Judge — June 30, 1928 — page 23: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE OUD GANG He SHOV' \s GEORGE sean NATHAN ers’ Club iy distinguished among Ameri- to put on smoothly, vet the vi tors’ clubs in that it at least tukes a cer- ve it was ha and unworkmanlike. Simple scene sin interest in the drama. The other actors’ changes that might have been nplished easily and clubs, judging them as an outsider, would seem to be with alacrity took many minutes to make and were interested in the drama only in so far as it serves asa accompanied by so much scene-shifting racket that medium to provide members with some casy money, — the audience was led to imagine that when the curtain some spats and some good telephone numbers. Your — went up again the least that the stage would disclose average actors’ club, whe r you find it, looks on — would be a treadmill horse-race on a big scale or a the theatre merely as an employment ,and on spectacular battle between a couple of large gunboats the drama as something that : rey Yet all that had to be shifted were two simple interior evening inconveniently interrupts the members telling — sets, one of which might readily have been placed one another how great they are. within the other and quickly hoisted out of the way The Players’ Club, on the other hand, appears to when the changes were called { include in its roster actors who r 5 and Nevertheless, « a i i ated, the exhibit > drama somewhat seriously. This regard is in- in general proved to fh i ble one. Few season by the club's presentation of a — plays produced during the season just concluded were play not written by Wilson Collison, Samuel Shipman — as full of bounce arp humor. One might wish or Harry Delf. This year the selection was Farqu that the Players would annually undertake several ed comedy, “The Beaux’ Stratagem.” such revivals of the famous comedies of other cen The production, despite crudity in staging and one — turies instead of confining themselves to a single pro unfortunate bit of casting, proved thoroughly satis: duction. A’ series of Restoration and Post-Restor d chalked up still another mark of credit ation comedies would be something to plow through on the Players’ blackboard, Save for the presence of — the winter snow for, Mr, Fred Eric in the company, the amusing play, still remarkably fresh and vital, got a very good acting deal indeed. Raymond Hitchcock was a humorously ue Cyetone Lover,” by the Messrs. Ballard engaging inn-keeper; James T. Powers, rescued from rd Bickford, two clever boys in their respec oblivion, was not less droll as Scrubb; both Miss — tive fields, was true to the tradition of June pro Bainter and Miss Menken gave interesting accounts duetions. It was, from all points of view, a dud. of themselves in the leading women’s réles; and Wil- Ballard has writ one or two amusing comedies in m, Henrietta Crosman, John Dy: ly Mur the past—his “Young America” has a lot of likely and Dorothy Stickney helped out the evening — stuff in it—and Bickford is an actor who seems to be erably gifted with a measure of humor, Yet in their collabor The staging, as observed, proved in that actors ation they presented themselves as two leaden sten no manager to guide them are not — cils, turning out a play that was moss-eared, lifeless : in mounting plays to advantage. and generally boresor gem” is surely not a difficult play (Continued an page 3V) Theatre Guide “The Skull” (Forrest) —Aaybely’s “Paris Bown usic Bat) —Trivial second poorest Dculties stant play equette” (Elliott) —Sure “Show Boat” ¥ show that = lappy Husband” (bin e it an interesting theatrical eve- “Porgy” (Republic) —An imaginatively ‘The kind of comedy that we used to see ke it an interontingtheat Pacutiation of the cancel Oe at the Empire in the days of John Drew time Yeia of Mary Dugan" (Harris can. and the fre lunch, Bex ‘and tearder combined imo slively artengee” (Virmovth) — Ae eeelodrama “Say When" (Morosco)—To be pro duced the end of June. “Volpone” ( le New Amsterdam)—Zieg 2 aroha ey " z - : eht's beautiful staging w fully in evidence “Grand Sueet Follies” (1 ° gu i Walls." Umperonmatican, “Diamond Li” (I wale —Foe these a i (Coban)—If yo wor, and soene very boenely. girls who can't get enough of the Mile. Mae : e ty an evening of laugha Anas” (Lyceum)—Rudolph Lothar's Wet nat j{ilein) Abt to “The Bachelor Father" (Belasco)—Some “Blackbirds of 1828 cole acer comely about an old bachelor and ored musical tT high - GGreenvich Valage Feiies™ (Winter remulta of his prcewillons coat Gardea)—Prof, Rockwell's evening comicbooks.com