The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-14
PLAYS OF A DULL SEASON,
AMERICAN DRAMATISTS WIN OUT
~ 4 SLOW RACE.

one BRIGHT Spot in the shaw Boom and
Leah KIeaohna"-The National Thea
ter Realized HOofay for the Hip, HIP
HippsdFome-The National Theater.
Not much has been heard in the season
past Of the cutlery against bad plays which
a year and more ago smote the Telkn'
but n a. an open secret that both from
the artistIo Ind the commercial point Of
visy the output has been far worse. Bad
"a times were then. the cloud which hung
above Broadwa he d at least silver lining
bright metal from which paywrights and
managers put into their hAlos and their
pockets.
From London we had received Barrie's
sThe Admirable Criohton," and Shav's
candida. which are probably TO be ranked
a. the masterpieces Of the two most spirited
and intelligent Of the modern English
dramatists-pieces that seem destined to
take a permanent place in the dramatic
literature Of the nation. Among our own
playvrights Augustus ThomAs had given
IA THE Other Girl" by all lOddB his best
comedy. and CLYDE Fitch Her Own Way,
one Of his most popular as we'll as most
credltable productions.
which deserves to take rank with those;
and the financial result may be gagged by
the fact that large majority Of the leading
Warehouses have closed their doors much
earlier tina n usual and during a season OF
the brightest and coolest Of spring weather
that ever blessed this heaven favored
metropolis, .....-. ..,.-....
Let us not minimize our blessings The
prophetic soul OF The wide world, dreaming
on things to come. has long prognosticated
the adsent OF theater OF arts and letters,
Have Ne not still the National Art Theater
sooietY, and it's journalistic organ. pub
Ished enthusiastically, with perennial
photographs Of the Members Of the society3
The past season has witnessed the SUCCESS
ful launching OF our national theater. In
the felioitous phrase Of the billboards, the
National Theater has been Rhslized. Have
Mr.. L c. Clarke, Mr.. James Metcalfe, ct al.
taken due note Of this? II IA to be feared
not, though the growing band Of martyrs
to plain and vehement speech, outlawed
from a syndicate production, were assem-
bled In one box on the occasion Of its open
ing. Siuggards that they are, they have
been ontdone by Bishop Potter, who, as all
tie advertisements bear witness, proclaimed
our national theater as extremely clever
and wonderfully artistic Hooray, for
the Hip Hip Oh, Hippodromel
But first the record Of despair. The
commercial organization Of the theater
has, as usual-and IN spite Of the arrival
Of the national theater-reaulted In ban
ishlng the classics In favor Of popular
novelties. Mr.. Mansfield gave n a sim
gularly interesting performance o: Mo-
Here's "Misan thrope.' Mr.. Sothem and
Miss Marlowe gave us very good perform
ances Of Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado
and Hamlet Forbes Robertson revived
his superlative "Hamlet as stopgap
and a similar failure Of new plays gave us
q wretched revival OF "She Stops to Con-
ouer' and a creditable revival Of London
Assurance '-+thp aleuderest Of our classics.
Tbsen has a. usual been more or less
murdered BY asplrtnR novioes, Miss Barry
more's Nora being a creditable exception.
In the matter OF new pieces the not
unnatural desire Of the managers 10 play
sure things has. as IN times past, made us
for the most part pensioners Of the foreign
stage, andnot the best products Of IL, either.
Prom the great German playwrights Suder-
mann and Hauptmann we have had moth
ing BeyeTlein's sensational army play
sZapfeh stVeiohH C@Taps0 was done In Eng
lish, but apparently failed, in spite Of the
happy. e4ding which was subsequently,
tackled on, to It, to the destruction Of itS
thesis. non Che great Frenchmen Ros-
tand and Hervieu We have lad nothing.
Brieux,s diatribe against French law,
ia Robs Rouge,' Relane gave US for few
performances in French; and Capus's
charming idyl OF worldly wisdom, ia
Chateltine.- Willard gave us for a short
time % English under the title Of THE
Brighter Slde.' The one notable Gallo
importatioh was Octave Mirbeau's LES
Afiaires sont les Afaires,- a powerful II
unpleasant preseuttiol Of the captain Of
Industry. b which Mr.. Crane was only
moderately successful, In spite OF the fact
that his performance Of the brutal and
grasping Lschdi was generally onoeded 10
be the most vivid and artistic creation Of
his career.
The promiSsd Appearances OF Dllse and
Novelll was abandoned in consequence,
Il was said. or the financial rigors Of the
season =. The Cazeiles Comedy Company,
a collection Of provincial French players.
was favorably received In a series Of in
terestihg standard plays at popular prices.
Rkjans appeared in her repertory with
much critical and much financial success.
From England. which h times past has
been our chief source Of supply, the output
has been even more disappointing Barrie
gave Us nothing. though the success in
London Of peter Pan and 'Anoe Sit
Blythe Fire holds out promise for the
future. From Haddon Chambers wo have
not had even promise. MRS Gorringe's
Necklace showed Mr.. Hubert Henry
Davies N q less interesting light than
his Cousin Kate Of the year before, but
had the advantage OF the delightful art OF
Sir Charles Wyndhbm. Esmond's Love
and the Man proved protentious futility,
In spite Of the able acting Of Kate Rorke
and the consummate art Of Forbes Robert
son. r. c. Cartons The Rich Mrs. Rep
ton" failure in London, achieved the
seasons record 10y running for four con-
secutive performances, Miss Fay Davis
being hopelessly miscast in the title role.
Zangwil, whose talent at its best IL Of
so high m order as 10 verge upon genius,
and perhaps to attain Il, made two at
tempts at faclle popularity in The Serio-
Comic Governess- for Cecilia LOTUS and