New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-15
THE "IDEALIST" MANAGER
Gertrude Kingston Manager Of the Little Theatre,
Reveals in an Interview the Theories That
Have Won Artistic London

Captain BrassbOuuIs Conversion by
Bernard shaw is now drawing crowded
houses 10 the theatre. ana tc emphasize
her point Miss Kingston said there were
fourteen men and only one WOman-her-
self-m the cast.
IAN the men, she remarked. are ex-
perienced actors. who have acquired their
art from patience and endurance n their
studies. The school of prolonged expert
cnce has been their training There is no
short road 10 being q good artist Il IS
a business that must he thoroughly
learned, and that is why. iu this age Of
youth and uncolorcd limitations ri the
real art. that the public, or q very large
part Of #. have become nauseated with
the musical comedy and the airily
clothed 'nappers' upon which the producer
largely relies for his success.
Another point of importance TO the
theatre to-day" Miss. Kingston contin-
ucd." is the fact that the London man
ayers have allowed the music halls 70
eucroach upon their business to AN i'm
possible extent Had 7 been "a manager
wears ago ] should have prosecuted IN
the courts the producer OF the very first
stage play that was ever put ON the
music halls But the opportunity went
by and / have now taken the only chance
left. ana have secured "a music hall IL
ccnsc for the Little Theatre SO that any
thing / wish can. Doe staged there In
this respect the Little Theatre has a dis
tinct advantage over all the other the
aires in London"
Miss Kingston manages all tho anairs
of the theatre ana It's plays. and pHdeS
herself upon the fact that in lighting
equipment. at least. the Little Theatre -
far in advance of any competing house.
The elaborate lighting installation on the
stage dispenscs altogether with back
cloths and gives an effect Of space ar
and open atmosphere iu very smah
area.
"Of course" she remarked. with almost
brutal candor. no other theatre in Lon
don has this simply because they are
! too supine TO bother about it,
ON the subject of modern playwriuns
Miss Kingston was emphat, I'm ASSERTING
that there are infinitely more sood PLAYS
written nowadays than there used TO Dr..
when / say good plays she observed
| by way Of qualification. II do not mean
| TO judge 10y the box office receipts, DuI
merely from the point of view OF clever
| intelligent work Women are writing eN-
| traordinarily good stun. and there Is .
whole band of young men dramatists now
| in the field. Many of the plays suoniueu
| to ME are from quite unknown people
but in many OF them there is evidence %
ability of the highest order which N'
periencc will develop.
| when / was I'm New York a year OF !"
ago 1 learned there was also the SAM
fertile field there. and We are seeing e'''
dencc of IL every day in the growing W
| terchange OF plays between the two couif
tries. But the sooner the managers
alize the advisability of using the AMER
| can players for the play with the pure,
local American atmosphere the better "
| will be. Good plays have come 10
here and have failed simply because Wv
| English cast could not feel what '"s
author intended to portray.
| Social ethics are so entirely dih'I..,
in America to. what they are mere 'Hs'
| the English actor does not uhdel go
He may be great in his English onaiSs
tiers. but he cannot understand the -
culiar atmosphere and snap. the sa'"ss,
please understand. | use IT IN the ST.
that il is somewhat primitive. as lO.,
pared with our notiOus-of the AiI'el.'-
play. Ii the American play falls III hps
land il is the producers fault II they ~. a.
upon English actors and actresses "
things they do not understand.
There is essentially difference
tween things American and things i- 30
Iish." Miss Kingston concluded, ana "a !,
notice il in the fact that everyooos
New York is out to work, while eve.
body here is out to play Nobody van
to work a minute longer than Is he''. !,
sary here, where the young men 'd'e !,
golf and motoring In their leisure "'s "a
and not Of money and stocks as thes Az, "a
IN America as shown in a play
Ready Money"