New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-01

"A nrlQ az
.,v FOR saying that they apply
"a. % amateur MANAGEMENT. The
=. Known houses under experienced
,.s.ional control have been doing
.,, well: some Of them very we'll
che outsiders who fall the men
,borgh perhaps actors, have no
,.,,iligritv with the business side
crofession. who are more useo
..,yjne salaries than 20 paving
4 and who are without adequate
.,-c,s ~ their own. They take the
- produce plays on borrowed
money .,,o o.bo
ves6v 10 risk large sums IN eN-
~er;rents Of this kind There are
,.r.e noblemen who might be named
-, reed not be. All three have been
.,c.rred in one or another Of the un-
~ ventures 81 this season and oil
,ns wear They have gambled IN pay
IA lost They can AFFORD to do TINS
a. :, amuses them. and no s>mpa'hN
,sea be wasted on them. Syno'ca'eS
are alvavs coming into existence ana
Going out Of il. The name OF the o''-
n-ieto- or lessee or manager OF e'Vh
r.nSor theatre has 20 be made puo"O'
;. 4. ,lu.,,s IN be seen on their pro-
cannes. and in their newspaper ad-
,sr,isemeuts. II does not follow that
,hs money is found by these gentlemen
som. NJ them are doing business with
The money Of others. That was Du-
mass definition % business-other peo-
MES money. And. ! suppose. human
4 nature being what II is, that a man
srer NAV sometimes deal more freely
with other peoples money than with
his own.
he may take greater risks. He may
spend more layishly. pay higher sal
ries. and produce his piece with need
less splendor. hoping 20 crafty The
public passion for picture pieces. OF
which some are 10 be seen elsewhere
Than in cinemstograph palaces In
fsny case. 20 IS natural that the anna
teur should 60 10 the wall when he has
10 compete with the trained judgment
Isnd knowledge Of the manager whose
Hfe business II is 20 manage. II Is not
Iryen 10 men % understand the public
taste by guessing Even the experts
make mistakes. and the novices seldom
make anything else.
will take a single Illustration OF
the value Of experience and good judg-
ment. the reproduction Of Sardou's
Diplomacy" at Wyndham Theatre
early this year in its English version.
The play il twenty-five years old. II
| was originally brought out in England
by the Bancrofts The Mr Bancroft
Of those DAYS is now Sir Squire Ban
croft. and Marie Wilton is Lady Ban
. croft 70 had then an immense sue
cess. Both these admirable artists
Mere In their prime and at their best;
and there were others. Who first con-
ceivsd the notion Of putting the play
sssin on the stage ] DO not know. but
Il was arranged between Sir Squire
| Bancroft who has always owned the
/ English rights and Nj Gerald Du
Msurier. the lessee ~ Wyndham
Theatre Popular both &c manager
\ and actor. Sir Squire Bancroft retained
control and collaborated in the new
production.
Wiseacres i'm the profession shook
their heads The piece was out Of
date. There was nobody 10 play Dora.
The public does not like revivals. and
- on. But Mr.. Du Maurier is well
fitted with a part Of that kind. and
competent actors and actresses for the
cast as a whole were not difficult TO
ind The difficulty was Dora, which
had been offered to Miss Marie Lohr-
an ideal Dora had circumstances per-
Eited the ideal 20 become real But
Miss Marie L0hr had 10 absent herself
/ from the stage for some months, and
the part fell to Miss Gladys Cooper.
The piece has been played 10 crowded
| houses ever since. and is now well be-
yond its three-hundredth night Sir
Squire Bancroft. who retired from
management With fortune in 1880
has once more proved the soundness
Of MS capacity and his knowledge OF
what the public wants.
Miss Gladys Cooper had heretofore
|played lighter parts, and Dora de-
mands not only charm but power She
! rose 20 IT, She had ALWAYS the gift OF
winning sympathies. She is. as critic
said Of her appearance al Wyndham's.
"lmpossibly pretty; with q pretty man
ner and is twenty-three years Of age.
scduis1ntc is the word which comes
nearest 10 describing her She PLAYED
Dora adequately all through and rose
well 10 the height Of the great scene
|in tho third act which REQUIRES both
<Dassion and power. She PLAYED II dur
2ng most Of It's run with steadily in
/treasing effect Under an old engage
nent though Diplomacy" is stnl on
the boards. she is now al the Royalty
with Mr. Dennis Eadie In the Pursuit
81 Pamela" In which she is on the
ftsge from first 10 last. To that ex-
betting task also she shows herself now
nore than equal AS an actress and
fs an attraction TO the public she has