The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-24
Women and Plays.
3VidenCeS Of Feminine Con-
troll Provided bg the Drama
of the Modern TheateT.

Make plays for women is the advice
of William Bullock in the New York
Press"
What do the women say?" Is she
question Of managers and players after
n first performance. Slowly the per
centage of women in audiences has
grown until now they comprise the ma
jority in the average gathering in
Broadway theaters And what IS true
of New York also is true Of almost eV-
cry city throughout the country.
Men have watched with friendly in
terest the drift of the mana gers toward
a fixed desire TO please first Of all. the
woman auditors, and although in the
last decade a great change has been
wrought in the makeup OF finished
productions the result has been crafty
ing to all intelligent observers. The tone
OF the playhouse has been lifted By the
increased attendance of women: man
ayers have been made 20 realize That
artifciality will not be stamped with
feminine approval; TO meet with sue
cess today a play must be permeated
with wholesome sentiment. and through
women's influence interest is waning in
the problem play, so dear TO the cold
sheart of Mrs. Patrick Campbell. When
Mrs. Campbell was here a couple Of
years ago she unburdened her mind Of
q long string of ideas toucheng this prob
lem question. To her way Of thinking
women demanded a dash of poisonous
bitters in almost every production. and
the stronger the bltters the greater the
chance of generous patronage.
Ii is surprising now TO think that Mrs.
CamgbelIs views were received without
storm of protest; indeed, memory
tells that the only voice raised in OBJ
lection was that Of Father Ducey. and
even his vigorous words attracted alton
ton only for day. Not in individual
opinion. however. but in practical ex-
ample do we find that Mrs Campbell
was in error. Take the really success
ful plays Of last season, and what is the
lesson read to US? The plays that
were tender and true i'm sentiment were
those that paid the largest dividends.
What of Merely Mary Ann?" What of
The Secret Of Polichineuc?''
Here we have two plays that were
made succe ssful by women. And their
acceptance in New FORK is now being
duplicated by Mrs. Wigs OF the Cab
bage Patch"-another woman's play
IN Chicago. When Merely Mary Ann
was first put on the Garden Theater
was stunned by men, but in a week this
playhouse was the mecca of the matinee
crowos. II was the same with THE Sc
cret Of Polichinelle," which at first was
50 thinly patronized that James X
hacket thought seriously OF sending il on
the road. These plays throbbed with hu-
man sympathy; they drew tear or two
and much laughter. IL they had depend
cd on men for success in week or less
the managers would have ordered them
on tour. But the women rallied 10 their
support. and in time even the men began
70 take interest. Another type OF wo-
man : play was Candida" which some
nave insisted In placing in the category
OF problem dramas. Admitting for the
moment that the Shaw story builds up
a problem in a Jheatric sense OF the
term, II appears manifest at first sight
that the problem is not of the kind fav-
ored by Mrs. Campbell Lately We an
nave been surprised by Shaw's confes-
sion regarding the womanliness Of his
heroine; but even accepting that Can
dlca is not the pure soul We had imag1D-
ed, who IS there 70 say she is one Of
the women pictured by Mrs. CampbelI
and, let II be added, by Mrs Langtrv.
Arnold Daily was enabled 10 pass with
hL
the interest taken in Candida" by wO-
mon The motives underlying the play
appealed 20 the feminine heart. in a vye,-
mat from every sign, could not have
been possible a few seasons before. Thus
IN Candida" and Merely Mary Ann
and The Secret Of PoHchineIIe" we
nave testimony that the women rule the
theater and that these rulers are grow
lns IN spirit, demanding a higher pIana
Of human excellence.
The sentiment Of The woman.s nIsy
must not be maudlin; the plot must NOT
be Improbable; the dress Of the Actresses
must not be unfashionabIe Let MS think
moment. A few years 60 who would
have thought the time would come vrbe,
the women Of a company womb no
gowned IL Fifth Avenue shops. and thar
advertisements Of the interested nodistes
would be displayed in programs? Has
IL not been dinned into youthful ears
since time beyond mind that a straw,
shows how the wind blows. and have
we not here proof Of the fact that the
great Increase in women auditors has
imposed on managers the duty OF pre-
sentlng their actresses in gowns permit
ting Of only favorable criticism
The influence Of the women on -our
piayhouses is becoming stronger and
more noticeable every season. Calling
Up the stage settings Of five and six
years ago, the belief takes hold that
the present attention 10 detail, the striv-
lRg Tor color harmony, is owing TO the
quicker and finer sight Of women pa
irons. II is the same with the costurn-
ing the same with the plays. and-a
new phase-likewise IL is the same with
All the players. The likes and dislikes OF
women have laid "a lasting irnpressio7 o,,
the American stage. and certainly II has
been for the better