New-York tribune., 1907-09-04
LONDON DRAMA.
Reaction against american Plays
Church and Stage.
London. August Il.

80 This question is not discussed wiz
o.-er;+,, hv English playwrights' loI NJ
- ,-i+hout discretion and do not IH'''0
"ol -, -reir own works are presented III
go The critics are not equaIIS
..,o,,s and have not concealed Ihell oii'e
- ,be displacement Of English by Aiiiei
oNe Ton6on during the last six months.
--,ex disclairn hostility toward amer 'C"t- -
.-,,+e and explain that they are glad 10 "ei-
- works when there is evidence OF su-
- :; construction or vivacity. Ihey con-
- ;. -, unfair discrimination against bHs-
= ..,boretin when foreign works OF meolooio
,.,;+z, are preferred by London managers : -
80 free trade and reciprocity neV"eei 'iie
z,,,,,eh and the American stage but lles oo,i
-r5 -ather 6ogmatically that there shoUiN 20
ra.,t,ing corresponding 10 the surNlNal oI INC
s++es+ in dramatic art. Box once anu Nll'io"-
s.-s. of ..the f1ttest" are different Popu-
1-it,, Is The managers practical test aliu WIN
- 1or, theatrical circuits in America there are
oanrional facilities for determining Wiia' -
80 .or large audiences. While some OF INC
.ovtoor dramas imported this year have hao
-~.,a,- e,1ccess or have failed 10 atfac'
I-.1ier 1,lavsoers q few have survived 'i1e
,,harqa If season and continued TO I'LL theaueS
during the dullest months brewster NJ
SONS" after doing great business al inc -,
Theatre is to be transferred next "eeh 10 ~
nuke Of York's with The Little Japanese H4'
as the curtain raiser. The 15oth performance %
..,,rs Wigs" will be witnessed at the A0eipl-''
T.--er theatre than Terry's being required LOT
,.r has heen freely advertised as the iuii-
,,o,y in London. The Earl OF Pa"tucAe'
- - A. .C,--;l nTaude fully employed during 'lle
-.,,-o- a. tbe PLAYHOUSE, and its drawing power
sN.-aea5 by, = farcical curtain raiser frehoh
as He Is Spoke
:. = ,o+ioeable that the reaction in favor Oh
--,;.., -la,,z-riebts IS opened under American
.,,Srjoes Miss Maxine elliott VINO mas pee"
,6entifed with the American stage YET -
servedlv popular in London. IS TO reapPeal ea--'
NEXT month at the Lyric IN Cnaer lAe
wood Tree" a fantasy by Nj II v Esiiio44-'
IN which a faded young lady OF fasflon' "eaiS
of social pleasures and follies, reNeItS 10 q SIN
r,ar and more elemental stage OF existence MI
[r..rIas Erobrnan. who has been responsible for
some Of the most striking successes OF American
drama abroad is offering practical evidence that
ba ss the friend and patron of the English play
wright He is about 10 produce at the Hicks
Theatre Nj Henry Arthur Jones's new play
1.-The Hypocrites.' which has met with nearly
anproval in America. Everything mas been ooIle
70 make ii equally successful here The COM
many has been selected with painstaking care
and includes IL @C6iton TO oldtinne favorites
such as Alfred Top J. +. Barnes and Leslie
Fsher. the row feGaTQeQ DE d4A NOIAAA'C-
tent critics as the greatest artist the English
stage. Miss Mario. Terry. and also Charles Y
France an actor who has been making rapid
progress during recent years as a master OF
realism in the art Of acting. English play
wrights. new and old. are rallying their sup
porters al other theatres. At the GarTick there
Will be a new comedy Of rural life. Flanders
Widow" by Sydney Valentine and Mrs. Blum
dell: at His Najesty's Oscar Asche and Miss
Bravton open their season most ambitiousIy
with a tragedy "Attila," by Mr. Laurence Bin
yon; at the New Theatre a revised version Of
Mr. yachelIs play. Her Son. will he presented.
with Miss Wirifred Emery In her original part:
q fresh season Of Shaw discussions viii take the
place Of Gilbert and Sullivan at the Savoy: and
plays by Mr.. Pinero. Mr.. sutro and other Eng
hsh authors ara promised for the St Janes's
and other theatres. Apparently the English
author has rot been 5ostled out Of the London
theatres.
Mr. Arthur Collins. leaving NJ Hall Caine at
liberty TO supply q new version Of The Chris
tian" for the Lyric Theatre has fallen back
upon Mr.. Cecil Raleigh and Mr.. Henry Hamilton
as creators Of moral rnelodrama" 3or Drury
Lane He has already taken the public into his
confidence and explained TIE motives Of The
Sins Of Society" Apart FROM the old fashioned
End inevitable purpose OF enabling a sympa-
thetic public TO witness the triumph Of virtue
Dver wickedness. there is the secondary motive
Of poTtraying woman Of fashion possessed with !
mania for betting and gaming and carving
her downward stage by stage in a career OF
folly and despair She is to be very smart and
exceptionally well dressed and she is TO be
taken, not TO Ascot nor Coodwood. but to Long
champs, in realistic picture of the fashionable
side Of French racing. The title Of Father
Vaughans series Of sensational sermons have
been borrowed by the authors. but not without
credit. for there is TO be what is heralded as a
aecorous portrait. not a caricature Of the
preacher himself as an earnest priest and pure
minded moTalist unmasking hypocrisy and as
sistng Virtue on her way to melodramatic tri-
umph- If Mr.. Collins is to be trusted when he
is advertising his show it is not to he
racing drama for popularizing the turf for the
acrses will be left out nor is Father Vaughan
10 oe satirized; nor is there to be anything ike
preaching at Drury Lane II is to be strong
pulsating nlelodrama.' with artists OF intensity
such as Miss Constance Collier. Mr.. L,vn Hard
Ing. Mr- Julian L'Estrange and Miss Adrenne
Angarde. reinforced by the popular comedians
Miss Fanny Brough and AIr. Albert Chevaler:
arc, while there VIII be neither text nor sermon,
there VIII be q vivid and realistic background,
which may enable Father Vaughan to continue
his crusade against the sins of society with fresh
courage. Altogether. it will be a new phase Of
Church and Stage, and characteristically Eng
Ash-especially the shifting of the scene from
Royal Ascot TO Longchamps. with Presidential
progress in Republican simplicity.
This forecast OF autumn drama will be in
complete without brief reference to a new un-
oertaking at the Court Theatre. MI Otho Stu
art whose enthusiasm for drama has been
shown by excellent management Of Mr.. Benson's
provincial enterprises and by a brave and per-
sistent IL not wholly successful stand for