The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-08
English Theatrical Manager Starts the
People Talking About His Pro-
duction and Gathers
in Money.
IS REAL SHAKESPEARE
Decorations Used Instead of Scenery
and Regular Talk Of Elizabethan
Era is Used
In II

LBy Ed. l.. Keen, London correspon-
dent of the United Press.
LONDON. December 7.--Granville
Barker, England's youngest, brightest
and most up-todate actor-manager,
has been grievously shocking the
staid old play goers of London in gem
eral, and the critics in particular. Or,
perhaps he has just been having fun
with them. Never governed by ortbo-
dox methods of production, it is con-
ceded by all that this young man has
completely outclassed his previous
i efforts. in the unconventional version
1 Of "The Winters Tale" which he is
now putting on at the Savoy theatre.
1t Is in two acts, has what the pro
Queer calls decoration" instead of
/ scenery, and costumes that look as 1t
they might have been designed by
| Beardsley. The production has been
variously denounced by the critics az
''Barkerized Shakespeare Shakes.
peare after the new German art" and
Shakespeare in a hurry" with lib
eral sprinkling of such adjectives as
freakish, whimsical, discordant, etc
All OF which has naturally piqued the
public curiosity, and hasn't worried
Barker at all It's the best money
maker he ever launched.
Only 35 years of age, Barker hat
already given the British stage a mum
Der of iolts during his brief manager
ial career. Essentially hustler III
+ is always digging up new ideas. Re
, CARELESS of the reputation or lack o
. reputation of the author. he will TAX
!, chances on any new play that is inter
esting, actable and stageable-provid
ed it is unique. He 1T was who, II
conjunction with j. e. Vedrenne, frs
had the temerity to produce Georg
y Bernard Shaw's much discussed play
like Candida Arms and the Man,
etc, after all the leading manager
3 hid passed them UP as being to
risque. G. B. S. frankly admits hi
debt of gratitude to Barker. So d
other hitherto obscure authors VIII
dared to stray from the conventions
fields of playwriting.
One secret of Bankers success
! his knack of grasping and improvin
: :, on other mems ideas, even before tn
originators have appreciated the
value. Its real pleasure to ste;
from you.' he once told Gordo
), Craig.
In his rendition of THE Winter
:, Tale" Barker has broken entirel
\ new ground. or rather, as he himse
= puts it. he has simply reverted to til
J. original Elizabethan methods.
It Shakespeare did not use elabora
n scenery he declares in defending til
e. onslaughts on his decoration, &
ID why should we supply tip" One pa
a. tioularly dyspeptic critic says that IL
IS stuff Barker uses instead of scenel
le might have been built out of box
e. bricks by his three-year-old chill
lie EITHER you want to see the play
8. Shakespeare, or you do not" explain
Barker. 81 am giving you the re
Shakespeare My decoration. like HI
Y is simple and straightforward, al
honest Granted you want to 81
the play as a play and not mere
y utilize it as the vehicle of a pagear
there ia no other way OF doing It. :
In reply to the charge that his oh;
acters gable through their lin
- too quickly, Barker retorts that TIL
are talking Elzabethan, Just as tn
should, and that the fault, if any
with the listener Some folks see
To think that you should spell it o,
-. cat, cat, or bat, bat, and IL tn
. don't get 1t the first time they wa
you to repeat IT," he says. TTr,
Elizabethan English is full OF FAINT
tic elipses and queer metaphors. /
=, | cans retard the play for the bel
- fit OF the few stupid fellows who
elected to bring their dictionar
along.
nc Although 1t is too soon to pred
al. the ultimate success of Barker's
forts to educate the London public
W his ohhheSpedie"h iuSaio, ~ IA
fact that the Savoy is crowded mig
~ ly by those who are eager to see a
on hear what he expects them to lea
Barker himself, who quit acting WI
he became a successful producer
not in the east.
an Since early childhood Barker
IRE been connected with the stage.
der the tutelage of his mother, W