Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-23

" ward the establishment of
IA &~ a national theater along
lNEt.s4zsasazz the lines of the govern
ment institutions of France
and Germany, win round out its first
season in New York. Throwing open
its doors to the public early in Novem-
ber, the last five months have been
fraught with many trials for the pa
latial temple of art which occupies
the entire block from Sixty-seeond
to Sixty-third street Central park
west The history of its inception. the
work which it has accomplished and
the aims which it hopes to realize, all
form an interesting chapter in the his
| tory of dramatic art in the new world.
The New theater was established by
thirty of Americas most representa-
tive business men, and, according to
/ their announcement upon tile occasion
of its dedication, 1t Is intended primar-
lily as an institution of service-to
serve the cause of dramatic art and
so serve the play-going public. Three
million dollars was subscribed to be
used for the theater building and for
the endowment fund Should any prof
its accrue no dividends will be paid,
but a permanent endowment fund will
be created for enlarging the scope of
the enterprise.
w nile numerous enterprises nave
been started in America, mainly in
| New York. looking toward the eleva-
tion of the drama from the CONNER
cial features which now surround II,
the one man to whom most credit Is
given for the crystalliZation of the
ideas and the ideals on which the New
theater has been founded was Helm
rich Conried, who was the director of
the German repertory theater in New
l.. l,tr Dft trnB tod
attention of the directors of the Metro
politan opera house. Herr Conried ac-
complied so much artistically for the
drama of the higher type that in spite
of the fact that he was neither n mu-
sician nor n musical impresario, he
was made director of the Metropoll-
tan opera and gave distinguished SER
vice in that position. White acting
in that capacity he was thrown IN
close contact with the men who have
since become the founders of the in
stitution which now graces Central
park west, and which for the past year
has been the storm center of adula-
tion and of Vituperation. 1t was Herr
Conried who urged the establishment
of such a playhouse along the lines
of the German theater in New York,
but of a much wider and more compre-
hensiVe scope. The fruition of this
golden dream came true several months
after the death of the director. The
brilliant Conried began life as a scene
shifter in the magnificent Hofburg the
ater in Vienna.
BY all odds the handsomest play
house in America. and ranking as one
of the three finest in the world, the
New theater was thrown open to an
invited audience on the afternoon of
November g. 1909, when the dedication
exercises took place. 1t was notable
event. adding dignity and standing to
dramatic art in America. On the stage
were some of the worlds greatest
financiers. while the state of New
York was represented by Governor
Hughes and by Senator Elihu Root.
Johnston Forbes Robertson. probably
the foremost living speaking
actor. read Hamlets Address to the
Players" as the creed of the New the
ater company.
During its first season. which is
nearing its close. the New theater has
produced four classic dranas-"Antony
and Cleopatra" "a Winters Tale'
tTwe1fth Night and "The School for
Scandal" In addition to these John
Galsworthy's "Strife," modern drama
of capital and labor; Edward Sheldon's
"Nigger," a play dealing with the race
question in the south; THE Witch,
having as its theme the Salem witch
craft horrors: "Sister Beatrice" one
of Maurice Maeterlinck's latest works;
the fourth act of lbsen's Brandt"
Rudolph Besier's "Don" and Edward
Knoblaughs 1.-The Cottage in the
Air" have been offered to the public.
In addition to these dramatic works
the Metropolitan opera company has
presented several of the lighter OPERAS.
This is a feature which has been found
Improbable, however, and will be
abandoned next season, although 1t
was originally intended that the New
theater should in a measure be an ad-
iunct of the Metropolitan opera house
where the lighter operas might be pre-
sented in the more favorable sur
roundings of a smaller auditorium.
The triumvirate chosen to direct the
destinies of the New theater is COM
posed of Winthrop Ames of Boston,
director: Lee Shubort, head Of the
Independents Gas opposed to the the
atrical syndicate or trust" in the the
atrical warfare now being waged) as
business manager; and John Corbin,