Best Plays in Manhattan

These are the plays which, in the light of metropolitan criticism, seem most important.

SERIOUS

COQUETTE--Helen Hayes at her brilliant best as a flirt who fell disasterously in love.

SPELLBOUND--The dark fascinations of hate distil a murder. Principally Pauline Lord.

THE LETTER--Katharine Cornell shoots and tells.

Civic Repertory Theatre--Wherein one may revel in various good plays, well done, low priced.

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE--The only Ibsen item of the season, thoughtfully contributed by Walter Hampden.

PORGY--Negroes chant for the dead; shoot craps; go on a picnic; stab; strangle.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM-- Max Reinhardt's enchanting interplay of ballet, Mendelssohn and Shakespeare. In German.

MELODRAMA

BROADWAY--Gang war rages behind the gaudy scenes of a Manhattan night club.

THE SPIDER--The practice of magic obscures the proof of murder.

THE TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN--A seething scandal story with the beautiful blonde not guilty.

INTERFERENCE--A neatly manicured murder story well acted in the English manner.

FUNNY

BURLESQUE--In which vivid stage door slang spreads smiles across the face of a play with broken hearts below the surface.

THE COMMAND TO LOVE--European diplomats giving all for the land they love.

THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA--Reviewed in this issue.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW-- Shakespearean farce boisterously benefitting by the gland operation of modern clothes.

THE SHANNONS OF BROADWAY-- Fable in slang to glorify city bred actors in charge of a country hotel.

THE ROAD TO ROME--How Roman women went to war.

MUSICAL

Chorus girls and things like that are ably included in: Funny Face, Good News, The Mikado, Hit the Deck, A Connecticut Yankee, Manhattan Mary.