“The Woman”

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 96, 26 April 1939, Page 7

“The Woman”

CLARE BOOTHE’S MUCHDISCUSSED PLAY

Clare Boothe’s mucli-discussed play, “The Women," is a clever, witty and highly-amusing comedy, with woman’s education by her female confidantes in the facts of life as applied to the married state in the smart set as its theme. Tho play \vill bo presented in Palmerston North at tho Opera House on Thursday and Bri'day, April 27 and 2S. Owing to this play’s phenomenal success in Auckland a special matinee will be held on Friday at 2.30. A mordant expose of tho misehiof wrought by scandalous tongues, Ihc Women” is a cleverly compacted setting of a series of facets of tho modern young wife’s experiences and indulgences, to form a sparkling comedy with a background of philosophy. Known types and favourite cliches of the smart Bet are brought into cunning contrast to tell tho story with force aud dramatic effect. Entailing perfect team work by a cast of over 40 players, and nine different scenes, in which each set is a featuro of calculated effect, the technical production itself by Ernest U. Rolls is ono of tho most noteworthy of it kind.

Bristling with character studies, as with unusual settiugs that range from bathroom and bedroom to boauty parlour scenes, “The Women” distributes its appeal over a great field, but the histrionic burden falls on six or seven of tho large cast. Irene Purcell, us a married woman forced into divorce by scandalous friends, but retrieving husband and happiness iroiu tho ruins, convincingly catches and holds the sympathy of her audience.

Varying types of mischievous married friends, with private inquiry proclivities and tabbycat habits are faithfully portrayed with side-splitting results by Marjorie Crossland, Christine Maple and Jessica Rogers. Doris Packer very ably brushes in a caustic cynical spinster touch. As maidens making tho best ot their youth at the expenso of other women’s wealthy husbands, Mary Dees and Debby Dare point tho moral and adorn tho tale with contrast character work, each highly expressive. In child scenes, ranging from nursery discipline to the emotional highlights inseparable from divorce, little Dorothea Dunstan shows surprising talent. Indeed, tho need for diversity of characters is ably met by cameo portrayals that happily carry tho lines in a score of different facets. None of these illuminating asides are more effective than those provided in tho philosophy thrown in by Katie Towers’ cook and Leal Douglas’ fealty to her redheaded tyrant.