SATIRE LURKS BEHIND HUMOR AND FANTASY

"Beggar on Horseback", which is now playing at the Wilbur, is a unique contribution to the art of the theatre. It is not a play, although a play is at the base of it, but is rather a running series of comments on the shortcomings of the "speed and success' idea. That redoubtable pair, Kaufman and Connelly, have observed New York and the surrounding provinces with a nice discrimination; and they have seen a plenty. By all the evidence they wrote the show to please themselves.

Most of Play is Dream

In structure the play seems at first sight wildly disjointed. The major portion of it is a dream, and it whirrs and buzzes with that terrible reality that only dreams can have. It tushes through office scenes, restaurant scenes, country scenes, court room scenes, and even through three acts of a pantomime. Yet the unity of the whole is preserved by the keenness with which the parts are linked together.

Authors Are in Earnest

The method affords unequaled opportunities for comment and satire on a most everything from the manufacture of widgets to the latest place to go for a supper dance. Each part is as nearly perfect as it can be, while the bitter irony that runs through the whole fantastle affair never lets you forget that the play and its authors are dead in earnest.

The part of Neil MoRac the poor but brilliant writer of music, is excellently played by Roland Young. He is abiv seconded by Kay Johnson as Cynthia Mason and by Ann Carpenter as Glady Cady.