PROVOCATIVE COMEDY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 938, 3 April 1930, Page 16

PROVOCATIVE COMEDY

‘ THE MAN THEY BURIED” INTERESTING PLAY ‘ The Man They Buried.” a comedy ; : from eight angles, by Karen Bramson. j ! Presented at the Concert Chamber last | j evening by the Auckland Little Theatre i Society. CAST ! Georges Duhamel . . Bernard Brittain i Denise Duhamel .. . . Ysolinde McVeagh j i Sven Svane Arnold Goodwin ; | Pierre . . . . Norman Ellison ; i Dr. Menard Len Keren | Dr. Cardinet A. J. C. Fisher . Mile. Fernande Isabelle Lorigan j Madame Tiffani . . . . Constance Clark j A Statesman I'. E. McCallum ; A Murderer John Stewart , Suzanne Audrey Perry , Gendarmes Donald Maxey and Roy McElroy j “The Elephant” Karl Atkinson Young Woman .. . . » . . . Beryl Green A Child of Joy Lola Musseler Another Janet Clarkson Waiter W. E. Lindsay Nurse Ela Brampton •■The Man They Buried” is an interesting and provocative play, difficult to produce, but in the best traditions of repertory. It deals with a multitude of characters, really a series of vividly drawn portraits, through which the central figure moves like a thread of despair. Karen Bramson, the author, is a woman and she has used her feminine knowledge like a dissecting knife on women and love. That, however, is incidental to the principal theme, though at times more diverting. Miss Bramson has courageously made i fun of cancer in “The Man They Buried”; that perhaps is another reason why the Little Theatre is to be complimented on producing this play. She introduces us to a famous bacteriologist on the eve of discovering a serum which will cure the scourge of humanity. A sudden pain convinces him that he is suffering from cancer, but he refuses to allow the surgeons to operate. Secretly he uses his own serum, but the pain does not cease and he gives way to despair, believing that his discovery has been in vain. From then on Miss Bramson shows us the various angles of this man’s despair. He refuses the love of his wife and she, in turn, treats him as a selfish coward. He visits a clairvoyant, but refuses to believe her when she tells him that death is not approaching; he helps to save a girl from suicide; meets “The Elephant” and listens to his strange philosophy; he haunts a night club and befriends two woffien of the street. All this adventuring teaches the bacteriologist something of the life of the ordinary human being with whom he never came in touch during the hours he toiled in his laboratory. It alters his whole outlook and 4ie decides to allow the surgeons to operate. ( They do so, only to find, that he was*'suffering from some minor ailment. That, very briefly, is the theme of “The Man They Buried.” Its message seems to be that imaginary disease makes cowards of us all. Miss Bramson has made the bacteriologist’s wife a curious character —one is never quite certain of her. Some of the author’s most interesting opinions are expressed by Svane, the bacteriologist's friend, who sees the futility of fighting Nature and leaves his laboratory and the discovery of serums for the more restful occupation of horticulture. There are a dozen angles from which one could view this play. This time it is the play, and not the players, which matters. It is certain not to please everyone, but everyone will want to see this comedy which is Typical of the work of the more thoughtful European authors. “The Man They Buried” admittedly has dull patches and there are times when the players fail to sustain the interest of the audience. That perhaps is because of a tendency to monotony in voice and manner on the part of one or two of the principal characters. Mr. Brittain must be congratulated on his amazing memory. He appears in six of the scenes and is word perfect. That may have been responsible to some degree for the lack of colour in his voice. However, it was a conscientious, even performance, apart from the feat of memory. Miss McVeagh must check a tendency toward sentimentalism, otherwise her work is nicely balanced. Her part is a difficult one—i the eternal woman swayed between power and love, and selfish to a degree. There were times when Miss McVeagh l hardly convinced us of this many-sided . character. Mr. Goodwin has forsaken i side-whiskers and developed into a Don Juan. The metamorphosis is convincing, though he still retains some un- - mistakable mannerisms. His acting is forceful, never dull and he can suggest emotion without becoming too obvious. Mr. Fisher gave us two brief ’ but delightful moments as a famous but nonchalant surgeon with a passion for operating on Royalty or American millionaires. Mr. Atkinson had an excellent part which ho handled with considerable skill. The quiet dignity of Mrs. Clark’s performance made it doubly effective. She conveyed the , correct atmosphere as she sought the future from a varied collection of hands. Mi«s Musseler and Miss Clarkson appeared in a scene which was brimful of the tragedy of life. Miss Green and Miss Perry portrayed two convincing little pictures. Mr. Stewart, for the brief moment he appeared, proved himself a realist. Mr. Keven and Mr. McCallum made the most of their parts. “The Man They Buried” will be played for the rest of this week.