TEN BEST PLAYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 738, 10 August 1929, Page 30

TEN BEST PLAYS

SEASON IN NEW YORK A CRITIC'S OPINION Out of 150 “so-so” plays presented in New York during the last 12 months, the critic Burns Mantle presents his list of the best 10. These are: —“Street Scene” (Elmer Rice), “Journey's End" (R. C. Sheriff), "Wings Over Europe” (Robert Nichols and Maurice Browne), “Holiday” (Phillip Barry), "The Front Page” (Ben Hecht), "Let Us Be Gay” (Rachel Crothers), "Little Accident” (Floyd Dell), "The Kingdom of God” (Sierra), “Gypsy” (Maxwell AndersonL and "The High Road” (Frederick Lonsdale). “The significant things that are happening,” adds Mr. Mantle, in-

clude the success of such enterprises as the Theatre Guild and the Civic Repertory Theatre. The guild gave 500 performances during the season, apart from those of 'Strange Interlude,’ and although five of the seven plays produced were popular failures, not one of them played to a losing week. “Eva Le Gallienne's civic repertory has been in existence for three years playing in a cheap theatre at a cheap price, but not producing cheap plays. The first year this company gave 226 performances with a single popular success, ‘Cradle Song,’ to sustain the box office. The second year they gave 235 performances without a popular success and only the frequent revival of 'Cradle Song’ to see them through. This year they have given 244 performances, scored two popular successes, with ‘The Cherry Orchard* aud ‘Peter Pan,’ and are richer in bank account than they ever dreamed of being.”

Wilson Barrett’s play, “The Sign of the Cross,” is being revived in the West End. London. There is a stipulation in the contract that the cast must be changed every three mouths. Miss Wilson Barrett, daughter of the author, who made this stipulation in the contract with Philip Ridgeway, the producer of the play, believes that no actor or actress can do justice to a part after he or she has appeared in it for three months. “I rather agree with her.” Mr. Ridgeway said recently. “I once played 400 times in one part, and I know how difficult it was to do justice to the role.”