The Washington herald., 1909-04-25
NEW YORK THEATERS
THE GAY LIFE" DOES NOT APPEAL TO THE
BLASE BROADWAY TASTE

Charles T. Kindt. of Davenport. Iowa.
president Of the association. represents
President Kindt said; we desire the best
plays when available. By available We
mean that when the play Is ready for
the public We don't intend 70 be com
PEELED to wait until il has been worn to a
FRAGILE in Eastern or other circuits. All
productions Of a good quality viii be
used, whether from the trust or other
sources"
The association extends 70 Denver and
salt Lake City from the Middle West,
and the theaters pledged TO the open door
number in Arkansas. in Indiana 3 in
Missouri. 20 in Iowa. IS in Illinois, in
Minnesota. in Oklahoma. "a IN Kansas.
/ 6 in Nebraska. 5 in Utah, in Wyoming.
and II in Colorado.
The New. Theater is to have opposition
in theater now building within half a
block Of It. and which viii follow SIM
liar policy as that governing the larger
temple Of art II viii be devoted TO
stock productions Of pays by American
authors presented by a iTst-class COM
pany, which is 20 be headed by Mary
Shaw Miss Shaw Acknowledges that she
has been engaged and is enthusiastic over
the project. which is entirely OF pri-
vate nature The playhouse IS building
and is already fairly advanced. and Is ex-
pected 20 be ready for the first perform
ance early IN the autumn. The protector
is Mr.. Butler Davenport. a prominent
real estate broker. who is said 20 have
plenty OF money to back HIS unique un-
dertakirg- The playhouse is not design
/ ed to antagonize the promoters Of the
( New Theater. which as you know. is an
/ endowed institution intended 10 uplift the
American stage by good examples OF art.
whether they are box Office successes or
not. but rather to supplement its policy
and cooperate with L. The purpose is
to limit the capacity 10 500 seats and to
/ present a regular change OF bill: but the
| plays 10 be offered VIII be new plays and
/ preferably by native plsywrlghts. No
/ play viii be allowed 20 run until i has
/ exhausted It's popularity. but after one OF
/ two weeks a money-naker viii be taken
J OF and another play substituted. All OF
/ which sounds good: and those weary OF
/ the present policy Of attractions solely
I
! pleasure seekers OF a large city viii vel
come every attempt 10 lend a little con-
I sistsacy 10 the theatrical policy Of the
I day. The fact Of the matter. however. j.
that the traffic in plays and productions
/ as well as actors. is to-day on q more
J elaborate scale Of cOmmercialism thar
ever. and the producing managers are Of
/ feTlng plays with no more attempt TO ex.
/ ercise judgment than drover would dis
play IN buying a herd Of cattle. It Ia:
become an axiom that one out OF a Ger.
tain number Of plays is a hit. and thi.
proportion Is produced with no expecta
ton that more than the one money-raIz
ing play viii come out Of this happy-go
lucky way Of dealing IN dramatic Iitera.
ture- One long run viii pay for a dozer
! failures. But to put this into practic,
you have 20 have a good deal OF none,
10 pay scene painters. The poor authS,
and the actor who rehearses three week,
for nothing and gets two weeks saIar,
are hardly considered in the expense sc
count FRED. ?. sCBRADER.