New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-28
Says Too Much Tea Is
Served in British PLAYS
and Too Little Whisky.
BACKBONE NEEDED
IN TO-DAYS DRAMA
Finds Censorship in England
Less Rigid, Owing to Decline
in PlayWright's Craft.
10y cable to Tho rri5un,

..
London, June 27.--Thc big plays a.
the future will be written By Amer.
cans, according TO William A. Brad,
who left LondJn for the Continent oe
Thursday after an almost fruitle,s
search here for good plays 10 reproduce
in America. lie succeeded iu finding
few plays in he possibilities Of which
he believes, but he is jealousy guard
inc the same a. present Speaking Of
stage conditions here, Mr.. Braoy said:
Things are deplorable IN England.
but are much brighter in America
where some great plays will be written
Too much tea % served on .h" stage ri
English plays. IL should be whiskey. 10
give backbone 70 the now spineless
drama. While young playwrights il
America are wo"Nng on big and aes
( ideas, the younger men here have been
following the footsteps Of Shaw, ri.
nero and Jones, not one Of whom a,
present is doing hi, best work. ~
"The censorship he'-l less rigid
because Of the lack Of GOOD plays" Mr.
Brady also says that America has more
dramatists than all the. rest Of the
world and that producers look hope
fully TO unknown playwrights for great
plays, adding in this connection;
american managers come TO London
Tor plays, but are beset everywhere b.
the English managers. Since my ar
rival here more than twenty have been
after me for American PLAYS. and it is
the same with other American man
ayers here. When London can enjoy
Potash and Perlmutter' that fact alone
shows the dependence on New York"
Mr.. Brady regards pessimisticaily Che
movies situation here, and remarked
that he had been informed that fully
one-half of the movie theatres Of Eng
land had liquidated within the last ST.;
months. Stringent fire regulations pre-.
vent the production Of movie plays iu
the biggest theatres. and this prevent
the presentations on a large scale,
which the people want.
Mr.. Brady has gone 70 the Continent
for three weeks, looking for French
plays. He explained the reason for his
trip TO Italy also. During his stay there
he will make arrangements 70 stage IN
movies such Shakespeare plays As
Romeo and Juliet" THE Merchant &
Venice" and Julius Caesar" with true
Italian settings. Robert Mantel Nll
be seen in the leading parts. Mr.. Brady
said:
~ expect to stage these plays next
spring. 1t will be like the big produc-
ton OF Quo Vadis,' and / feel they win
succeed. The time has come when the
big stars lose nothing by appearing IN
the movies.
1.-THE lid is off in London, which i,
now more Americanized than ever
declares Mr.. Brady. "To my surprise,
said Mr.. Brady, there are tango teas
here, the same as in New York, wi.h
the lid off, | danced a tango IN .n,
basement Of q tea room at sunrise
London is getting Americanized TO a
conspicuous extent"
TOO Many Crooks" the play by Frank
Craven, is coming 20 London shortly
Mr.. Brady announced. Miss Grace
George is here hunting for a play 70.
herself. Mr.. Brady said she was ang-
} ious to appear in London again, bat
only in great play
Louis y. Parker has completed his
adaptation for the stage Of Dickens
David Copperfeld,' which is to be
produced on August % at His Ma
esty's Theatre, with Sir Herbert Tree
doubling the roles of Old Peggo-ty
and Wilkens MicaWber, following in
this respect the example set many
years ago by the American comedian
George Fawcett Rowe at the Adclp
Determined to take time by the fore
lock. Sir Herbert has lately had under
consideration the question of the fes-
tival TO be given at His Majesty's two
years hence in celebration of the ter
centenary of Shakespeare death. THIS
is to be quite an important affair, ey
tending over considerable period. II
will consist mainly of a cycle Of the
chronicle plays, starting with King
John" and ending with King Henry
VIII"
These will constitute Sir Herbert
personal contributions TO the festival
But his endeavors do not stop there
} His ambition is to widen the area 50
as 20 include the presence of many Of
the leading American and Continenta
actors and producers. Already he hs,
been in communication with Professor
Reinhardt, who has replied, telegraph.
/ ically. expressing his deep interest IN
/ the project, and his willingness ID
take part in il. With this object he
! suggests meeting between Sir Her
bert and himself, to take place in Az.
gust, when the matter can be fully
I discussed. II is hoped, also, that sew
eral of the principal members Of the
Coincide Franchise will cross the
/ Channel for the occasion, and thatNst
least one famous Italian actor. possibly
Novelii, may be persuaded to do the
same.