New Plays

New Plays

Aloma of the South Seas. A simmering melodrama (by John B. Hymer and LeRoy Clemens) of the islands where all white men are no good has herewith arrived and given every evidence of appealing to the public taste. Naturally enough, the particular man in the case turns out very good indeed at the last, gives up his native housekeeper and falls into the arms of his old sweetheart from the States. Before he can accomplish this, it is necessary to rid the plot of her unpleasant husband. The riddance is ably assisted by a jealous native and a school of sharks. Stirred into this is a silly ass Englishman, a drunken sailor, a governor general, a fervent thunderstorm and some native dancing. George Gaul is conspicuous as the native boy and gives a somewhat monotonous portrayal. None of the cast was overladen with ability or clothing, but they all performed very energetically. Aloma is just about bad enough and just sufficiently exciting to be a success.

Three Doors. An ill-fashioned farce wandered into an out-of-the-way uptown theatre and stumbled through a dismal two hours. Mystery and satire were the aims of the author, Edward E. Rose; his understanding of either seemed negligible. Assisting in the general depression was a generally inadequate band of actors. The sole novelty was the introduction of many of the characters from the auditorium. This trick has been done seven or eight times before.

The Best Plays

These arc the plays which, in the light of metropolitan criticism, seem most important:

Drama

WHAT PRICE GLORY?--War play of the Western Front where Marines mocked war and meddled with the morals of the natives.

THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED --A story of California sunshine dimmed by infidelity.

WHITE CARGO--Tells its sombre tale of white men and black women together in the sandy sunshine of loneliest Africa.

DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS--Eugene O'Neill's statue of sorrow carved from the granite natures of hidden New England farmlands.

THE DOVE--An artificial, somewhat tempestuous fable of life in the dance halls on the Mexican border.

Comedy

THE GUARDSMAN--A light comedy by Molnar, perfected by the performance of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, tries to decide whether an actor can be good enough to seduce his own wife.

AREN'T WE ALL?--Cyril Maude has returned for a brief spring display of the genial English comedy which was a hit last season.

CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA--Shaw jibes at the ancients through the accomplished soundboxes of the Theatre Guild and Helen Hayes.

THE FIREBRAND--Medieval comedy brought up to date by recourse to bedroom comics.

LOVE FOR LOVE--Restoration quips of Congreve which have caught the modern fancy--swift and not unribald commentary.

THE FALL GUY--Wherein a poor man almost gets rich and almost goes to jail for becoming a bootlegger against his will.

Is ZAT So?--Roughhouse amusement when a pair of prizefighters stumble into a Fifth Avenue establishment.

THE SHOW-OFF--Still exhibits the champion long-distance talker who doesn't even need a second wind.

CANDIDA--Last week of the brilliant Shaw comedy in which the artistic mind clashes against the spiritual.

Musical

Seekers alter light lyrics and laughter will be best rewarded at: Rose Marie; Lady, Be Good; The Music Box; Ziegfeld Follies; The Student Prince.