The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-26
IS OR IS NOT RICHMOND A HIGH BROW TOWN.
If Its Attendance at the Leading Theatrical Attrac-
tions Is Criterion, Then 1t lsn't.-Maybe
We Don't Know Any Better
~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.
II Richmond gets nothing in the the.
atrical way next season but Uncle
Toms Cabin" and "Peck's Bad Boy" 1t
il its own fault.
Frequently has it been anin,adverted
upon of late-that famous corporars
guard out to the best theatric Offering
of the season.
1t is fact that people say-"noth-
ing good ever comes to this town"
This isn't true
Some very good things come here.
They have been pointed out so in.
sistently-at least in this column
that it isn't worth while to recapitu-
late.
When Mr.. Sommers gave up the
lease of the Gennett, which he had
held for three years, he did so because
he had operated" this theater at a
loss during this entire time and was
tired out with the whole thing
During his regime he had brought
here many of the leading stars and or.
CARNATIONS of the country-including
Otis Skinner. Kyrle Beliew, Mrs. Fiske
J. E. Dodson. James X. Hackett,
Blanche Walsh, Frances Starr and 9th.
ers of their ilk, with a number of com
ic opera and musical comedy stars,
musical organizations and terpsicho.
rean celebrities. among the latter the
Russian Symphony orchestra and the
Russian Imperial Ballet-no better
and much better, than the average city
of it's size.
This year Mr.. Murray has sought to
do as well by the town-but so far the
only thing that paid out" was THE
Girl of My Dreams"-and, be it said
one Of the most delightful and idyllic
of musical comedies.
OF all the other things here this
year not one has paid for the coming
Wednesday night a small audience
greeted the famous Irish Players.
This organization has appeared SC
far in Boston. New York, Philadelphia
Pittsburg, Richmond and Indianapolis
and goes on to Chicago where it stays
for four weeks. going TO one or two
middle western cities before reaching
Chicago where their theater is not
open before the first of February.
Those who see in the Irish Players
nothing but presentation of the peas
ant and middle class life of the coun
try, do not see their dramatic signif.
canoe.
In the three short comedies present
ed here were embodied some Of the
most profound and subtle social
truths.
They were not Irish traits, qualities,
manifestations-but those of humani.
ty.
Through the perfect presentation OF
insularity, universality in effect was
achieved.
Through a provincial setting, life in
its catholicity was pictured.
Through the depletion of a limited
emotional scale was heard the cry OF
the world.
And this would not have been SO, II
the art which impinged 1t before the
vision had not been SO flawless.
This is dramatic art in its apogee.
All those critics Of the contempora
neous stage should have been present
at the performance. Especially those
of the stages manifestation in Rich
mond.
Here was an opportunity to see the
representatives of a dramatic and lit
erary movement that has attracted at
tention on two continents. The papers
the magazines, every printed rag o.
publicity has been full of it. Ignorance
or it on the part of the average intel
ligent, educated citizen seems unpar
donable, and, indeed, impossible.
That crassness which is suspicious
of every theatric offering" that comes
to town thinking that it could not pos
sibly be "originar is an evidence o.
certain unsophistication.
While it is true the public is handed
out many theatric gold bricks it is, IL
the end, the peoples. own fault. II the!
demand the genuine-and knew tht
genuine when they saw 1t, or knew i
without seeing 1.-THE spurious woult
not so often he foisted on them.
The trouble is people are always try
ing to get bargains in amusements a,
we'll as in merchandise.