The Washington herald., 1911-12-24

New York. Dec. 23.-The midsea son halt
that Christmas annually calls upon the
world of drama has brought New York
managers face to face with a RETROSPECT
tive pcrusal of the season of 1911. Their
recapitulation will be anything but pleas
ant and mOans from actors and pro-
ducers alike will mingle with the cries
of Merry Christmas" that will sweep
the land on Monday.
1t was not so many years ago that
Daniel Frohman saw the handwriting
on the wall and addressed words of wis
dom to an unappreCiative audience
cleaned from the leading lights of the
profession. Said Frohman: The drama
m this country, more than ever before
and more than anywhere else on earth,
is in a position OF absolute jeopardy.
Speculative theater building, instead of
having run its limit is increasing and
its effect can only be to drag down the
art which the theater is supposed to
foster
Greeted with ScOrn.
At that time his words were greeted
with silence or scornful innuendo anent
his perspicacitv. And it was not until
his hearers bn,-ent their individual Isl1
Christmas turkeys and reviewed the bank
roll that their truth struck home.
New York is conceded to BE- the most
prosperous city on the theatrical map,
and is viewed in the light OF a barometer
by the profession, yet. despite the tact
that the season OF 1911 has unearthed
more "successoo' than ever before, 1t has
heen the most unsuccessful, financially,
in the history of the New York stage.
And New York is not alone in feeling
$ifc pinch of the patrons remiss in at
.endance. From every tank station and
One-night stand throughout the land
where played in New York is supposed
20 influence the box Office receipts, road
managers report the first semester of
the 1911 season as far below the average.
Their reports are amply borne out by the
actor folk upon the Rialto. whose frayed
neckwear awaits the usual Christmas re-
iUvenation and whose empty pockets
damn the holidays and look with longing
upon the latter part of the Season"
One does not have to delve deeply into
facts to find a reason for the slump.
There are <orty producing tneaters in
New York and SO far this Year over
eighty-fve plays have had their pre-
miere, while twenty-three past successes
have been revived. This leaves about
forty plays upon the New York boards
that have passed the trial by fire and
are ensconced more or less firmly in that
throne OF popularity erected by the the
ater patrons.
New Crop of Writer'S.
1t also means that the metropolis,
the Mecca of vernal authors, has pro-
duced a crop of new theatrical writer's,
whose attempts to supply the growing
demand for entertainment have found |
favor with needy producers, if not with |
the public. These plays have either
found immediate success or have gone
the long road OF one and two night |
stands. neatly labeled New York sue
cesses."
This surfeit of mediocre shows To-
Eether with the myriad forms OF CHEAP |
entertainment-movin pictures with |
an interspersion OF vaudeville-that |
has sprung into being in the smaller |
cities, is to blame for the situation in |
the Pu.sl districts.
In New York itself a curious plant |
is heard. Business is bad" saw the
managers. because there have been
too many successes"
Success" and bad business" seem
to be used in a paradoxical sense:
what is meant is that New York's |
theaters have become so numerous that |
there Is not enough patronage to go |
around, and that mediocre success dis
trtbuted among so many theaters. has
scaled down the receipts to a deRree
where only success" in capital letters
will keep a queue before the box
ofices
FROM the STANDPOINT OF the casual
the6tsTg0er, he who chooses his EN-
tertainment wisely, the season OF 1911
as far as It has progressed has been
eminenuy satisfactory. He has had
opportunity to witness plays that will
live for years "on the road" and that
without purchasing his tickets weeks
in advance, or submitting to the rake
off, of the speculation pirates. Four
months that have yielded "Bunty Pulls
the Strings The Return of Peter
Grim" Bought and Paid For" Pas
sers-by." The Woman" "KindlinE."
and "Disrseli" have not been spent in
vain.
Musical shows Good.
Then there have been other profit
able light entertainments, such as
The Million" The Siren," The
Quaker Girl" and The Enchantress,"
10 say nothing of such opulent spec
tacles as Around the World" and
Ihe Garden. of Allah" shows whose
beauty OF pageantry and scene will live
IN tne memories of all who have wit
messed them. Some have found a
source Of satisfaction In the Drama
Players and Lady GreEory's Irish COM
pany, ana vast numbers 10 wbom
BroadWay attractions are not attractive
at all have sat gratefully before an
shrine OF 2. II Sotberr | p
~1d julia Marlowe, at the Manhattan.