COPELY PLAYERS OFFER SUTRO AGAIN

From Shaw to semiserious comedy-and again the Jewett Players give evidence of their great versatility. Alfred Sutro's "The Choice", the play now being presented at the Copley, is a story of England after the war dealing with the recreation of British "normalcy" and with a great many things besides. As might be expected, such an all-inclusive product contains very interesting ideas, but also a great deal of hackneyed sentimentality, and the latter so outweighs the really worth-while material, that it seems a great pity that the resourceful Jewett Company should choose such a vehicle. Polished acting, painstaking characterizing of parts, careful staging such as "The Choice" has been given by the Copley Players can make almost any play of moderate merits enjoyable, however, and "The Choice" provides a good evening's entertainment, through no merits of its own but because of the efforts of the company.

A popular young ex-soldier in the employ of Cordways Ltd, has been discharged for repeated drunkenness, Sympathy for the difficulties that the ex-service man experiences in settling down to the hum-drum life of the workingman, impels the authorities of the firm to give the man another chance, John Cordways the head of the Board of Directors, who takes an interest in the minor transactions of the business quite surprising in such a great captain of industry, when reviewing the case refuses to be lenient and the man is definitely dismissed. Everybody from John's flancee, Lady Clarissa, to the office boy, intercedes for the dismissed man, but the president is obstinate in his refusal. The employees call a mass meeting preparatory to strike and the situation appears to be desperate. The dismissed man's sweetheart visits Lady Clarissa, and obtains her promise that her flance shall be reinstated. John still refuses and Lady Clarissa breaks her engagement to him. Things are in a terrible muddle, when John speaking to the employees at the mass meeting amidst a shower of eggs and stones, convinces them that he is right. In the meanwhile, Lady Clarissa has found that her true fate is John"s secretary ; she proposes to him and is accepted. The happy couple break the news to the great business man, who generously gives his sucessful rival a "raise." Such is the plot of what is undoubtedly a very mechanically constructed play.

Mr. Sutro has conceived some excellent characters he has drawn them well, but he has not worked out a series of actions at all probable-in fact his play and veri-similitude have not even a nodding acquaintance. Every line of the play indicates rapid working over of very old material to which has been added to give a slight impression of up-to-dateness, a certain amount of modern "atmosphere". Two characters save the play from utter artistic oblivion; Lady Clarissa's aunt, who gives the audience a hearty laugh about once every half hour, and John Cordway's brother, a meek little man who worships, loves, and fears his younger brothers as if he were the Almighty himself.

As usual at the Copley when there is a situation to be saved, Mr. Cliva saves it. His portrayat of the gentle older brother was so graceful and so real that it gave the play dignity that it really does not posses. Mr. Pape as the tyrannical John Cordways, did well with a hard part, that was not developed consistently by the dramatist, as did Miss Willard as Lady Clarissa. Mr. Turner as Robert Dalman, Cordway's secretary, is as yet a very amateurish performer, who although he tries hard, rarely seems either to get out of himself or to fit into the scene. He has improved tremendously since joining the company, however. Another player, who is making rapid progress under Mr. Jewett's instruction is Miss Standing. Her performance in what might easily have been a mawkishly sentimental part, was full of grace and charm. Miss Cleveland made a very effective boy scout. R. A. C.