Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-12

n ONDON, Jan 29.-It Is lmpoSSi-
BILE to conceal the fact that the
atrlcal business In this country
is, generally speaking, in an ex-
tremely bad way. If all hear be true
the position OF affairs on your side Is
no better. We had all buoyed ourselves
up with the hope that, as the dlsloca-
ton caused by the general election de-
creased, attendance at the theatcrS
would show a marked improvement
But this week things are worse than
ever. With only a few rare exceptions,
the rule of the evening is "a beggarly
array of empty benches Even Soiner-
set Maugham'S latest success at the
Comedy has shown unmiStakable signs
of weakening and there Is every pros
pect that a successor to Smith VIII
be wanted before long. a similar story
is told on all sides,
Possibly with the production of the
numerous novelties promised tor the
next few days matters may take q
more favorable turn. The truth IS,
however, the public has grown httle
skeptical about everything connected
with the theaters. l was chatting with
Tree on the subject the other day and
as a significant commentary on the
situation he said: For the first per-
formance of The O'Flynn' Dustin
Huntly McCarthy's new play to be
produced at His Majesty's next Tues.
day) l could sell the house out hail
a dozen times over, so great IS the de-
mand for seats. Unfortunately. inter-
est in the event begins and ends there.
inaSmuch as my forward DOCKING
amounts to something under SlOO.
can remember the day when 1t would
have been 90 or 100 per cent as much
But playgoers nowadays seem dater'
mined not to take anything on trust
they prefer to walt until the morning
after production rather than risk thelr
money on an improved novelty. Every
wear the business of theatrical manage
ment becomes more and more dl1lcult:
the expense of mounting play grows
greater and the average length OF
run Is steadily diminishing. The pup
lie wants O. lot for It's money and if
they can't get 1t at the theaters of they
go to the music halls
Although Charles Frohman has so
far published nothing official regarding
the preparationS now being rapid"
pushed forward for his repertory thea
| ter at the Duke of York's. some few
| details have contrived to leak out. A
| certain number of actors and actresses
| are in the happy condition of having
| secured a six months OF a years con-
| tract On the other hand L near OF
| offers made by him to leading artists
| of ANYTHING from a five to nine
| nights RIM or course, only those who
/ can find nothing better to do would
| accent such a proposal. AS far as L
can Judge Frohman has got a pretty
hard fllrrow to plough. He begins his
| campaign on or about March l. ms
first production being new play by
John Galsworthy. quite the best thinS
| according to those who have read the
manuscript. which that earnest and
gifted writer has done. After that
Comes a play by Bernard Shaw. in
| which the principal parts, IL present IN
tentIons hold good. will be sustained
hy Lena Ashwell. who is on F'rohman $
| salary list until April !. and O. Nj
| Iowne. Barrie has sent In the Two
little one-act pieces which ne iatc'y
| forwarded as presents to, respectively,
Maude Adams and Ethel Barrymore
Arthur Bourchier has been In rather
n difficulty about the casting of Somer-
set Maughams new play due at tne
Garr1ck In about a fortnights Time
Roth he and the author wanted Evelyn
D'Alroy for the feminine lead put' as
I stated little while ago. Tree refused
To mart with her, Then IT was arrang-
chier) should appear In the part for six
weeks. lust to give the piece send
off. Everybody concerned, however
Including Misa Vanbrugh herself.
recognized that she was by no means
we'll suited to the role which is that
OF a Young, almost girlish. wife who is
ul-treated and held in subsection by
domineering husband. whose brutality
eventually forces her into the arms OF
a youthful ndmirer. Now Miss VAN
brlIgh is a lady OF a commanding and
imperious manner and the last person
in the world whom one would expect
| to submit to ill-treatment from any
man. however cruel and barbaric. This
Maugham felt keenly and a polite lit
tie cahcgram was accordingly des-
| patched to Frohman asking him to
place his veto upon her appearance In
the part. Now 1t has been settled that
| Frances Dillon, an actress OF dis
| tinctly melodramatic and highly-color-
ed style, shall have it.
With the death of Ernest Carpenter
| the management OF the Lyceum be-
comes vested in his partner. H. r.
| Smith, who made such q mess OF
things at the Waldorf. and his late
partners brother, Fred Carpenter
| hitherto business manager OF the thea
/ ter. There Will be. however no change
| OF policy. Henry Irving's old house con-
| tlnuing to be run on popular lines at
| cheap prices The next piece. to be pro-
duced there about the end OF next
| month. is named THE Fighting
Chance" a title already used by Rob-
ert Chambers for one OF his most
recent books. THE Fighting Chance"
was presented for the first time about
IS months ago. at one ofe the suburban
thcaters. and was then called THE
| Cheat" The action opens In London
1 nd fhenCH n0qQCq 10 India The 0rfn =