New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-18
Granville Barker Optimistic
on Rebertory Theatre Scheme
But One Thousand Men Must
Come Forward with
1915 Each.

/ Is struggling hard to get London to sup
port lin in establishing 4 permanent
4 repertory theatre says such theatre Is
really the only way TO save the drama IN
! England as living art.
TT is lime" said Mr.. Barker that
/ true rcpertory T. distinguished from false
repertory. All these theatres that can
themselves repcrtory theatres are very
oxcelIont .nsttutious indeed, but they DO
not run rcpertorv Thcy are short-run
/ theatres. and that f. very different
matter.
I THE advantage Of short runs - tna'
one is able TO produce great number OF
. Ilays. The disadvantage is that they ar
/ taken of before a lot Of people have n"d
time to see them. The repertory theatre
on the other hand. has all the ADVANTAGES
ana none Of the disadvantages OF the
short-run theatre.
! "Repcrtorv consists ia what We are DO
/ ing at the Savoy and what we cave been
doing at the St James's We are giving
( five or six plays every week. and from
the time we began at the -. James's IN
Ill the tine We produce \ Midsummer
I Nights Dream at the SAVOY they VIII
have been running on different nights
and AT matinees. for a period Of seven or
eight weeks. Every one. therefore -
able TO study his convenience in seeing
these PLAYS. and there IS no reason why
any one should miss seeing single one
Of them If it is his wish to see them all.
How Programme Is Arranged
Then. you will notice from the pro-
gramnle. we can suit the number OF per-
formances 10 the number OF people who
wish TO see the plays. For example nav
ing found The Doctors Dilemma very
popular, we are giving it four or nVe
times a week. The Witch we have al
ready done a great deal. and We are now
doing It once week ] wish we could
do II twice a week, but we cannot
we could also give two other perform
ances a week Of The Death OF TtntaSies
and The Silver Box which many people
want 70 see We are now giving only one
performance Of The Wild Duck. You
could 20 on giving one performance
week all through the year, If necessary
IL YOU have a repertory theatre, and when
| The Doctors Dilemma ceased to be so
popular you could reduce 1t to three per-
| formances a week, or two. That Is inc
, theory and practice Of repertory.
ON this way you are able to give
great number OF plays which you would
never see otherwise in the normal way IN
the theatre. II is no good producing
NAV like The Wild Duck for run. IL
would not fill any theatre in London
eight times a week, but it will ill 1t once
a week. or perhaps twice or three times
And what is true Of that play and or
that class OF plays Is true also OF large
percentage Of the best plays in dramatic
literature. Therefore, If the ordinary
theatregoer-the theatregoer who wishes
to go In the evening-wants to see these
! plays he must have repertory.
For Those Who Caro-.
"If there are a thousand people in Lon
don who care enough for the vitality OF
the theatre to put on the table sl5 each
and to guarantee 1925 a year for three
years this repertory can continue
| "Alreadv the response has been quite
satisfactory. | have heard from all sorts
of people whom have not the pleasure
of knowing, saying how keen they are
about it and how glad they will be 10
support IL. But, OF course. thousand
| people means a great ucdi' ~ iiN"''" ~
every one who can possibly come In must
come in.
| with regard TO the money for when
am asking people must not think II Is
personal gift TO me- 1t will be vested in
trustees. and the first charge on II VIII De
| paid back II and when the pronts or the
theatre are sufficient.
perhaps a repertory theatre can make
a large profit, but certainly II should not
try TO. The most 1t should do is TO try
TO provide a small interest on the cap,tai
and a worthy livelihood for all who are
connected with it,
81 will never be party to getting things
below market rates. IL an actor can earn
| so much a week at an ordinary theatre
he ought 10 earn exactly the same amount
at repertory theatre | am not gong
10 have either art for charity's sake or
charity for arts sake. People In TINS
world must pay for things.
why. you ask. is all this money
wanted? The answer is because you
must make a great capital outlay to be
gin with A repertory theatre ought 70
have going on in the year between t"ei'e
and twenty plays. The expenditure on
productions for the first year or two
must be. therefore, very much in excess
az that for ordinary years but these pro-
auctions will remain good for I'VE or SIX
veary. and in many cases even longer
Why Capital Is Needed.