THEATRE

New Plays

Sunshine. With winning personality, fine restraint, resonant voice, Actor O. P. Heggie inspires Sunshine to meagre life. As an honest, easy-going country lawyer, he apotheosizes kindliness. Dramatic conflict raises its cruel head when it is discovered that his dearly beloved, departed wife had once been indiscreet in Kansas. Therefore, by a technicality of nature, Sunshine Dave's daughter, light of his life, is really the offspring of a successful manufacturer. Everyone rejoices when Sunshine wages a stern, successful battle for the idealized halo of his wife's memory and preservation of his home life. Actor Heggie saves the sentimentality from the shoals of ridicule. But the comic relief is too hopelessly trite for successful navigation.

The Little Spitfire. Little originality has beamed along the Rialto so far this season. Perhaps wary producers insist upon tried successes of former seasons, revamped and relabeled. The Little Spitfire is just another one of those Irene formula shows, with a working girl marrying into Southampton. Customary society crooks complicate matters before the dowager accepts her daughter-in-law. In all fairness, a good cast does almost make a play out of this. As the titular heroine, Sylvia Field spits and flares conscientiously and with charm. Possible success of the show, however, if any, will redound mainly to the credit of Actor Russell Mack, who, as a genial reversion to the Show-Off type (famed in George Kelly's play), was applauded at every turn.

Loose Ankles. Stale stuff from older plays, peppery wit, audacious hashing--and Playwright Janney concocts a diverting theatrical creature. A last testament commanding marriage stirs Ann Harper to rebellion. She will hire a gigolo* wherewith to shock this tyrannical family of hers. The scheme seems harmless enough. But when a young, amateurish gigolo appears and Ann plays something by Tschaikoysky on the piano, virulent sentimentality sets in, and the condition of the play becomes critical. Numerous first-nighters reached for their hats. In the nick of time, the scene shifts back to the private life of the four gigolos. The crisis passes, as laughter, blood of the play, flows freely again. In the last scene, the amateur gigolo appears in time to prevent Ann from running off with his professional colleague. After all, had not these two misunderstood souls been welded into an eternal bond by the Tschaikovsky business ? But why write of the play? The wisecrack's now the thing. To Actor Osgood Perkins, most of the many funny lines have been entrusted-- and wisely.