The Theater: Tokyo Buildup

In Tokyo last week the Zenshinza company, which last winter presented John Drinkwater’s Abraham Lincoln (TIME, Feb. 25), was game for a braver try: Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine.

In a do-or-die attempt to look like occidentals the actors appeared with built-up noses and shoes, actresses with built-up busts and behinds. But the translation was clear and faithful. Did the Jap audience get the anti-fascist point? The faces behind the calmly wagging bamboo fans gave no hint.