The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-30
SLUMP IN LONDON THEATRES
LARGE AUDIENCES AT ONLY
THREE OF THE TWENTY.

Miss billie Burke Falis 20 Repeat HeT
New York Success In Love Natchea''
Light OF Love-" Second Play by
Arthur SchnitzIer, to DC I'm London
LONDON. May lo.-May Is usually a
profitable month for the London theatres.
This year. however. the plsybouses are
experiencing q continuance OF the slump
which began in April. when ten new
rieces we're produced. five Of which have
finished their runs without any profit
for those concerned.
OF the twenty theatres presenting plays
cnIy three are playing to their fullest
capacity. These are the Gaiety. with Miss
Gertie Millar in Our Miss Gibbs"; the
shaftesbury, with q musical comedy.
The Arcadians,- and His Majesty's.
where The School for Scandal is still
drawing great crowds.
Several nights ago MIR. Frohman pre-
sented Love Watches" with a partly
American. partly English company,
headed by Miss Billie Burke. Miss Burke
is we'll known here as a music hall singer
and dancer OF charm and ability. 30 a
very large and friendly audience Of
fnGllSn dIiu NIX tCoib u Aot liict
appearance as a dramatic star at the Hay
market Theatre.
The first act of the play went fairly
we'll. but after that things travelled rap
idly from bad to worse. and the final
curtain fell on a storm of booing and
noisy disapprobation. Once again the
English critics commented upon the
general tone of American taste which
could make a success Of such q play. Miss
Burke and her company were harsbly
scored, and even Mr.. Frohman received
some sharp criticism for giving London
such a play after his recent announce
ments regarding his hopes for the Brit
ish drama and his determination to start
q repertory theatre.
After such an outburst from the usually
mild and gentle English critics it IL not
surprising to learn that Love Watohes'
no more after Saturday and another
disappointed band Of American actor
folk returns to the United States.
Mr.. Trees production Of Arthur Schnitz-
ler's Light Of Love- has been the only
other theatrical novelty recently. The
little play was given at the Afternoon
Theatre and attracted an unusually in
teresting audience Of people who know Of
Schnitzler's work. Only one Of his plays
has ever before been presented here.
Sin a Hospital given at the Court Theatre
a few years ago. Light Of Love- has
been n of the great successes OF modern
years on the Continent and Mr.. Schnits-
Ter with it's first production took his place
a. one Of the great dramatists.
Light of Love- is specifically q .
commonplace story Of Viennese bohemia.
There are two couples OF lovers, two
light hearted pleasure seeking butter
flies and two sentimentalists, the woman
all devotion and heart. the man easily
infammable and swayed by passing
passions. To this latter couple comes
tragedy. The mar is involved in an
fights a duel with her husband and b
killed. and Christine finds she has meant
but little to him. while he has been all hor
world.
That is all the plot of the three acts and
there is no action, yet tragedy n comedy
are so adroitly mixed. the comedy OF
youth and gayety and the tragedy OF
youth and sorrow. that II ID like q scene
from real life spread before US. Theirs is
out the ponderous posing.
Max Behrend came. over from Ger
many to rehearse the pieee. which was ad-
mirably produced. The atmosphere was
fairly maintained. although ever Mr..
hehrend could not. instil the Viennese
temperament into English actors.
At the Lyceum a melodrama such as
it's author. The story Of the Man in the
Iron Mask is being represented there as
The Prisoner of the Bastile.' and crowds
hear and applaud 1t every night.