The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
nv LAMEs $. nLETcALFE.

real estate is so conspicuously dead as a
closed theater. Its darkened front is a
constant and exasperating reminder to
its proprietary or leasing manager that
taxes and lost interest are piling up.
No wonder then that New York man
ayers got desperate and started in the
present season a full three weeks earlier
than usual. Last year was none too
profitable, and that fact made il to q
to-be-envied condition that the lights
should be up, and the theater doing busi-
ness, although it might shelter only
partial success or even a near failure.
The first things to come out Of the box
office receipts are the house expenses
and the rent, so that to have house
occupied at all means that there's some
thing coming in and not everything go
ing out.
So, then, the theater men started in
early We had had q remarkably cool
summer, so il seemed as though tolks
might be induced to spend their evenings
under cover. No sooner, though. had
the early theater opened up than the
weather suddenly changed its mind. and
we had a spell of regular New York Au-
gust, which means that life is miserable
everywhere, and TO spend an evening
in a theater is not enjoyment, but
martyrdom. Audiences at the unseason-
able openings were scant in number,
and made up entirely OF critics brave
enough to face hardship at the call OF
duty and unemployed actors who will
endure any discomfort so long as 1t has
to do with the theater. There are few
survivors among the plays Of the prema
ture season. This years experience may
serve hereafter TO keep worrying man
ayers from opening their houses until
the calendar suggests that there are
persons who are willing to pay money
for theatrical entertainment.
List of Casualties.
The plays that met an early death in
the forced August season would prob
ably none Of them have survived even
in cooler weather. Sylvia Runs Away"
was. perhaps, the only one of them that
might have had a chance later on. This
was a W. 4. Brady venture with quite a
bit of vim to it in a farce comedy vein.
but a week of torrd evenings sent it to
the relief of cold storage. apartment
T. X was put on to forestall Twin
Beds which had been heralded as sn
unQuestioned big success. There were
even rumors that the owners Of the lat
ter play would enjoin apartment l2-k"
on the ground that its author and pro-
duCer had stolen the idea One sight of
the hastily produced Apartment PIX
showed that it could not possibly injure
any other play. so that war-ClOud blew
over. What Happened at %" was an
other sacrifice on the altar of early pro-
duCtion. Although it was a crime drama
written by the experienced Mr.. Paul Will
stsCh. it was crude work and was fortu-
nate to have hot weather as an excuse
for its inevitable early demise.
Another experiment of the hot season
was to make Mr.. Sylvester Schaffer. a
versatile vaudeville artist. try to supply
an entire evenings entertainment at a
regular house. This failure has driven
him to vaudeville. where he properly be-
longs and where he is an attractive feat
Ire Of the bill.
Survivors.
rom last season we had left over to |
help start the new one such stand-bys !
II last spring as "A Pair of Skies, The
Peg o My Heart" the big
.horus-girI contraption The Passing
show Of 1914" at the Winter Garden. and
Kitty Mckay at the Comedy. All
hose had profted by the cool nights of
n, early summer. and have been held
~ the boards here until they should
start IN their money-making careers
1vor the Out-of-town circuits.
Of the early August productions. On
Trial" is the only one to survive. There
5 good reason for its success. as ii (
truck an entirely new and original note
n playwriting.
Jab mt CuStnm HOuse.
We heard last year of rumors of a
play which was having a phenomenal
-un in Boston. New York is very skep-
icsl about the judgment of other cities
about plays. so when Under Cover"
anne to the Cort to replace Peg o. My
.. ;,-
much a handicap as a recommendation.
The play had one strong Advantages
-ery smooth first performance by the
original Boston company. 1t had an
,ther distinct advantage. The subject of
he piece was polite smuggling. and Gus
om-house inspectors and other officials
we're shown in a very bad light The
and its system of baggage
Inspection are not the least bit popular,
md the treatment Of this subject met
With instantaneous New York approval.
he piece itself is strongly meIodramatic
With a prosecuted heroine, a hero who,
n the early stages. seems to be viii
ain. but who is finally eXculpated in
and surprisingly by the clever
york Of the author. Mr.. R. c. Megrue.
The author has also supplied quite a
Iuantity of humor to qualify his melo-
Irama. and, as everything about Under
over is very up to date, it bids fair to
epeat its success in the New England
right here in spite of the fact
hat New York did not give its approval
Irst. The company is a very good one,
nd Mr.. William Courtleigh as the melo-
ramatic hero has a part which fits him,
which he fits. and which he evidently
lays with delight.
John Drew's New One.
The regular season always begins-at
nast it has for the past twenty-five
ears-when Mr.. John Drew makes his
nnuaI appearance at the Empire. That
vent and Labor Day have come to be
Imost synonymous in point of time and
heir respective importance to certain
lasses Of the community. This year
Ir Drew is 10 be seen in a play called
The Prodigal Husband" which for a
ronder is not brought from London, but
~es the light for the FIRST time in New
'ork. ~ a play it has no elements OF
reatnesS and is only mildly amusing.
IL q sentimental comedy OF French
fe. and although Mr.. Drew wears his
sual faultless modetn attire. his char ,
cter is rather a rough one, being hus- ]
and separated from his wife and finding
nnsolation in drink and unconventional
we affairs. He is induced TO reform by
le love OF a child-not his own-who in 7
le later acts is his ward. and finally !
rings him to a reconcilia tion with his ,
ife. The role is not an attractive one =
nd shows Mr. Drew divested Of the re- :
nement and polish which give him his I
-eatest vogue with his large following. !
r. Drew's personal and artistic popu- :
rity can make a success Of any play
hich is not positively a failure and so !
-