New-York tribune., 1912-04-14
THE PLAYGOER
The Sagging Season Brings Its
Reflections - Managers,
Theatres and Plays.

Manager A, Of New York, says that
Chicago Is "a great producing centre for
plays" in which case you wonder why
he doesn't encourage the building of
theatres there and incidentally aid in
preventing in our own packed island an
oversupply Of playhouses. Manager b,
also Of New York is reported as saying
that Chicago IS not of much account as
a producing centre" and that scarcely
sny plays this season have succeeded
there Manager c, also Of New York,
says that "Chicago's verdict on play
has as much influence on the road as
New York's verdict" Manager d de-
clares that without New York's indorse-
rnent play cannot succeed on the road
All these various and agreeable opinions
have been published during the week as
they have been published before. Man
ayers, It Is observed again, have as many
opinions on business policy as critics
have about plays.
The season says, so far at least, as
new productions are concerned. although,
20 be sure Charles Hawtrey and Charles
Brookfed arrive to add spice to its last
month Just why the facile Brookfeld
comes, or is announced for the spring
excursion is not clear. Has the business
of the censorship in London fallen off
suddenly? Has the population of Great
Britain ceased from its habit Of play
writing? Would that the millions of
play writer's In America might follow the
a. 1.F
Brookfeld bring trunk filed with
manuscripts? Nothing has ever been
known to disconcert Mr.. Loeb's men.
They will find way TO charge a duty
on the stock of paper If nothing more.
The week has passed without an an
nouncement of another new theatre.
Sadness must brood over the building
trades, which have of late been sustained
with stout hopes and contracts. If we
cannot look forward to one new theatre
a week what will become Of art Chicago
and the allied industries? Chicago"
Manager f said recently in an interview,
demands New York's approval before it
will support anything but melodrama.'
g. Observe again the difference of opinion
something must be done to save Chicago
and its suburbs-the forty-eight states
There is peril indeed. If no more new
theatres are to be built this year in the
glittering regions Of Long Acre. For the
one reason given when all the activity
in theatre building is questioned comes
to this: plays won't attract on the road
without New Yorks approval, and we
must have more theatres in New York
TO win our chance for the road" A Gym
ical person might add, And even with
New York's approval the plays won't at
tract" But the case as explained by the
promoters Of new theatres is plainly
stated. If the statement Is based on
superstition, treason or good business,
Chicago and other outlying realms must
make the most Of it. Managers A, B, c,
D, E and their coadjutors have spoken.
You can read the interviews and take
your choice. At the pace now set the
time will come soon when not only every
manager but every playwright will have
q theatre in New York and trading
stamps will be given with every ticket.
Why should the gentlemen engaged so
busily in the work Of encumbering New
York with new theatres deplore the
scarcity of real plays and real actors?
Why should they raise the familiar wall
that the theatrical business is q gamble?
The most persistent contributors to the
conditions have been and are the gentle
men who crowd the town with theatres
and pour productions" upon the stage.
Their notion seems to be that the world
is divided into three -playwrights,
actors and audiences. Keep them all
busy and the trade will prosper.
The playwrights are busy enough
alas too busy Their ink foods the con-
tinent The actors are busy, either in
attempting 10 embody the playwrights'
dreams Of living creatures or in seeking
engagements. The audiences are by no
means as busy as they were. They find
more and more diversion outside the
theatres. It is not unnatural to suppose
that the trade would be more prosper
Gus if the audiences were busy in the
places where audiences are supposed
to be.
But the public has no interest in the
theatrical business. And it has no in
terest whatever in dramatic art If a
"good thing that it can recognize