The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-11-29

talked about and substituted Tor them
4 people Who would work Tor anything
| lney could get in the wa OF salary
| rather than artistic success. There
have been at least -FOUR of the big plays
produced in New y ork this season that
attracted great attention transtormcC
INTO the most mediocre exhibitions by
| the pursuance of just Sucl a policy on
the part of the producing manager.
The result was that many very able
actors and actresses were thrown out
of employment or were shunted rom
play TO play, aging with the produc-
ion only long enough TO register II IN
public favor
II did not take the public a very lou=
time TO learn just what was gong on,
and the result was bad business ana
the absolute destruction OF pubic con-
fidence in tine theatrical manager s
statements about his production. The
situation in New York. according TO
our best information, is such that any
body with a foreign birthright and no
salary ambitions can get a Jon. some
OF the plays that are being produced
now are excellent plays. but the actors
onl, ritness tor the parts they pay
seems TO be cheapness.
The same thing is true I'm the vaude-
vile business. vaudeville established
itself some time ago as one OF the
fest little get-rich-quick schemes IN
the amusement world. II is probable
that right here in Washington at least
half of the two-million-odd paid al
missions to theate-s annually so into
the golfers of the vaudeville purveyOrs.
Ii has a tremendous hold on the peo-
pie and they have consistently crowded
the vaudeville houses not only in this
city but throughout the country. tx
pensive bills were presented every
wheTe-until this year. Now the coun-
try is flooded with European perform
ers who will work for almost nothing.
They are all good people in their own
lands. and they haven't the slightest
intention of remaining here after the
war is over. They're all going back.
But while they are here they are will
ing 20 work for only enough to pay
their expenses. The magnates took
advantage of this situation TO cut sal
aries of all their other performers-cut
salaries to a degree that caused many
favorites to quit work
This isn't an attempt to tell the thea
ter people how to run their business. IL
is simply setting forth the viewpoint of
the public that is paying the billS. Ihey
can run their business to suit them
selves, but the public isn't going TO pay
the bills If IL doesn't like the shows, and
il wouldn't be a bad plan for the man
ayers TO give ear to what the pubic
would like-otherwise the manner in
which the motion picture business has
grown in the past will be only small
thing compared to the way il will grow
in the future We all like good work
on the stage and we don't care whole
lot whether that work is done by Hin
doc or a Chinese or a native of Africas
SUNNY and salubric shores. Also we don't
care to be compelled to read the an
Of the theaters in the same
attitude we adopt toward the three val
nut shells under one Of which the little
pea is concealed. II is just as tPue today
as when Mr.. Barnum said il, that the
American people like TO be humbugSed.
But the gentlemen who try the trick
must remember that public insists now,
as il always did, on having BaTnum
perform IL. II will not be hard TO under
stand that our use Of the English accent
at the start of this was simply as
term to cover a general condition, and
had no reference to the well-known ca
tarrhal utterance of our mother tongue.
So long as Mr.. Poll insists that we
shall be shown to our seats by n corps
OF young men whose sartorial effort is
TO outshine the splendors Of the late
King Solomon, and whose equals are
seen nowhere on earth below the lower
margin of a motion picture screen, could
he grant a boon to patient patrons by
removing the last evidences OF Naude-
Vile from the theater he is now Cevot-
ing 70 legitimate attractions? We refer
10 two things, one on each side or the
which tell what is TO be
vaudeville palace these things are con-
sidered necessary as warnings to the
of what is to come in the next
act. And in a vaudeville house there IS
some diversion TO be gained by watching
the bright young men change the signs
during the course of an evenings enter
in watching the signs
change themselves. But in a fairly wide
experience covering theaters in most Of
the known sections of the globe ! have
IL
a legitimate theater for any purpose
and have heard numerous
unfaV cradle comments. Like that other
relic Of vaudeVille-the daily matinee
and especially the Monday matinee-it
remains in the Poll establishment here
a constant reminder Of the fact that the
hOCse was once devoted to variety in
stead of legitimate drama.
Mr. Poll has installed an excellent
stock company. and is making a serious
effort to give the best sort OF dramatic
and attract the patronage
OF the very best class of :heaterSoers |
by the quality of that entertainment. |
The production by the new Poll Players |
last week and those that are promised |
for the weeks TO come would indicate |
that nothing is to be spared to carry |
out this plan. II therefore seems proper |
at this point TO indicate some Of the |
things about the theater that would T.
tend to improve it I'm the eyes OF the
public as well as the character OF the /
PLAYS and the players. And the suG-
gestions here made are in that spirit OF |
friendliness which forms the very best /
evidence we know OF our earnest wish |
to see the greatest of success attend /
the efforts of the players and the pro-
Drietor of the establishment
Little Joyce Fair. who appeared here |
for the second time in the part OF tho |
-id -ared child in The Dummy last |
geek. has been justly called the "youa-- |
1t leading woman" OH the stage. lie |
rause she is leading woman in many
ways. Generally il is very hard task /
for managers Of plays requiring chill !
lren to get the children TO act their |
parts in a wav that fits in with the l
york of the other actors. The proGUc- |
ion of The Dummy differs from the |
general run of such plays. just rs L is /
70 delightfully."- different from The zen
sTal run Of all plays. Joyce Fair created |
he part she plays-created il in eve-y
iense. Harvey O'Higgins and Harriet