What the International Arts Theatre produced on Tuesday. night, Dec. 17, at the Capitol Theatre " under the "title of "Lysistrata" was a very" weak attempt to stage the fruity old comedy. of Aristophanes, adapted by George Seldes to sult the more delicate art. of modern limes. It was funny enough, suMlciently rich with the Attic salt to please the most sophisticated, but it not tell Ralf Aristophanes's story, nor follow his plot, nor endeavour to produce much 6f his dialogue. Don-hay hag done a much better version into French, but It is one which no aggregation of amateurs ever could hope to produce, and would place a severe tax on most professionals. So, Aristophanes bad' to be played all, tls probably just as well that Selde's version was used.
The east taking part that night was 1 big one, and for the most part able, though in the opening passages the players were so" conversational in tone that their words did not easily across, Emily Hahn as Lysis trate was excellent throughout "and facted just as well as she looked, was admirably supported by Poy Lacks as Kalonika, and Grace Dar-och as Myrrhina, the former playing most vivaciously and making more of her lines than did some other of her fellow actresses. Alice Herlotion as Lampito was also cellent. She made a statuesque Spartan woman and also did well in getting her various humorous lines Across the footlights. It is, of course, Impossible to mention in' detail the performances of all the very large Gast whick had been drawn together. Dut the standard of acting was well above the average.
"Amongst the men, Reggie Meyer, as Kinesiag, was outstanding, "He ined his very comic role in an easy. and convincing manner, and Succeeded In relieving the play just fat a moment when it was threatening {to become 4 little tedious, J. R. Jacob fas President of the Senate was, un-Goubtedly, not quite so successful, But he acquitted himself creditably, fs id also W, L, Painter, Leader of the Spartan envoys.
of the features of the second perfectly delightful ballet Which was mot only very effective! Gressed, but exceptionally well da ced, Thie scenery was effective, even Wit did err on the side of incompleleness. Generally speaking the production wes good, though by no] means up to the first production of this very energetic group of amateur The task of producing so large a number of actors must naturally have proved difeult, and the fact that it-was done s0'well speaks volumes for the very effective work done by the people behind the stage.
But it was not the "Lysistrata" one ad hoped to. see. It departed so] much from the original story, and Tost much of its effectiveness, by failing to make the point which Donnay so amply emphasizes, that even Lysistrata herself broke the women's vow, and not with her hus Band, but with her lover. Actually, what the adaptor has done, is 10 present what might have been a Sequel to the real play, except for Lysistrata's address to the women and the subsequent taking, of the oath, "Had the actual scene with the Various husbands, and. the final one in the house of the courtesans been included, it is doubtful whether the play would ever have been produced tu the United States. As it was, a creditable substitute was provided for the LAT. who pleased a crowded house with the gaity of their acting.—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.