The Washington herald., 1911-05-21

New York, May 20.-With the approach
Of summer and the passing of spring
New York is in the throes of the theatri-
cal lethargy which annually marks this
period of the Thespian year when
naught survives the early heat of spring
but assured successes and when the tide
of summer pleasure-seekers has not set
in strong enough to create the demand
that will bring to the front the usual
host OF light summer shows.
The week has brought forth little other
than the promise of better times in the
opening of the Brighton Beach Theater
and the hearty disapprobation manifest
ed by a watchful public for a mediocre
performance of Kvapil's The Clouds"
"The Clouds
The Clouds is a drama OF Jaroslav
kapil. a Bohemian, translated by
Charles Recht and arranged for the
stage by Charles Swickard, who seized
upon the worthy Julius Hopp at a mo-
ment when perspicaCity was on a vaca-
ton, made a big talk about the "uplift
of the drama" &c, and prevailed upon
him to present the play to heat-ridden
and suffering New York. The play itself
consists of three acts of dialogue be-
tween Harry l. Fisher. playing Andreas
Kocian, a doubling theological student,
and Sara Biala, cast as Maria Zeman,
an actress from the giddy world of Pa
risian drama, who with true femininity
insists upon PRONUNCIATION of her phi
losophy of temporal existence to the
point of boring aer audience and sowing
the seed of discomfort in the verdant
theologians mind.
The play is idyllic in character and is
supposed to typify the direction in which
the aspiration Of men and women should
turn, but the action of the piece is so
sluggish that at the end of its three acts
the characters are iii about the same po-
sition that they held when the orchestra
heralded the first curtain. This feat re-
quires no little ingenuity on the part of
the author, who, it may be said, not
only accomplished il with brilliancy but
also injected a somnolency of diction
that soothes the audience even as the
droning of bees and keeps II passively
sitting out the whole three acts.
Mr.. Hopp's failure to get across with
The Clouds" aside from the coincidence
which failure always brings forth, marks
al least a temporary setback in a scheme
of production that had within its scope
the American PRONUNCIATION and acting
of some OF the greatest masterpieces of
European dramatic art. 1t was Mr..
Hopps intention to place before the
American public a series of plays that
embodied dramatic masterpieces from all
foreign countries. and no doubt had he
been more fortunate in his selection
would have been the means of setting a
new standard in theatrical circles. The
Clouds could never be dramatic in any
form, and the only apparent excuse for
the translation of this mediocre specimen
"a ma &c q nm nnrft unit
gives Sara BiaIa to show the progress
she has made since her earlier appear
Rnce before the public.
The New Brighton Theater.
Though floods of visitors have for
weeks past deluged the various seaside
resorts in and about New York. bringing
to their weather-worn streets and build
ings a semblance of summer IL re-
manned for Coney Island to manifest the
signs that inevitably accompany a sum-
mer awakening. First and foremost OF
these Is the annual opening of the
Brighton Beach Theater. Then follow.
In order Of their Importance, the press
agent yarns anent perilous lion hunts |
among the stately buildings of the |
amusement park, the advent OF the hot
dog man, and the appearance of the |
bold bather who disports himself among |
the icy breakers, greatly to the delight |
OF admiring thousands.
Therefore to review the situation we
take great pleasure in announcing that |
the Brighton Beach Theater opened this |
week with q summer bill consisting of |
dramatic salad composed Of pretty
women with few clothes, sketches war
ranted to, create thirst. and songs that |
will be soon be found in the Sunday sup |
piements Of the metropolitan dailies That |
TWO hons. according to the press agents, |
are now at large IN the various amuse- |