The Theatre

By A. E. Thomas, staged by Harry Wagstaff Gribble, settings by Watson Barratt, produced by Lee Shubert at the Booth Theatre with the following cast:

SYNOPSIS: Act. I-New York Apartment of the Townsends. Late evening-January. Act II-Living room of the lowing September. Act III-Same as Act II; next morning. Our old attractive friend ”Infidel ity” and its companion ”Jealouy” are the emotions roped by A. E. Thomas for the fashioning of a comedy that will titillate, amuse and plese the crowds that are going to pur into few months to witness ”No More Ladies”.

Long absent from Broadway, Mr.Thomas has returned auspiciously with this smart, fast moving and always entertaining comedy of life and love among the sophisticates of Southampton. The plot is surprisingly simle. It concerns the exploits of a confident gent whose amorous successes are limited only to his inclimations. After Romeoing about the place he finally meets his match in the person of a young thing who knows a thing or two herself. They decide that as they can’t possibly fool each other they might as well get married. All this transpires before the curtain drops on Act the first. From them on the fun is fast, and to coin a phrase, furisus.

Our hero discovers that marrige has not affected his libido and he is soon in pursuit of a blonde. Being on of those boys who kiss and tell he informs his wife of his new attraction. She condones the affair and promptly goes off with the husband of one of our hero’s former affairs. It is at this point that Jealousy starts gnawing at the heart of the play boy, culminating in a last act scene in which the couple decide that monogamy is after all the best policyh. All of which is following the usual pattern pretty closely but the bright lines, amusing situations and fine acting save this piece from mediocrity. Melvyn Douglas as the careless rake and Ruth Weston as his wife played theirparts as thouh they really enjoyed them. There was a spirit and hash to their actions and in the parlance of the tennis court, their footwork was fine.

Lucile Weston as the elderly, constant dringking, straight speaking fashionable but hard-boiled matron came off with first honors-but it was a close race.

”MACKEREL SKIES”

By John Haggart, directed by Johon Roche, setting by Aline Berstein, presented by Geoge Bushar and John Tuerk at the Playhose with the following cast:

Anna ……………………………….Folorence Edney Elizabeth …………………………………Carol Stone Hobson …………..Glenn Coulter Valentine Sruthers Lillbian Gahagan Corey Sophie …………………..Cora Witherspoon Eisa ……………. Violet Kemble Cooper Max Schurman …………………. John Griggs David Gerard ………..Tom Powers SYNOPSIS: Act I-An afternoon in April. Act. II-Seence 1: Late afer noon in January. Three Years Later. Seene 2: An Hour Later. Scene 3: About 10 o’clock That Evening. The sction of the play takes place Gerarard Mansion on upper Fifth Avenue, New York City.

Although the cast of ”Mackered Skines” contains names usually calculated to guarantee an evening’s entertainment it is my duty to in form you that the result is disap pointing it is neither very bad nor staged play about the frustratd opera singer who is jealous of her limps throuh the regulation three acts. Carol Stone, of the famous Fred Stone, of the Famous Fred Stone Family, plays the part of the young daughter with competnce is the unhappy mother, unhappy because she is not a great opera star and even more unhappy because she hs deserted a happy love affair for a disappointing operatic career. Her’s is a difficult part and the gets out of it even more that it desverves. Tom Povers as the lover of the Young daughter who thinks her career will bring a separation, acts his role with great vigor and gives the play more of its best moments.

It is all very stagey and you never really get it to the feeling of the#.