Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-07
AMERICAN MANAGER CUTS DOWN
Charles TO Give Up One of
HIS london PlnyhOuses.

Charles TO Give Up One OF
HIS London PlnyhOuses.
LONDON, May 2L-(Special Correspond
ence )-Charles ohm three years
lease of the Aldwych theater runs out on
Christmas day next. and he will then retire
from it's management. The playhouse VIII
then revert to its owner, Seymour HICKS
who, with his wife. Ellaline Terriss' are
under Mr.. Frohman's direction, Although
the present season is said to nave been a
fairly profitable one at the theater, it is
now closed for want of a suitable produc-
ton. Mr.. Frohman has made arrangements
for reopening it, however, the second week
In the present month. In the fall he hopes
to get another London manager to take 1t
OFF his hands for the remaining months of
his lease. -
Henceforth Frohman will be in exclusive
management OF only two London theaters--
the Hicks, where he will alternate
straight comedy and musical productions
and the Duke of York's, where he Will
give what he calls his Barrie Cycles.
Nast season the latter house will open with
the long-heralded new play from the pen
Of the Scottish author, and this will be fol-
lowed by the annual revival OF Peter
PAN which has now become a fixture for
the Christmas season at the St Martins
Lane house. 'The Little Minister and
Quality Street" are also to be revived as
circumstance permit.
But while the Hicks and the Duke of
York's are the only London theaters where
Mr.. Frohman will reign as sole manager
he has no intention OF limiting his actiVi-
ties 20 those two houses. He will continue
to be associated with Arthur Chudleigh
al the Comedy, where Marie Tempest Is
now playing in Mrs. Dot" and as oppor-
tunities arise will link up with other West
End managers. He already has under con-
sideration the invitation Of two OF them 10
make productions for them in the near fu-
ture.
That the American manager still knows
A good thing when he sees It is evident
from the coup which he engineered a few
DAYS ago and which took away the breath
Of more than one English manager. In the
space OF a few minutes Mr.. Frohman signed
contracts with w. Somerset Vaughan foI
all the American rights in the latters
three ~plays-"Lady Frederick" in which
Ethel Barrymore will be starred in the
United states; Jack Straw" intended for
the use OF John Drew, 1nd Mrs. Dot" Not
content with that, Mr.. Frohman at the
same time secured the American and Eng
I lish rights OF the next two plays to be
written by Mr.. Vaughan, this including
the biggest deal ever made by a manager
with one author. One Of the last men,
toned plays is a 'woman's play" and is
TO be finished before November; and the
other is a mans play" and is to be de-
livered by April next, II Is now pretty GER
tain that Vaughan will break all records
by having four plays on at one time, as the
contract 70 his rplay Lewis Waller has in
hand. founded on the authors novel, The
Explorer" calls for its production before
June 80. "a white Man" must therefore
be withdrawn by Waller after a longer run
than most American plays achieve oveI
here.
At the Aldwych IN June 5, a revolution
airy experiment viii be ~inaugurated. oscar
Aschs and his wife. Lily Brayton. have
made arrangements with Mr.. Frohman
whereby they viii open the house for a
summer season at reduced prices. Al
though not the problem that It u In the