The Washington herald., 1907-01-06

ablcs" Said experiences revealed TO the
ctor-playwright the shockingly low es-
tatC 20 which the business end Of theat-
rlcals had fallen-the repellcnt wallOw OF
cOmmerCtalism that had swallowed up al
feeling and consideration for Art with
a large initial He says he found most
managers had never heard of Victor
Hugo. and none Of them could pronounce
the name OF his great novel Those who
had the Tashness or conceit to Try made
il less miserable" As man OF culture
ambition, and ideals, he was almost dis
cOurased. The fact that he at last found
a manager willing to produce his play
and that the production was reasonably
successful has not fully restored his coUr-
age Hope for the future Of the drama
is not doing business at the old stand IN
the soul of Wilton The crouch has stiil
got him in its grip. And when he gives
way To language he tells some certain
truths about existing conditions in the
theatrical world that ought 10 be told
lie suggests much when ne remarks that
it is human to think what pleases US will
please others; that entertainment pur-
y
10 furnish amusement OF an uplifting sort
1t is the boast Of too many of them. says
De. that their entertainments have no
aim but 10 provide distraction for the
wCment. The prizes of success go to the
man who writes down to the majority
rather than up to ideals The eternal sex
problem is treated as salaci0Usly as the
police will permit. The average play Is
an invitation either 20 guffaw OF to blush.
But Wilton doesn't wholly despair. He
still hugs the consoling belief that there
is an audience which keeps in view the
higher aims Of the drama But fl has
been driven from the theater by existing
conditions In writing and presenting his
version of les Aiiserable he hoped %
coax at least q fragment OF il back But
he complains be has not been seconded
in his high aim by the critics, who have
cautiously and ignorantly commented OH
his work as a playwright. Altogether.
Lackaye Is having a heap OF trouble, IS
has been the lot of genius since the world
began.
However things may have gone I'm the
rest of the country. the year that has
closed is said TO have been the most sue
cessfuI ever known by the theaters along
Broadway The number of pieces pro-
duced at those theaters that won so great
share of public approval and patron
age as TO eHtitle them to rank as sue
cesses was larger. 10 Is claimed. than in
any previous year in the history Of the
American stage. A few Of these fortu-
nate productions are still running i'm the
houses where they had their premieres,
and the indications are they Will con
tinue there throughout the season Others
had runs Of one or two months. which is
doing very well indeed, and then took
10 the road But If the successes Of the
season on Broadway were numerous and
conspicuous. the failures were not few
nor unpretentiOus They were. however.
mostly respectable failures, representing
honest and intelligent efforts TO give the
public good entertainment Managers
have learned that the tendency of the
country to accept nothing New York has
refused 10 put its seal Of approval on has
by no means lesseued Of late. Therefore.
mana gers arc not apt to produce on
BTOaWay pieces Of any sort that they
don't honestly regard as having consid-
an expensive production which turns out
failure on Broadway is practically a
total loss. 1t is true that in some eases
such failures have been in part retrieved
by changing the names and slightly
changing the character of the entertain
ments, and then sending them OF 10 the
remOter and less enlightened provinces. ..
where the simple-minded denizens found
them good. But this sort of thing hasn {
been done very often. Most of the Broad
way failures are complete. and it is said
the tendency is growing among managers
TO chuck iato the waste basket plays shat
Broadway has Enthusiastically rejected and
try to forget the losses incurred in pro-
duCing them On the other hand. plays
that have been frowued on by cities Ike
Chicago. Pittsburg. Boston, or Washing
ton may retrieve their fortunes by win
ming a New York success. This has been
done in many cases in recent years. But
in these cases very material changes
were, as a rule made in the pieces be-
fore they We're submitted to the critical
Judgment OF New York. The Great Di-
vide is q case in point. When that play
was presented here at the beginning Of
the season, IL was Enthusiastically rough
in finish. and its tone was distuTbingly
raw But there was inherent strength
and merit in it. and By careful polishing
of lines and business, and a toning down
Of the raw passages. il was gradually
worked into such shape that New York
accepted IT, as no doubt the rest Of the
country Will do when its New York run
is over MAURICE sPLAIN.