Richard F. Flourney who wrote “Come What May,” which opened the other evening at the Plymouth Theatre, has faith in America. The Depression, and by this time it deserves to be capitalized, frightened him no doubt, but he had enough faith left to write a play about life in this country among the common people, which it is hoped will prove that the end is not yet in sight and we all have a chance to exist.
In making his point the author struck upon the not unusual device of tracing through a period of thirty odd years, starting in 1896, the happenings in a family ordinary Americans. The first scene shows Chet Harrison, a typesetter and Eve Hayward getting married. They are plain people of the middle-class, possessed of the virtues of their kind. Ambitious and hopeful, they both dream the dreams of every man-peace, security, and power but the play shows how the trouble of raising a family and maintaining faith soon becomes their consuming problem.
The audience is taken through the tremulous times of the Spanish-American War, the crisis of 1907, the World War, and finally ends in 1928 when Chet remarks to his ageing wife that conditions are better and the country has at last become sensible.
“Come What May” is often sentimental and sometimes shallow but the author in portraying his middle-class family may have purposely kept his play within the intellectual limits of his characters. They never realized anything but the obvious causes of their discomforts and were completely unconscious of the basic sources of economic discontent. In doing this Mr. Flourney has been true to his types and the resu### is a play that, although you may disagree with its findings and conclusions, will nevertheless impress you and at times move you with the sincerity of its emotional range.
The background of his story is done adeptly. The neighborhood scenes, the inevitable family doctor, the drunk, the boy with the ambition to be an artist and all the other trimmings make “Come What May” an enjoyable experience.
WELL ACTED
Hal Skelly as Chet Harrison, the head of the family, is not impressive as the young husband but as the play progresses he seems to fit into his part and in the last act he does ample justice to a difficult role. Mary Philips, his wife, again indicates that she is one of the season’s ablest actresses. Her performance the other night was first rate. Granville Bates, Robert Sloane and Harry Clancy were others whose acting helped no little.
‘ONLY GIRL’ TO BE REVIVED; OTHER STAGE NOTES
Victor Herbert’s operetta, “The Only Girl,” which is now playing in Philadelphia, will be brought into the Forty-fourth Street Theatre beginning next Monday night. It will replace Noel Coward’s “Bitter Sweet.”… Gladys George, who has the female lead in “The Milky Way,” is leaving the cast to start a movie contract in Hollywood. Her place will be taken by Mildred Wall. …The Gilbert & Sullivan revivals will be ended on May 26th. “Mikado,” which will be given next Monday, brings the cycle to a close. The company will move on to Boston.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
