The evening world., 1911-12-21
IN AND OUT
/. OF THE
THEATRES
BY

y" ~ 10Y IVY . ID
w worthy Of note that the hand Of
h prompter Ia seen In the Are
place that figures 90 prominently in mos,
o. the plays given by the Irish actors
- Maxine Elliott's Theatre. Sometimes
n hand Is as bare as the setting itself,
1t other times 1t IL merely suggested by
the huttering prompt book" But the
place Is always the same. 1t Is in the
fireplace that the prompter invariably
turks. He apparently never takes to
the wings. Occasionally his voice Is
heard, and 1t sounds for all the world
as though II were coming down out OF
the chimney. This prompter Is more
mysterious than any that ever hid be-
meath a stage hood. What a man he
would be to play our, rapidly approach
Ing friend Santa,
"HE Irish Players may readily be
excused for relying upon a
prompter. because OF the large
number Of plays they crowd into a few
weeks. To my mind they would find II
to their financial advantage to change
the bill less frequently. But they are
evidently guided more by a generous
SplEit W SIc US SNciythihe h hVh
possession than by the commercial in
s,inct that rules the neighborhood In
which they find themselves. Apparently
this ~praiseworthy. spirit Is shared by
1iebler & Company's managing direc-
tor. George c. Tyler. who is to be
thanked for giving novelty-and novelty
marked by intelligence-to a theatrical
season not especially distinguished for
this quality. 1t must be admitted. how
ever. that the changes made by the
irish Players have not always been for
the best.
There Is nothing Of dramatic value.
for example. in FALSELY True a one
act play by Johanna Redmond. produced
hst night with the aid OF the prompter.
It Is merely a little story that leaves
you with a heartache. The boy that
tonnes back to the desolated cottage has
4 hard story to tell his anxious father
and mother. The fate OF those who
went with him to Dublin to Join in the
Emmett rising Is the heavy burden he
brings home with him. Blu worse still
Is the brand Of the "informer" he bears.
When he that he alone was
set free his father stands ready to drive
him out Of the house, but the mother
intervenes and Shaun finally Is heard.
With ''the fever on him. and In the
hons Of getting his wounded brother out
Of prison he had admitted that his COM
rades carried pixies. Then he discovered
his brother to be dead. The others met
their end on h gallows. When the
father realizes that Shaun did not turn
"informer'' to ave himself. he begs aim
to stay. but tho boy cannot bring MN
self to do this and so goes out upon the
road to become a wanderer. The last
glimpse Is Of the broken-hearted mother
with her head buried In her arms and
cy1ng, 'Oh. shaun. Shaun"
2 Miss Sarah Allgood. Fred O"Donovan
and Sydney ]. Morgan brought out the
pathos and bitterness of the play. and
a few moments later Miss Allgood again
proved her versatility by giving her re-
markably fine Characterization or the
misery old woman in THE Building
Fund"
THE success OF Winthrop Am"s
street will depend entirely upon
b~rains-brains OF manage and or aud
iences. 1t remains to be seen whether
there Is u large enough public to sup
port an intellectual luxury of this sort
let US hope so at least. II only Tor the
sake Of those concerned In the house
. that IS to be opened late in February
or early in March. Among the plays
RI be produced are ''The Pigeon a
comedy by John Galsworthy; THE Ter
ride Meek" by c.. Ram Kennedy;
"Anatol," by Arthur Schnitzler; Eurip!-
des' ELECTRA with Edith Wynne Mat
,hison: a dramatization OF Grimm
fairy tale, Snow White" and One
TWO, Three and Out She Goes a sat
irlcal comedy by John 7. Hayes. an
american author who Is to be hearc
from for the first time.
A ND now comes the announcement
~ from the founders OF the forT'ei
New Theatre that they VIII no
build another New Theatre. This help'
20 simplify matters.
THE ordinary musical comedy pro
duction can scarcely expect u
compete with women frst-night
ers II the craze for Oriental effects zoe
any further. Not olomon In all hi
glory, nor the Queen OF Sheba' pro
duced such dazzling effects as those u
be seen In orchestra chairs and boXe
at opening performances. \ qu'etl.
dressed woman these nights Is Amos
as rare as a good play.
~AUu. ORLENEFF, the Russian &c
tor who brought Nine. Nazimovi
to this country, will open a the
atrs In Fourth street next month wit
n production of Ibsen's Brand
~IE HASSAN ABDuSSALAM, In
priest in charge Of the Arabs VIII
- take part In 1.-THE Garden of Allah
at the Century Theatre, says the eat!n
OF camel steaks. as announced In
cable from Paris. Is no new thing \
n matter Of fact. 1t is the custom anon
the tribe of Arabs to which Abdussalar
belongs to enjoy a camel barbecue |
celebration of the Mohammedan Me-
Year. DR.. Potter, the animal man, ha
agreed to provide IA beast for the feas'
IT Is said by those who have sample
the fare thai camel steak, when brolle
a,or a nuisl, fire. hears "A rGmarklDl