The Washington herald., 1911-03-14
THE BELASCO.
Thomas A. Wise in "An Old New
Yorker"

Yorker
William A. Brady is a remarkably able
stage director and producing manager.
He has numberleSs successes to his
credit and an approximately equal num-
Der of failures on the debit side of his
managerial ledger. One of his eccen-
tricities is to put plays on the stage
in chaotic shape and to profit by Obser-
walton of a large number of paying audi
ences at what are virtually dress rehears-
ais. In this way he learns what to re-
ject, what to tone down, what to build
UP, and what to insert 1t is an ex-
pensivc way of conducting rehearsals, for
the earlier audiences are almost certain
to be small. and, of course. salaries must
be paid when the regular rchcarsals cease
and so-called performances begin. Then,
too, it is unfair in a way to the theater
in which these trying-Out performances
are held, and in the case of Washington
an insult, unintentOnal perhaps to the
intelligence Of our theatergOers.
An Old New Yorker" for instance,
vas given its first public hearing at the
BeIascO last evening. The audience was
OF fatterinG dimensions, and representa-
tive OF the best Washington affords in
culture and brains. Genial, lovabe old
Tom Wise, who charmed us all SO well
in "A Gentleman from Mississippi" was
the magnet that drew this most amiable
asScnbIaEc. Every one hoped for another
'GenIeman from" &c. and. in sense,
they were not disappointed. for when Mr..
Brady'S labOrS as stage director are ended
this new product of the collaboration of
Mr Wise and Harrison Rhodes should
prove a worthy successor to their earlier
effort.
Mr. Brady should not, however, have
confused the discriminating intelligence
of Washington with the doubtful taste of
some one-niEht stand factory town, and
offered US so unfinished product as this
excellent comedy-to-be of New York life.
For it is not to be doubted that Mr..
Brady knows a completed play and pro-
ductiOn when he sees one, and to think
that he is satisfied with An Old New
Yorker" as it stands would be as insult
ing to his professional acumen as is his
disregard of the feelings of Washington
playgoers
An Old New Yorker" tells the story
of the conflict between old-time business
methods when business was the pursuit
of gentlemen" and modern cut throat
commerciaIIsm. II presents a quaint ar
ray of delicious types OF real New York
ers-the kind of New Workers who live
in the fine old houses around Washington
Square, and whose names seldom appear
in the newspapers. Mr.. Wise has a
tSilOr-made role that fits him to perfeC-
ton. but the main thread Of the narra-
tive is So knoUted and twisted and anti
climax follows anti-CIimaX with such
bewildering rapidIty that toward the end
one begins to wonder what it is all about
and to hope that 1t won't be much longer
about 1t.
One does not expect a finished perform
anCc on a first night, or during a tirst
week, but the theatergoer of enough eXpe-
ricnCe and perception to know play from
a moving picture, and who pays s. a seat
for the privilege of expressing his choice
between the two. is entitled to carefully
pruned and polished acting version of the
original manuscript. at least
The performance last night ran until
well after II o'clock. Or. rather it
walked most of the way, and on sew
eraI occasions. particularly in the home
stretch, limped painfully. The cor
reCtive processes for this sort OF dra-
matte ailment can all be applied at
ordinary rchearsals. No producer of
Mr.. Brady'S experience could fail to |
sec how much Of the third and fourth !
acts Of the comedy could be cut out al !
together in order to weld the two into |
one. It should not require the test OF |
a public performance to make the need |
Of such specific remedies apparent. To |
force the diagnosis upon WashinEton's |
theatergoers is a slight that will not |
be forgotten easily.
When An Old New Yorker is pre- |
sented in New York it viii hardly be |
recoC oCnized by any one in last evenings |
audience-that is, if it IS to be the sue |
cessful play that it should be Until |
then, it scarcely deserves detailed criti- |
"iSm.
Among the members Of the company