Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-03
{ snnrial corresnnndcnce.l

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" ONDON, Nov. 19-Once more the
great variety sketch" question
has burst forth, In II iierccr and
more virulent form than ever. To
you. on the other side, the position here
doubtless seems the most absurd and
Illogical in the world. Why, you doubt
less ask yourselves, should n onc-act
play not be performed on the vaude-
vile as freely as on the regular
stage? In England our wonderful and
altogether amazing licensing system
forbids it. But by n totally Illegal
agreement between theatrical and mu-
sic hall managers the law is cvaded at
every point and every turn This
agreement stipulates that no sketch"
shall in performance exceed 30 minutes
or contain more than six speaking
characters. Again and again its con-
ditions are deled by the production of
pieces far beyond the limits indicated
and the fact Is allowed to pass unno-
ticed. Sarah Bernhard, for instance,
exceeded the prescribed time when she
presented the second act of "L'Aglon"
at the Coliseum and not n voice was
raised against the measure. But sarah
Is Sarah. Others are not always so
fortunate as she. a fortnight ago Scy-
mour Hicks gave ut the Coliseum an
abridged version OF the last act of
Shakcspeares Richard III" 1t was
Il splendid production and, counting SUI
pcrs, his company numbered 100 peo-
pie. The piece played exactly IS min
utes, or eight minutes in excess OF the
authorized time limit. The fact did not
escape the attention of the Theatrical
Managers association. of which Beer
bohm Tree Is president. From the so
licitors OF that body Hicks has just
received n letter saying that an injunc-
ton will at once be applied for and
damages demanded unless he at once
brings Orchard III" within the COM
pass agreed upon. For a long time
Tree and Hicks have been spelling for a
fight and now it looks as if we were to
have one worth watching.
Hicks Of course Is furious partiCu-
larly because he finds his hands tied
just at tho moment when he most
wants to use them. Flo has turned to
Oswald Stoll for help and Oswald Stoll
only replies that within Il week from
now he has to face the London county
council with request that they snail
license the five new vaudeville houses
he is going to build in the suburbs,
and that in all probability they would
refuse his demands were he TO appro1ch
them in Il contumacious mood. So he.
to SUIT ms OWL PURPOSES, 10 tii Ipi ~
policy of Cancellation. Now some time
ago Hicks registered mighty oath,
and unuckily made It public, that II his
Orchard III" was lnterfered with lie
would ring down the curtain exactly
on the half hour, present himself be-
fore the audience and explain to them
why he had been compelled to take
such Il drastic step. Or, rs an alterna-
tive. he would withdraw the piece en-
tirely and so throw $50 people out Of
cmpiovmcnt lust before Christmas. To
neither proposal will Stoll agree. how
ever and Hicks consequently finds HIM
self in the rather humiliating position
of having to eat his own words and
accept the bidding of the Theatrical
Managers association. BE sure he Is
not at all pleased by the prospect and
his one ambition Is now to get even
with Tree who, he declares. although
as I happen to know, enormously, is
at the bottom Of the whole thing.
Personally. can quite understand
why the Theatrical Managers assocla-
ton should have taken action. After
all, it has right on its side, although
common sensehis wholly against the
present preposterous state of affairs
Still right Is right, and until Parlia-
mcnt finds time to legislatc on the sub
1cCt III IL spirit VI Tree lHlliSS
must go on as thoy are. Hicks 1t must
be remembered, particularly with so
influential and wealthy a man as Stoli
behind him. makes n very formidable
rival to managers upon whose domains
he is constantly poaching. This very
week he announced that lie is preparing
a version in five scenes Of Schiilcr's
Joan OF Arc" for his wife, Ellalne
Tcrriss. and that it is to be produced
on q most elaborate and sumptuous
scale ut the Coliseum after Christmas.
Now It is worth remembering that Tree
long ago announced publicly that Louis
~ Parker had specially written for him
a Joan OF Arc play while. Of course,
there is the piece in which Maude
Adams has appeared. under Charles |
Frnhmans management as the famous |
Maid Of Orleans. AS you may imagine
all this is distinctly CALLING to managers |
who find their ideas anticipated and |
their plans upset,
Yesterday Tree announced that he |
would follow Henry VIII" at His |
Majcsty's with II notable revival OF |
Macbeth" Chatting with Hicks n few |
hours later. he boldly declared to me |
that Just to spite Tree he would put |