Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-19
The Weeks Bills

MASON-Otis Skinner in THE Duel"
BELASCO-'A Royal Family.
CLEARINGHOUSE Lane"
AUDITORIUM-Dark
ORPHEUM-Vaudevi
GRAND-"Nellie the Beautiful Cloak
Model
FISCHER 'S-"Phedre."
EMPIRE-Vaudeville.
PEOPLES-Vaudevile
Notwithstanding
FTER the experience of Manager
II Harry Wyatt with high art-gen-
\ uine high art-in the drama with
in the last few weeks no one can blame
him if he is disgusted. For of the sew
eral most excellent productions that he
has presented at the Mason of late,
ending with the best of them all, "a
Midsummer Nights Dream" which
closed last night, not one of them has
drawn enough money to make it worth
while to open the house.
This is a scandal and disgrace to
Los Angeles. Here this city sits up and
howls about it's interest in real dramatic
art it damns the syndicate for send
ing out only rotten cheap shows; it
prates learnedly in clubs and societies
about Shakespeare and the purity of
the play. and it discourses about the
degeneracy of the modern theatrical Of
ferings in solemn tones that would do
credit to so many owls.
And then when the powers that be do
give Los Angeles good plays-the best
of their kind-superbly presented by
companies that leave little to be de-
sired, what happens? The dear prating
public stays away in large throngs and
the magnificent productions StarVe to
death.
Los Angeles had some pretty acidu-
lous lemons handed to it by the book
ing forces of the Mason this season.
Just who is at fault is neither here nor
there, but the fact remains that the
just protests against the sort of shows
sent here six months ago have been
needed, whether Intentional to the pro-
tests or not At present there is almost
nothing to complain of in respect to
the quality of plays or companies
Doubtless the opportunity to appear in
San Francisco had something to do
with the case; few fine organizations
cared to come out here only for the Los
Angeles business. Still, that couldn't
have been the only reason, for some of
the companies which have visited Los
Angeles of late actually laid off in San
Francisco. They came here expecting
to do good business because this town
had sent up doleful wall for good at
fractions.
Yet scarcely show of merit that has
played here this season has drawn any,
thing like the money that it expected.
This won't do. The theatrical syndi-
cate is purely a business enterprise; it
is not in the dramatic world for art or
for it's health; 1t wants dollars and only
dollars; the box office is its only cri-
terion of success. So long as the shek-
els can be counted it Will put forth
some good organizations, and so long
as Los Angeles patronizes them they
will visit this city. But the minute
things go to the bad here their comings
will cease. Nothing else can be eX-
pected.
OF late no fault could be found with
the syndicates bookings at the Mason
and in the immediate future a splendid
line of attractions is underlined. Los
Angeles wanted these while back; now
is it's opportunity to demonstrate the
sincerity of it's desires. This paper
holds no brief for Manager Wyatt and
the Mason theater; the business done
there affects it's revenue not one whit.
But the writer has a strong and ardent
desire for good drama by good players
and knows how it can be obtained; he
also knows why good companies will
not come here soon again If the present
nau1aot Of OnnOrtunitV continues,