New-York tribune., 1908-02-19
SAVOY THEATRE.
Irish PLAYERS in q Pot of Broth.

A group Of Irish players who were connected
with the Abbey Theatre, in Dublin, made their
first appearance here last night at the Savoy Ihe-
atre in q one act play called "a Pot of Broth"
written by William Butler Yeats That piece is not
new 10 The town having been presented three sea-
sons ago at Carnegie Music Hall. At best 1t Is
q poor vehicle for group OF foreign perform
rs TO make their first entrance In on the American
stage Tor being only sketch, it gave them no oI2-
rorrunirv, Mr. Charles Frohman brought the play
ers here and IS to be commended for his good in
tentions He wished 10 give the American puoAc d
view Of the progress Of the native drama IN Ireiaho'
but n this instance he revealed only the yeats lde
and that idea has not been commended even pE
those Of Nj Yeats's extraction The players now
ever are welcome and IN some other piece, may
he able TO command serious attention. = Pot OF
Broth IS said have been gathered IIolh
some or the descriptive chapters III Inc %
legians." That may be true. MI 1eA'S' now
ever. has not grasped, in his stage version
ina ,r7-a v-Ir and hurnor Of the Celtic race IEe
best examples the short descriptive sketches Oh
Irish life are revealed in these days IN yhe WORKS
Of shan Bullock and Seunlas Mc0danus. Inc hrsI
wont into the fields the other to the hut Ny
z1oAJgnus's The Leading Road to Donegal or
one Of Ar- BuUocks fine portrayals OF the peasant
women Of ireland working in the fields wou-o nave
given the visitors some opportunity 10 ustAS ~0'i
Iro-7adre Of stage representation. There are three
r,ersous concerned in a Pot Of Broth, TWO men
and a woman. Those characters were portrayed oy
y. G. Fay. Frank Fay and Mrs. Bridget ODenp-
The 77avs have been highly praised by irish writ
,rs who have not failed 10 point out the failure Of
the so-caIIed independent movement IN Ireland
r-hat movement has been chiefly devoted TO the
exploitation OF William Butler Yeats and Lady
Gregory. seuInas McAIanEs in q recent letter 10
The PirtsbuEg Gazette-Tinles' writes OF It as
follows.
The National Theatre Society, founded nine or
ter years ago by our Poet Yeats. seems almost On
Of its existence, lne people complained that II dd
nj merit the adjective of national. and When Mr.
Yeats succeeded ii interesting an EhSiISh NoiIlai
Miss Horuiman, TO purchase Tor me soGiety "a, d
society had gooG tueuf @ i' Yets q ' saeei .!T6e
y hen twelVg H99ts 4 aSG hI SF eTest body OF our
IsJ5 Sl Ta S- na raised FeTsistng in pushing
trfs rlav upon the people he unfortunately had 10
ian back upon the aid Of the & P9liGe 'Ro ee %efe
disapprove o. the play and the UNIQUE speclacIe ]
e1ri then feu out OF all esteem.
tre FaTs to whom, in great measure, the success
OF the Theatre society was owed are seeding from
Teason rhe ''Favs' give for seeding Is that un-
suitable plays are forced, and suitable ones reject
-. also that almost ali the plays presented are
plays written BY two or three people
IN - The IndsPendenf." says: .,.--
TWO unique artists QUIT the country. Ihey have
stated that they have no desire 10 leave the city
"a the future - absolutely hopeless and feel
there IS use IL further e&pecIns their energies
os the directories as essentially short-sighted.
hu1tfu 10 progress. drifting TO collapse
me Abbey theatre at present constituted, may
he said 10 exist largely for the exploitation OF the
1,ias-s of 4. Yeats and Lady Gregory.
Since lis opening. Just little over three years
40 rlays produced by the directors total twenty
feur-Yeats eight Ladw Gregory. twelve, and
Svuge four. BOYLE Is responsible for three. Colin
90 1yfrid Blunt one. Macterlinck. produced by
NJ John Payne. one. and outsiders. Miss Let's
an5 Air Fitznlaurice, each. / have taken
fEa trouble compile the number Of perform
anceg from my programmes but here the pref
-7ce by the directors for the productions of their
own works is even more marked