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Show News or me THEATRICAL W O R L D By GEOBGE JEAN NATHAN. NEW YORK, Dec. 20. As the novels of W. Somerset llaugham grow fresher and more vital, tho plays of W. Somerset Maugham grow staler and more stenciled. It is a difficult feat, indeed, to believe that the same hand which contrived "The Moon and Sixpence" contrived also "Caesar's Wife," the exhibit current in the Liberty theater. For what we discern in this exhibit ex-hibit is no trace of the quality that has made the novel the most deservedly talked-of Knglisli novel of the year, but. instead, merely the tired antics of a tired theatrieiau. In formula, in treatment and in execution execu-tion of detail, the play -at the Liberty is a harking back: to the spirit of Sydney Grundy. Once again Uie familiar parade of platitudes, of heries silent sufferings of reconciliations in the moonlight with "The Blue Danube" played "off" in an imaginary ballroom. Once again, the vold triangle the middle-aged husband, the flirtatious young wife, tho young Don Juan. And, once again, the young wife's 31 p. m. detection of the superior virtues of hor spouse and the wistful parting from tho youthful Lochinvar. How many times have we all sat before tiiis fable, a fable perfumed for the democrats with high-sounding high-sounding titles, numerous allusions to "the embassy," magnificently caparisoned servants, and much talk of London, Paris and Cairo! Bare Bones Rattle. The marionette quality of this latest stage work of the talented Maugham Is unmistakable. Never for an instant does the playwright succed in hiding it. The. old bare bones rattle as in a fandango. Some of the episodes are wrell written Maugham knows how to juggle the king's tongue but tho writing, for all its skill, fails in mantling the mildewed skeletons. skele-tons. Mr. Ziegfeld has staged the play with uncommon opulence.. The settings, devised de-vised by Joseph Urban, are exceptionally attractive, and the costuming has all the loveliness of color for which tho pro- ducer's musical shows are famous. But j this wealth of background is without much avail. Miss Billie Burke Is starred in tho role of the young wife. In her support sup-port are Norman Trevor, in the role of the husband, and Ernest Glendinning In , the role of the young secretary. Miss , Burke is still given to a very considerable j artificiality; her performance, while probably prob-ably found attractive by her feminine spectators, seems lacking in essential repose re-pose to her male. Jt is staccato, jumpy, beaver-like in its assiduity for effect. Mr, Trevor is always Mr. Trevor; his per-! per-! formances, whatever the roles, are ever largely of a piece. Mr. Glendinning is anything but a pic-. pic-. turesque figure in a role calling for a pic-' pic-' turesque figure. The balance of the company com-pany is adequate, containing among its names Frederic De Belleville. Hilda Spong, Mrs. Thomas A. Wise and Mar-garet Mar-garet Dalo. Lacking in Interest. The Theater Guild's presentation of Lillian Lil-lian Sabine's dramatization of William Dean Howells's novel, "The Rise of Silas Laphain," is lacking in Interest. The dramatization is an amateurish job; and the guild's notion of getting James K. Hackett for the role of old Silas was about as happy as a Y. M. C. A. superintendent superin-tendent with a swelling of the lymphatic glands. Compared with the guild's antecedent ante-cedent productions of "John Ferguson" and "The Faithful" with even "The Bonds of Interest" this latest exhibition is a sorry artistic failure. Hackett is not only very poor in the leading role, he is completely out of plac in the honest amateur scheme of things originally outlined by the guild. The play that has been made from Howells's novel is little more than a William Wil-liam Hodge play wtih costumes. Lap-ham, Lap-ham, in tho play, becomes an obvious Hodge role and Hackett emphasizes the impression by an unremitting employ- ', ment of all the rubberstamp actor dodges j common to tho enactment of such a role. ; Throw in a snowstorm, a real pump, a few derogatory references to Englishmen I of title and an equal number of flag-wag- ! ging remarks on the nobility of the rustic j Americano and you'd have the standard I dingus. Howells's novel. In my humble estimation, estima-tion, has never been anything more than a fifth-rate native literary curio; but the play made from the novel loses even what " " " ';vjf few dubious qihillUus of rom 'V novel pu.KNv-K.si-s. Tho Play begins h, tho t' in Nanktcn S,,nre und c. niannvr "in which tlu ,, -prepays to em,-.- lu.Mon " second net proceeds Ul Uur t. Oivys, will. U, Htn.huuw n coveted bull. The thin) act Ltphum hou.M'. sets forth th -Stl.is, n ml tlui fourth art u sonaKCs of the pu,y to io 1 !'' tace in the hills. The notion is mechanical tenz.ilions smell largely of" box; the acting Koneraiiv N i ;' snide. Tho betiins, tho Simunson, arc tho boat till ' preseiitat ion. 1 Gorgeously staged and rov her of scenic pictures of tt ' iS the beauty of those for wM lies" are celebrated, tho C 3 1 Gent production of the nuinio "The Howe of China," at in V passes the majority of nni i:: everything but iihrot to and libretto, by Guy Bolton, is t -?i music, tho work of Armm, the 111 t as hotel orchoatrd uffi.f is fresh. The dancing is ngllo. tho i V hers are prettily staged and1' vivid color, one or two of -V worth the opera-glass, V o. .."to lyrics aro nmuslngand' tlu fitting, as observed, Ih thoro -i live. But the book of tho r observed, is rich in Much am 7.'. as mistaking Vale for lail ;T sour vaudevillo pleasantri, themselves with tho butAT".' bush. One Catchy Number. ' Veezoy's tunes are d : ;a! sterotyped, though he has eo ; called catchy number In th' -l "Our Chinese Bungalow." comique is the rotund Krt'-r and the leading woman Ih j"4 son, a comparative ticweonx tho eyo goes, the show iH m isfylng. Tho critic iH tho cai'fn However, in mpuntion i'-v Longer Lelty," the nniHlc sin"., in the Fulton, "The How ol -V masterpiece. This Pulton ex"? to serve aa a vehicle for lii Greenwood, a comedienno w (i, me as being cveiy whit a ; rheumatism of tho It nee-Join '' to here is tho labor of Ann contains approximately ns .'!J as "Rosmersholm." Tho tt '? "a? "My Honolulu Gi $ at the Sahy. j Bp.lWHUW!) .,MM.1WJJ.WJJr.im 1HJWWIB r; ft 4 sv . v K ij: v. I r" ' ; "L I Gorge Sam Ku, ono ol h native artists with the mus . "My Honolulu OirL" at th.'s theater, three days, conune ,'-day, ,'-day, December 22. Goodman, aro lho customary Assistinf Miss Greenwood m j brew morriincnt in Oil" lack-luster ui:itu:-i:il confound talenlH. , , '" A modi bettor sliow la Jlolodv." at tin; yii'Jberl. m Konibei's's tinislc aa lli book, bv Frt-deric AinoW J weak. Th'e kUiko clnoorauo n :.. Poganv, urr- frcslily immu'A eve asroeably. .Miss JuUl'-i hff appeaiaiiro Iibio lit a inul role but without iioluoi ' ' show is of t lie f,.-neral P i Purple Koa'l." tbat onw-ii :: ,-omedy clone sonic .six or . : In the Casino. Tiicr.; w M 5 work on the part of tin- & and there am some pr- 1 wheezes on the part of 1 rw ; , nier. . |