The Washington herald., 1912-12-22

Heart" in which he is starring Laurette
Taylor
Guy Bates Post, who, in THE Bird OF
Paradise" is said to create one of the
most startling metamorphosis of charac-
ter in contemporaneous drama, is keenly
interested in the countrywide movement
for the betterment OF the drama, having
expressed himself optimistically concern
ing the outcome of efforts in this direc-
ton in a recent interview.
The public is beginning to take a
more decided interest in finer things,
he declared. Then again, from the
standpoint of acting, there is a progress
sive tendency; the actor does not have to
play down TO his audience nearly so
much as he did 4 decade ago. Person
ally, I long for the domination Of the
idealistic drama. There has been alto
gether too much on the stage of the
problem play-tOO much of the morbid
and rauCous What we want is more
ideaIism such as is afforded by Maeter-
linck and more of the idealism and
imagery of such writer's as Barrie.
Happiness. and the joy of living.
should run like a skein through the
greater part of our plays. I do not mean
70 say that our plays should be confined
to the ono. hopeful, kind. as the drama
is many sided. but 1t should be the
dominant factor. The tired business
man gets weary Of seeing so much on
the stage that is merely a Photographic
study Of what he sees in real life. The
result is he goes TO musical comedy for
diversion. There is much pleasure, how
ever. to be derived from the encourage
ing attitude of the public toward such
plays as The Blue Bird 'kismct.' and
The Bird Of Paradise
Speaking of The Bird of Paradise
depressed Mr.. Post you may be inter-
ested to know that Eleanor Gates, the
wife of its author Orchard Walton
Tullyl. is going to have a dramatization
of her novel, The Poor Little Rich Girl
produced by Mr.. Hopkins in New York
in the near future, with Laura Nelson
Hall and little Juliet Shelby in the
cast"
In support of Mr.. Posts faith in the
awakening of the public to finer things
in drama-the growth of public demand
for the idealistic and classic in stage
art-comes the news of a meeting held
last week at the residence of Cardinal
Farley in New York City. by those in
terested in the movement for better
drama. which was started by Miss Eliza
Lummis with the aim of uniting the
Catholic laity in the support of reputable
plays and in frOwning down those of
doubtful morality in theme or presenta-
n
meeting that he was assured of Protest.
ant cooperation in the cause. Letters
were read indorsing the project from
number of prominent eCclesiastics, In
Guiding Cardinal Gibbons. A theater is
to be erected in Denver under the aus
pieces of the association, where model
plays and moving picture shows will be
presented. At the meeting praise was
given George c. Tyler's project OF the
children's playhouse at the Century The
ater, New York.
Washington Theaters have kept singu-
'arly close to Mr.. Posts idea Of ideal
ism. happiness, and the joy of life" this
season, there having been Il pleasing
iearth of the eternal triangle" as the
theme of dramas. which have been pre-
sented on local boards iris faH-a happy
situation which is this week climaXed by
four big productions. which stand for
the best there is in several lines of the
atrical production: THE Girl of My
Dreams" at the Columbia; The Per-
picked Husband" at the New National;
THE Bird of Paradise" at the Belasco:
and The Shepherd of the Hills"
dramatization of Harold Bell Wrights
noted novel. at the Academy.