The Washington herald., 1914-12-06
Repiew of the Past Week
In New York TheaterS

nary observer TO determine wherein
the difference lay.
If the public takes kindly to these
innovations, realizing that they are
enjoying new beauties Of stage effect,
even II they do not know why. the new
school Is going to raise hob with our
strictly commercial managers. They
Will no longer be able to do new things
In the old way. Spectacle and spec
tacular effects developed on the old
lines have long been their best stock
in trade, but the new methods call for
an order of brains different from their
own and from those of the scenic de-
signers artists and costumers who
have been accustomed to carry out
their behests. Mr.. Urban was in the
first place an architect in Vienna, but
becoming interested in the theater.
studied the methods Of the European
revolutionists in Germany and Russia,
with the present result that he is
practically the pioneer OF the new
school in America. In England and
France its methods have made slow
progress. II remains to be seen
whether America will be quicker to
adopt them than those conservative
countries.
Marie Tempest had a fair success with
the first play of her repertory engage
ment, Mary Goes First" In spite of its
thorough Britishness In spite Of the in
tensity OF that quality. II was a clever
play, and even America could recognize
its fidelity to the life II satirized But in
presenting 1t Miss Tempest made some
thing the same mistake Mr.. Maude did
last year in reserving Grumpy for later
production instead Of putting his best
foot forward when he opened. Had Miss
Tempest started with her present play,
AT the Barn." she would have been
more likely to win immediate patronage
AT the Barn" is only a trihe dra-
matically and the people on the stage,
including the star. have to make the
very most they can of its slender ma
terial. THE Barn" is a small country
house where three bachelors, avoiding
the fairer sex, have taken up their abode
for the summer to drive at their trades
Of writing and painting. Unexpected and
unlimited. very pert and self-possessed
but equally attractive young woman in
vades their stronghold. She interests
them to the point where she is permitted
to remain, despite the proprieties for
which. being Bohemians. they have no
regard. She makes herself useful as
well as agreeable and naturally they be-
come devoted to her. the most serious
Of the three especially so. 1t develops
that she had run away from her the
atrical duties to escape her obligations
make her career and was about to exact
his compensation. There are some COM
plications, but in spite of them and the
distnclination Of the bachelor she has
captivated, she makes the latter her
husband and the play ends.
Very light material this and impossible
without the energetic and piquant per-
sonality of Marie Tempest Her charm
is marvellous, If one is ungallant enough
to consider her years, but it is supple
mented by the artistic sureness, deftness
of method and command of resource that
have been gained by long experience and
devotion to her work. 1t is a long, long
time since she made her first American
successes in comic opera, and during
all the intervening years she has held
the affection OF the English public and
has been gaining a continually higher
artistic position. One looks in vain for
the American stage in the past and
sad lack among our younger actresses Of
any such promise for the future
We are almost midway through this |
season Of unparalleled theatrical activity /
With all the effort there have not been /
successes to go around This |
week sees The Big Idea" going OF at
the Lyceum and four principal theaters /
being turned over to the movies The !
CaSlno puts on Sir Gilbert Parkers The |
Seats of the Mighty in picture form;
the New York, the big feature, Damon /
and Pythias;'' the Thirty ninth Street |
Belgian war pictures. and the Harris the |
not entirely new Pope Plus Y and Vati- |
can films William A. Brady is the only |
manager who does not seem dazed by the |
neglect of the public to bite eagerly at |
theatrical offerings and is out with a |
pronunciamento rehearsing his belief in !
the speedy coming of a long period of |
exceptionally good times and list of en-
terprises he has in preparation, headed |
by new American comedy written as a
starring vehicle for Grace George.
On the whole. conditions in the theat- |
rical business in New York are very far |
from satisfactory. be the cause the war, |
the movies. the dancing, the practically |
closed stock exchange or all combined. |
To two or three houses the public is |
hocking and paying spectators prices /
for seats. At a few others some estab- |
lished successes are playing to fairly re-
business. The opera sells out |
every night and on the big nights seats |
run to a premium. The other theaters |
are simply going along. content to play |
TO running expenses rather than go dark. !
There are vague rumors Of big managers |
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