Why not be frank about it in the theatre? The turning point in “The Easiest Way” was reached when the Wall Street broker walked into an apart- ment and unlocked another door while the youth and the girl who loved each other stared at him. His roprietary air told the whole story. dere was frankness—ugly, to be sure, yet true. DOMESTIC DRAMA MUST BE FRANKLY TREATED. Eugene Walter, the most courage- ous playwright of our time, in my opinivn, made the situation nothing less an a revelation. Edward Knoblock has been equally frank in “Tiger! Tiger!" Now comes Thomas Broadhurst with “Our Pleasunt Sins,’ @ play so true to life that it compels both attention and admiration. Here, at least, is a play that means some- thing to the theatre as an Intelligent institution. It is what ‘s called domestic drama. Though I cannot agree with the author when he makes his “man-about-town” say “Reputa- \tion is the price we pay for our pleas- ant sins,” [ admire the simple franic- ness of the character. Mr. Broad- hurst bas this to say on the subject: “The domestic drama began when Adam went chasing after Lilith. What Eve said to him is not recorded, but we may be sure she didn’t Idt his adventure pass without comment. One night, in his tent, Abraham got @ curtain lecture and the next day Vagar took to the road. Solomon eseaped ‘the other woman’ problem ry addition and multiplication, but it Modern Audiences Are for Reality in Its Treatment. Prepared By Charles Darnton. LOWLY, but surely, intelligence is creeping into the theatre, It can no longer be said that the stage is twenty years behind the tintes in with @ sane outlook on life succeeds im getting his play before an audience that doesn't check its brains with For one thing, frankness in so-called sex plays is more marked to-day than ever before. Our unpleasant sins are not given a melodramatic glory; they are treated simply and naturally. was given a glamour that made it dangerous to the mentally undeveloped It used to be done with the ruined lady in a gown that revealed her shoulder blades and a ruinous gentleman whose tailor seemed to be the only good thing in his life. Nowadays we see plain people in plain clothes facing the realities of life and compelling us to In other days, that sort of thing caused the siege of Troy and Aga- memnon’s death. Medea willed her children because Glauce'’s golden beauty lured Jason from her side. And so !t has been all through the ages, and so it will continue to be while men and women are what they are. “The domestic drama offers the widest porsitie field to the play- wright. Ethics, aesthetics, sociology, love, faith, honor, chivatry, may all enter into it and the dramatist may make his story tragic, comic, satiric, poetic or reaMsttc. Only of late has he chosen to do the latter and this is due, not so much perhaps to a change in hts point of view, as to a change in the-attitude of his audience. AUDIENCES PREPARED TO FACE REALITY ON STAGE. “The practical playwright realizes that in order to succeed he must ‘give the public what it wants.’ And it is because he instinctively realizes that the present day audience ts pre- pared to face reality that the play- wright is prepared to tell the truth as he sees it about infractions of the marriage vow and thelr consequences. No playwright can cover the whole field. He oan take only some portion of it; some particular chain of in- cidents, and show it with sympathy but without sentimentality, as it af- fects the particular characters in- volved, and their reactions to the situation in which they find them- selves. “Is marriage a bond or a chain? Does the intimacy of married life foster love? Or, since novelty is so compelling a force ip human nature. does the wedded condition of ame. ness wither freshness? Does not the average man or woman drift into this relation without any special reason or excuse but that of opportunity? This ix the basic idea of ‘Our Ple: ant Sins.’ Jim Powell, the husband, does not even prefess to love the other woman. He Jnat ‘kind of ker her.’ Nor does he try to excuse his fa a safe het that the visit of the the tongue Queen of Sheba set scandal wagging, of infidelity, but he lets fall one sen tence which Is preenant with sue. reation: ‘Nell and T have been mar- NORMA SS INS THe NEW RIALTO, Lape . hi BRDowery . Pe, ye FG VERO. FILM AND VAUDEVILLE STARS APPEARING HERE N TX Whee He S NPR DONASLE: ried five years and— well —she's hardly had a word for me since the re we have another question, and a corollary rs advice to Nell, ‘Don't neglect your husband even for your home and your baby, or some day you may not know where to find him.’ “While ‘Our Pleasant Sins’ pur- ports to be only a ‘fragment of life’ and was not written to point a moral, | it must, as must any play dealing | seriously with any angle of the mar- riage relation, by implication at least, touch on the moral side of the ques- tion. Jim's contention Is that ‘the other woman’ is a good woman. Is she? Even Nell so far changes her point of view as to say ‘I shall never think any woman bad again.’ “Has ‘the other woman’ any rights to be considered? Jim thinks she has, but Madge says no. By her ac- tion ‘she puts herself outside the pale of her sex. We may pity her, we may sympathize with her, we may even love her, but for the sake of our sl ters, for the sake of our daught nd for the sake of our homes, we got to crush her.’ “Why ia it that the modern audi- ence seems prepared to face squarely ve PAULINE LORD as NELL POWELL, VINCENT SERRANO aS ee ens corr 4 ay SOME ( CHARA ACTERS IN BROADHURST’S “OUR P LEASANT SINS.” ForResT Winant as vim Powe. | | | | Allen, John Barry, Jack Strauss Harry O'Neal, Ethael Albertini, Mar. tha Horton, Flossie Radcliffe, Rudy Willing and Ed. Simmons, it the question of marital infidelity? Is 1g because of the ‘emancipation’ of woman? Or is it true, as Madge as- serts, that ‘no woman js an advancet woman, where her own man Is con- cerned ? “These are some of the questions raised in ‘Our Pleasant Sins,’ not by the author, but by the characters. Each auditor will answer them after his own psychology; the author can only let the people in the play work out thelr own salvation New Offerings In the Theatres Additional dramatic announceemnts for the coming week will be printed in The Evening World of Monday. AKING part in the performance to be given at the Metropolitan Opera House to-morrow night as a testimonial to the lassies of the Salvation Army will be George M. Cohan, Blanche Bates, Alma Clay- burgh, Ernest Truex, Irene Bodini, Lessie McCoy Davis, Johnny Dooley, Howard Kyle, Marion Coakley, Bert George Beban, Eddie Garvie, Jessica Brown, Julius Tannen, Whit- ing & Bert, Tom Wise, Julia Arthur, Lieut. Gitz-Rice, Sidney Herbert, Ma- rie Dressler, Blanche Ring, Bert Wil- liams, Harry Davenport, Dorothy Dickson, Craig Campbell, Yvette Ru- gel, Tommy Gray, Erle Mayne, Pat Rooney and Lightners & Alexander. pduslate Onna RIALTO SCREEN COMEDY WITH MARGUERITE CLARK For its principal screen offering the Rialto will have Marguerite Clark in “Come Out of the Kitchen,” an adap- tation of Alice Duer Miller's story. An aristocratic Virginia girl finds It necessary to assume the role of cook when she leases her home to Burton Crane, a wealthy Northerner. One of the conditions of the lease is that the negro servants be replaced by white servitors, Claudia is introduced to Crane as his cook, and he instantly falis in love with her, Charlie Chap- lin in “The Cure," a comedy ballet the Rialto Magazine and musical numbers will complete the pro- gramme. pane ee “THE NEW MOON,” RIVOLI FILM PLAY Norma Talmadge will be seen at the Rivoli in “The New Moon,” a photo- play of Russian ome life, by H. H Van Loan, The story deals with the fight that women in Russia are mak- ing for their freedom. guised as a peasant girl leads the women of a village, to rebel against the order requiring them to register A princess div: for the so-called purpose of “na- tionallzation,” Other features will be a Mack Sennett comedy, “When Love Is Blind;” the Rivoli Magazine and orchestral and vocal music. ae “‘BOLSHEVISM ON TRIAL” PLAZA THEATRE FILM Film offerings at the Plaza Theatre will be “Bolshevism on Trial," to- morrow, Monday and Tuesday; Anita wart in “A Midnight Romance,” ednesday and Thursday; Madge |Kennedy in “Daughter of Mine" and Charlie Chaplin in “Shoulder Arms,” Friday and Saturday. pail Se |*“NEW BON TON GIRLS” AT HURTIG & SEAMON’ With “The New Bon Ton Girls” Hurtig & Sean will be Lester at on's THREE SUMMER PARKS OFFER MANY NOVELTIES Palisades Amusement Park opens jay with a new midway and five “thrillers.” ‘The free events include upon the world by her parents, She ts found by a police- man and taken to an orphanage, where she is given a name from a telephone book, There wih also be “When Love Is Blind,” the Topical Review, and con- cert numbers. BILLS AT NEW YORK AND AMERICAN THEATRES The film attractions at Loew's Now York Theatre and Roof will be Nor- ma Talmadge in “The New Moon;” to-morrow, May Allison in in the Air; Monday, Souls; Tuesday and Wednesday, Pegsy Hyland in “The Miss Adven- ture;" Thursday, “Taxie" “The Social Pira On the vaude vurday. band concerts, circus features, vaude- ville acts and fireworks on Tuesday and Thursday nights. ‘The season at Luna Park, Coney Island, begins on next Saturday night.’ A panoramic spectacle called “The Last Shot; or, 3-11's," depreting the state of affairs along the Amer- jcan fighting front in France at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year, when the armistice was signed. The regular season at Steeplechase Park, Coney Island, will also open on Saturday next, though the place will offer a number of attractiot to visi- tors to-morrow. Among these is the indoor pool. ple SEE “AMERICA’S BEST” COLUMBIA THEATRE REVUE Dave Marion will come to the Co- lumbia Theatre with his burlesquers and give a two-act revue called “America’s Best." The company in- cludes Agnes Behler, Frank L. Wake- field, Inez De Verdier, Nellie Watson, Jack Willard, Lydia Bristow, Billy Lester, Al. Lorraine, William Fuller, Mickey Markwood and Bobby Rob- erts. pee EEE, MARY PICKFORD, STRAND, IN “DADDY LONG-LEGS” Mary Pickford in “Daddy Long Legs,” a film version of the story and play by Jean Webster, will be the leading 2 feature at the Strand Theatre. AMUSEMENTS. fei (Dreadway, at Miss Pickford plays the part of Judy Abbott, a child who has been thrown unknown “Castles “Auction of Taylor Holmes in and Lila Lee in “Rustling @ Bride” Friday, and June Elvidge in at Loew's American Theatre and Roof the first half of the week will be Stan Stanley, Clayton and Jennie, Laing and Green, Love, the Seven Jolly Jesters. The play will be “Auction of souls” __CONCERTS anes a ~WiPPODROME: To.monm GALLI-CURCI TICKETS, $1.00 to $1.50. NOW a BOX OFFICE THEATRES. EMPIRE coy 2 Oe & Ben wt am Gilets?” “DEAR BRUTUS 24 ven. Hae TAT LADY He tk, ZIEGFELD 20a GLOBE sda ate SHE'S A GOOD FELLOW LIBERTY yi 34", 2° 83° EAE? Sopa Henry Miller Blanche Bates Holbrook Blinn Estelle Winwood bars LIGHTNIN, Bs 9 Wisk Eves, 6.30, Lieuts, Schramm and Armstrong and BELASCO } or mn, Reeainge ot One “The Ited Fox Trot.” The picture|] payiy inact Weak’ teenies ra ali ako DARK ROSALEEN Charles Ray in "Greased Lightning.” Stanley remains throughout the wank, Thursday COHAN & HARRIS will 1 sont it The Kiddies Enjoy Cuticura Soap This pure, fragrant emollient is just suited to the tender skins of infants Millions have known of it, with touches of Ointment now and then to little skin and scalp troubles, tends to insure a health skin, a clean scalp and good hair through life. Soap, Ointment and Talcum 25 cents each 49th Street) ‘THE DINER AND HIS DINNER Should meet in perfect harmony. Service and appetite are synchronized bere. The pleasures of the dance and cabaret ald digestion. Theatre Tabic @'Hete SPECIAL scalseett Matinee Luncheon, $1.00 COMMENCING MONDAY AFTERNOON. LAST WEEK OF THE REGULAR SEASON ¢ Prices Binoking. He Y AFTERNOON, MAY savor EXTRA! ALL- SUMMER SHOW us. Wed. & THE ROYAL wacatine wre 5 0 haat oy PRINCE aN conGathe a o lice Faces Et Tin He, oe. LYCEUM fits Thur DADDIES: MORNING F,TERNOON ie CSrENG, WONDERFUL, oats MARIONETTES East of J roadway. GREENWICH Yue Feces tim Be im es ae EVEN. 830. MATS, NODAT a WED. at 2.90 ‘The Grea Hinda ‘BONTON it with LESTER ALLEN CHORUS OF CAPTIVATING CUTIES SUNDAY 2 18/2 BIG CONCERT: MANHATTAN OPERA HOUSE| ¢ 34h St and Sth Avenue MAT. TO-DAY. LAST 2 TIMES ARGONNE PLAYERS Tis Division in Original Reproduction ARGONNE FOREST tnd Chene-Tendy Hun ‘Theatre, Matte of ube Argonne Fo Prioee—Oreb. 150 & BL Haleony 600, Dreas Chrele 00, The, $1 Faully Circle 0, GOTHA Meant ta'm, sian, 8 ty y Authorised by the 0, & Pubiio Bitthear ue, T O cot eur. By By Lieut, EH. Grifta, 0. & a 1H E OPENS TO-DAY. New Sensations Galore, Dunham and O'Malley and QTAR ¥ The PARK IT HAPPEN vw TOEVERY BL MAT. TODAY yap PRINCESS "$3" TO-NIGHT ELIZABETH “TOOT 39TH ST. Ea. ts [Fes LL «TH ST. "ee ra Take it From Play SHUBERT {i200 04 "sot ny [ ] Easiest ASTOR VANDERBILT 43%, Britian A UTTL REPUBLIC "3 $.0°'% THE \WOMAN IN ROOM ELTINGE Wt ‘a St ka UP IN MABELS ROOM HUDSON fsa "nant 2 LouIs MANN & SAM B FRIENDLY ENEMIES | “OUR PL IT, INS” = “aay WkBlen PL 4 SETA ie DIANA 4 Bey. BIIOU Wr; TOBY’S BOW Comedy w.cist'iret ss. Mes Thue) PLAYHOUSE fist, Wik ALICE BRADY *, THST. Bd A" BE COME-ON CHARLE ELLIOT’S, West 20th St. Even, “TEA for 3 Matiners Wednesday and Saturday, SELWYN {lite Wea sua ae aa iway & al con ety hae Casino fils Was she Bl 4 Mer Must: SOMETIM PLYMOUTH aves ie Ar kies LYRIC Sey Be 2 a Wests Theiler ot UNKNOWN BURP DERT-RIVil oe tt WE Tine" She woty May arora iam Sunday Lae to 11:38 Fe TOEW'S 7th AVE, *338, 5%, = we. sRone ate — BRONX Sih “|¢ OWL * Ce i de GES vow Tee | arctauncey Nias me 26, Sh | aie , av HE oll Ale, | Biway, 24. Bi, % Matiness Wed. t R cere Marie ian a aia Shirl ic ain ard Barret ase &, Nao Ga ia 4 ea er) = ‘Dogovan tad Te MiORIGNT Pl gus cowanos @ G Frve, jack 1 e Niaatt Kalk Jay ne, Fulton ‘Tel. Main 2 Extra