The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-18
Capital Grows
AS Ideal Place
For PremiereS
Washington Chosen as The
Dog" for Trying Out Plays
for New York Runs.

flrst-night city for grained. But II is
doubtful if even the steady Judge Of
first performances realizes how much
that character is earned. More and
more have companies come to feel their
way outside Of New York. and as that
tendency grows. more and more does
the Capital become the source Of first
opinion.
Trying it on the dog the phrase
goes. There is much in it, But not the
whole story.
In the nrst place there is pressing
need for the house manager OF the
alter I'm New York or Chicago to book
attractions which have been tested. No
new play can be confidently forecast
II there were au author in the world
who could iorcteu I'm mis- library or gar
den the effect of a situation or line on
the average audience he could earn
$4,000 a year as an adviser without
composing a single original scene. Only
the people 'out front can tell Until
they have told. the risk Of presenting a
play in one of the Gothamite or Bed
lamite hOuses-where ground Is so ex-
peusive that a bad week for the house
is financial disasters commercially
prohibitive. Half business is ban
enough; but utter failure. with no def
mite plaas possible after the play has
been withdrawn, would be ruinous-
Now in a smaller city the financial
penalty for not succeeding Is not 50
heavy. /. is bad enough in PhiIadel-
phia. or Baltimore, or Washington
even for the managers Of the theater
building without regard for the pro-
ducers. But IL is still not disastrous.
So not only 90 the enrepeneurs turn
of necessity to cities like our own, but
OF their own accord they go where the
risk is supportable for the others in
volved.
Cold Water at the Outset.
The natural thing would be TO put on
the new piece in a One-night stand
Judicious advertising would get rather
substantial patronage, whether the
play deserved it or not. Then, next
night. the same thing could be repeat
ed in another small city and so on,
for a week, or a fortnight. or a month.
Stories OF failure do not spread from
New Haven or Allentown as from a
city like Boston or Washington.
In the refusal to adopt this course
and the tendency to turn to Washing
ton there reposes a distinct compliment
TO our local theaters A thousand
phrases like Trying it on the dog
could not destroy that tribute And il
is this:
That here we have the highest av-
erage wage in the world. Here we have
audiences Of a general intellectually
rot surpassed by any city I'm the world.
Here we have a dissemination 10 be eff
fusive and something like a passion to
DE discriminating. and these are condi-
tions which. taken together produce a
judgment that the experience Of thirty
years has proven an excellent gauge Of
the leisurely opinion of the country at
large.
Many actors have expressed this in
different phrases. wed rather have
our dash Of cold water at the outset. %
said Mr.. FaverSham before he produced
FL Gran GaIeoto" this season. The
lecture went well here. did it, asked
Mr.. Elmendorf the other day. Then
I'm not afraid Of it anywhere else. 90
The Melting Pot may not make
money, but It is a certain artistic sue
cess" said Nj Whiteside after he had
seen his local auditory widen as the
week wore on. But the best proof is
the proof that managers are willing TO
put their money into this test
An Imposing List
Here. TO Illustrate, is a list which has
come 10 hand this past week Of first
performances at the National alone. in
The past twenty years Both the Column
bia and the Belasco have lists similarly
impressive. When there Is time 10 scan
their records there will be interest
enough in reprintiug them But lust
now let your eye fall on these titles:
Robert Elsemere." April I, 1850.
inherited Maude Granger Nav \.
'Wilkinson's Widows March % $50,
The Check Book" Rose Coghian.
..setlIed out Of Court, August i. 1892.
Tie Duchess Helen Barry. Decar-
Der 10. 1892
The Girl Left Behind Me-" January
16 1893
The Other Man" August Is. 1898.
My Wife's Father" William II
Crane, January p. 1895
Her Brother Bob Mary Sanders.
May >. 1896.
Bridget" July 6. 1896
Bluff July %. 1896.
In Search Of Happiness" Robert
Downing, September Il. 1896.
Roaring Dick x Co." Maurice Par-
rymOre. November 9. 1896
Viola Allen. The Christian" Septem-
her %. 1898
Nile, Pilar-Nrorin. My Cousin" May
Tho Children Of the Ghetto" Sep
TENDER IS, 1899.
Viola Allen, In the Palace Of the
King" September "a, 1900.
The Sprightly Adventures Of Mar
sac MaCklyn ArbUCkle. November >.
The Girl From Up There" Edna
Nay. December 10. 1900.
The Helmet Of Navarro" Charles
Son. November 4. 1901.
The Du Barry" Mrs. Leslie Carter.
December y. 1901
The. Torreadors." Francis Wilson.
December 80. 1901.
Viola Allen. The Eternal City" Octo-
her g. 1902
Darling OF The Gods" Blanche Bates
November l.. 1892.
Mice and Men" Annie Russell. De
cTmber %, 1902.
"Babette." FRITZ Scheff. November
1903
The ProdigaI Son" August 2S. 1895.
The Walls Of Jericho" September
Is. 1905
The American Lord William II.
Crane, October O. 1908.
Peter Pam Maude Adams, October