New-York tribune., 1910-12-18
THE PLAYGOER
The New Theatre: Will 1t Ever
Fulfil Its Promise?


person who has survived their per-
formance But however you look at the
matter you will agree that announce
rsents from The New Theatre are no
LONGER read with much interest and that
they no longer contain any element OF
surprise. For time they Were sur
prising because they few SO far from
the ideals which the management had
avowed: and before that they were in
teresting because they promised SO
much But the promises have turned
into disappointments, and anything may
happen now, in announcement at any
rate, without anybody turning a hair.
Some of US have been disposed to
speak gently Of the disappointments
which The New Theatre has caused even
it's persistent wellwishers to suffer;
have exercised great patience under af-
fiction; have spoken the word of en-
coura cement rather than of chiding, and
all because the hope was cherished that
the notes would be met. But it is high
time now to exact some sort of compost
ton by way Of redemption of the artistic
issue so long held by the trustful.
II you ask what The New Theatre has
done for the repertory idea, echo viii
answer "What?' If you ask what The
New Theatre has done, intends to do, or
can, by any zeal and skin it may pos
sess. get done for the art of acting. echo
will have scarcely the strength to answer
WHAT If YOU ask what The New
Theatre has contributed to dramatic art
in America, even echo can do nothing for
you; the reply you must also furnish,
and to this effect: "Only a magnificent
building which was not needed
The greet enterprise (for in its scope
the enterprise was great was begun at
the wrong end. Instead of acquiring an
existing theatre. or erecting compara-
lively simple one OF moderate size (the
Theatre Francais. by the way, seats
only Loo persons), the projectors built
gorgeous grand opera house: and pro-
V1oed for everything. il would seem, ex-
cept acting and a reasonable assurance
Of plays suitable for the principal roper
tory thee ire in the English sDeaking
world An undertaking Of great pith
and moment, nlagnificently heralded and
financed, finds itself at the close of its
nrsf twelve months still in state of
conspicuous anateurishness steadily
diminishing ia glory.
1t is not a pleasant duty to sneak thus
Of an undertaking from which so much
had been expected and which might have
rendered so much real service, 10 the art
1t was intended TO serve. But as the
1acts are now staring every one in the
lace 1t is OF no use to blink them 1t
may even be conceded that the mistakes
Of the first season We're not serious If
was reasonable TO suppose that they
would be corrected, certainly not re-
Deated, in the second season. TTnfort1,-
hateiy, they have not beet, corrected.
ana they have been repeated and nuI-
npiied- Moreover, in this second season
The New Theatre has departed so far
from what should have been A settIes
policy that the question naturally arises
Has it given up the fight?
discovering serious gaps in its p,ena,,a
bohs, this house has been compelled to
call IN outsiders to fill the otherwise
blank spaces. The effect in each casa
has been to emphasize anew the weak
ness Of the esta1 lishment itself ifs mol
r1aa
house is so far from living up to its
Aelenslons as a repertory theatre that
it seems to make no effort to iustifv
its claims when, through any of the mis-
Chances Of the theatrical calling. If IS
forced to sudden change of programme
Twice this season, twice. indeed. within
TWO months. its company has been sent
cut ION the road" because the manage
fnent was not prepared to stage its own
attractions within its own walls. In
CANADA Its actors gave their first per-
forlnances Of The Merry Wives of
Nindsor,'h and The Thunderbolt." On
their return The Blue Bird" which had
been put on as a purely speculative
venture, after the fashion Of any "con-
naeTcial' management, and for which
an outside company had been engaged
was transferred to another theatre, in
stead Of being held in repertory." This
play is at this moment eT,joying a run
on the stoutest commercial principles
After three or four weeks on their own
boards the actors of the regular COM
pary We're again sent forth on tour. Ac-
cording TO schedule a new bill had to be
provided The selected play, on a (r,et)
Indian theme, was not ready for per-
formance, and so q sensational actress,
managed by the management's com
. rnsrciaP' ally, was called in to hold the
stage until something better could be
found
The something better, or something
; just as good turns out to be. of all
things in the world, a revival of "Old
Reidelberg,' Why should .'O1d Heidel-
berg be put on at The New Theatre?
why should the actors Of this "reper-
tory house have been driven forth in
order that Miss Nethersole and her
troupe might appear in Mary Magda-
lene"? What is the relation Of all this
10 the purpose for which The New Thea
ire is supposed to exist?
But IL all this were not sufficient to
bring despair to those who have hoped
that The New Theatre would make not
only a more persistent but more intel
ligent effort TO live up TO the pretensions
with which it boldly started the latest
announcement would dash further hope.
Marie Tempest is TO appear there as
Becky Sharp in an adaptation OF Van
ity Fair which was produced by, or