The Washington herald., 1914-05-17
Mem York Dramatic Season
Has Simply Petered Out
BIZ yAMEs s. MErCALFE.

New York, May ls-No blaze of glory
marks this seasons end. For reasons Il
be mentioned it has simply petered out
There doesn't seem to be enough man
agerial energy and ambition left to make
even the usual spring revivals and try
outs for summer runs. Even Col. Billy
Brady. the most persistent Of theatrical
resurrectionists, seems to have made uI
his mind that this is not good spring
In which to dig up some past success and
put it over on the public with an al
star" cast.
An Old One Of Sardou.
Mr.. Charles Frohman is the only one
who appears to believe that the public
has a few dollars left to expend on the
theater and his belief takes the form OF
bringing out Sardou's early comedy The
Scrap of Paper with Uncle John Drew
and Niece Ethel Barrymore in the lead
ing parts of Prosper and Suzanne.
"A Scrap of Paper" was called 'Pattes
Ges Mouches" in the original, and Is more
than half a century old. In this country
it has been more a favorite with amateur
players than with professionals, although
the old Wallack companies and. later on,
the kendals made 1t fairly familiar TO
the generation of theatergoers ahead OF
this one. Mr.. Frohman was wise to put
1t on for only a short run. for even with
the drawing powers of the related CO.
stars it is doubtful, very doubtful, that
this comedy. brilliant in many OF its
scenes, but burdened with soliloquies and
other old-fashioned devices Of the drama
tist could long attract public that has
been educated to modern stage realism.
Ii Is full OF the ingenious complications
at which the French are so adept in the
construction of farcical comedy, and even
today's audiences may delight in the
fencing over the scrap of compromising
paper that furnishes the English version
with its title and provides the basis Of
the plot The recurrent soliloquies.
though, halt the interest and are to this
impatient generation one Of the most I'M
pleasant signs of age in a play.
The acting of the piece is excellent
comedy spirit. Mr.. John Drew finds him.
self back in something like the old Daily
atmosphere where in roles similar to that
of the present Prosper Couramont he
drew his first breath, of a metropolitan
success which has since become CONT
mental There's no profit in trying to be
exact about Mr.. Drew's age, but it Is
certainly wonderful the way in which he
has preserved his youthful appearance
and spirit. Ethel Barrymore might, so
far as appearances go, be his immediate
contemporary instead of a very much
younger niece. She is vivacious in the
role of Suzanne and in the main salts
factory, but there are possibilities in the
character of the clever Parisienne that
she does not touch. The supporting
is well chosen, including Mr..
Charles Dalton, as the jealous husband;
Fuller Mellish, Ernest Glendin-
ming and Mines. Jeffreys Lewis, Mary
Boland, and that queen of elderly gentle
Mrs. Thomas Whiffen.
This production OF "A Scrap of Pa
per- is virtually our only spring novelty.
If novelty il can be called. 1t is worthy
of note as for the first time bringing
Mr.. John Drew and his niece together as
co-stars, and because II gives this gen.
Grafton a chance to Judge what was prac-
tically the first OF Victorien Sardou's sue
cesses.
Cause. Of Spring Inactivity.
There are several minor reasons for
the apparent indifference of managers
toward making new ventures just at
present. Principal of these in most cases
Is, the depleted condition of their pocket
books. To a very few of them the sea-
son has been good in the way of profits,
but most of them are looking forward
TO the summer not as a period of rest
and recreation, but as time of anxiety
as to what is to become of them and
their business The two main causes q
the present conditions, they will all
agree. is the moving pictures and the
iancing craze.
The cheapness of the pictures and the
rast improvement in their attractiveness,
oGether with the fact that now they may
De seen in theaters the equals of any
n town, is perhaps the strongest factor.
What young man of decently economical
Instincts is going to pay s., the virtual
lrice of good seats, to take his young
woman TO an acting play, when for the
anne money he may take her to the very
pest seats at five moving picture plays
n surroundings the same as in any first
lass theater. Or, IL he be of tickle
urn, for that sum he may take five diff |
picture show. And the hand holding pos |
abilities at a movie" are far superior |
o those at a regular theater.
The dancing craze is also a potent |
with the theater for the |
money of the public. The money neces- |
AIRY for one evening at the play under !
he present tariff is sufficient to buy the |
accessories for considerably more than |
ne evening of the tango. ma-ixe ana
'ne-step. Five dollars buys a quantity
f the soft and other drinks, even in
rst-rate places. which purchases are the
consideration for being permitted to
ance. Theatrical managers are pretty
air gamblers. and are willing to risk
heir money when they can see a reason
BILE chance to win, but the experiences
+ this season, no matter what the
auses, seem to have robbed them of |
heir pluck for any present venture in
heir own line. A good many of them
ave hedged in moving picture enter
rises and some of them have invaded
he dance-haIl field. And this is what
lakes the present spring season the
ullest one for years.
Summing Up.
Looking back over the closing theatre
al year, one of the easiest things to do
to pick out the few really money
attractions. They are headed by
Peg o. My Heart and within the
aw." the first of which does not close
S phenomenal run in New York until
Ine 10, and then the original company,
tier the summers rest, opens in Boston,
hich has been kept clear Of the road
,mpanies for the purpose of giving
aurette Taylor and her cast a pro-
nged run in the New England metrop-
is.
One distinctive feature of the season
rs been the rise and fall of the dirty
ay disguised as moral teaching. Early
st autumn it looked as though the
merican stage was to be flooded with
avs of this character and the moving
cture houses with films of the same
nd. Supported by social reformers who
-e in the reform business for profit and
: others looking for notoriety it SEEM ,
10 h. fv,-r Il