Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-12
AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE
An Enterprise That Intends to Encourage
Both i'm Private Tleater.

An Enterprise That Intends to Encourage
Both I'M a Private Theater.
theatrical enterprise of character entirely
new to this country is to be started in New
York city in October. Its object is not to
make money, but to encourage play writing
and theatrical art generally. No play is to be
presented second time and there is to be only
one performance month during the season
perhaps seven or eight performances during
the year. The intention is to produce Ameri-
can plays almost exclusively.
1t is proposed to show the highest artistic
merits of each play regardless of cost. The
general public is not to be admitted. The
tickets are to be distributed among subscrib-
ers who will make up the expenses of each
performance. The Theater Libre in Paris is
such an institution. So is the Independe It
Theater in London. 1t was for years the pet
project of the late Lawrence Barrett
The present project is to be started in a very
modest way. The Berkeley Lyceum at "A h
street and Madison avenue. it is understood
is to be the new trial theater. The program
for the first performance in October is partly
arranged. DIR. Holmes has been asked to write
the prologue. Ii he declines. another as well
known as he will be asked to write it. Three
One-act plays will follow. The first is to be
Contrast" W. D. Howels has signed con-
tract to write the second play. Frank Stockton
will write the third. Brander Matthews has
engaged to write the epilogue.
Franklin H. Sergeant, describing the enter
prise. said recently: "1his undertaking is
wholly for the purpose of encouraging art
Nobody will make any money out of it and
nobody wants to. The rich men who will back
it up and see it through financially will be
called upon to pay rather heavily. perhaps. but
they will get their return in witnessing per-
formances of an exceptionally high character
we'll as in the consciousness that they are
encouraging American art and letters We
have not decided what we will call our enter
prise. The name The Theater of Art
and Literature has been suggested among
others. We have now few regular subscribers
but we have received assurances which make
success certain. The great theatrical mana
gers. such A. NJ. Palmer, Augustin DAILY
and the Frohmans are heart and soul in the
thing, for it will enable them to Judge OF new
plays which they may produce afterward. One
plan is to encourage play writing by ordering
plays from playwrightsof sterling ability. pay
ing for them for one production only, and that
the best that can be given. We will not acquire
any rights in play after our first reduction
The writer can then dispose of it as best he
may. We will also make careful examine
ton of such other American plays as are offered
to us, no matter who writes them, and produce
such as come up to the standard without ex-
pense to the author. We hope in this way to
encourage young and talented writer's" The
Berkeley Lyceum will seat about 500 persons.
What the thing may lead to in the far future is too
much to prophesy now. but if we are succ ess-
fui we may have a great theater of our own
soma dav"