The Washington times., 1914-11-21
UNUSUAL PLAY FAILS
TO DRAW AUDIENCE
Al Woods and AdoIph KIauber
Hasten Back to Gotham In
Deep Aura of Gloom.
By GARDNER MACK.

speeding toward New York as fast a.
the Congressional Limited will carry
MIN, hunched in corner of his com
partmeut and surrounded by an aura
OF gloom that bellies his rotund person
and shining Irish comedian counte
nance Is Al III. Woods, the veteran
.neatrical producer. Beside him, his
over one ear because that's the only
thing German about him. and he likes
the sound of 1t, Is Adolph Klauber. the
eminent critic of the theater Both men
nave mad q shock. and both have been
a1nicted with that species Of the foot
ano-mouth disease which urges them to
not foot 1t away from here and tell their
troubles in another quarter.
Find Remarkable Play Here.
Woods and Klauber came to Wash
inston to see Willard Mack's produc-
ton OF 80 Much for SO Much Thurs
DAY. They visited the theater. getting
IN after the curtain had arisen Their
attention was immed- ately centered on
the stage. Woods forgot he had ever
seen a play before, and as the smooth
plot OF the piece, he actually flushed
gufItfly as though he had been detected
trying TO pry into neighbor's private
anairs. SO real was the work of the
actors and actresses In the piece. Klau-
Der adjusted his critical stare as ne
stepped into the box. but dropped it in
the dark and crouched back further
and further as the players spoke their
lines. until he looked almost human at
the end of the act
As the curtain came down both men
rushed to the lobby and walked fever
ishly up and down waiting for the bell
to signal the beginning Of the second
act; They didn't attempt to disguise
heir enjoyment Of the second act and
The third, and on the final curtain they
both rushed around to the stage 10
congratulate the dramat.st and the
leading woman.
Second Night Surprise.
Yesterday they could ta K Of nothing
else but the play. They were amazed at
It's technical perfection, the snaoothness
Of its lines, the quaint, humorous dia-
icgre, which takes away the sting Of
the tragedy and the simple human ap-
with the Washington critics and the
people who have seen IT that Il Is prob
ably the best dramatic production that
has been brought out In the Eastern
section Of the country for many years.
And they remained In the city to see
their box this time before the curtain
rose and they looked about the house.
Here and there they saw somebody sit
ting In the auditorium They had ex-
rected to find the horse crowded be-
cause there has never been a play in
this city that has received such gener-
Gus praise from both the public and the
newspapers and there never has been a
play that deserved 1t more. But for
Some reason there did not seem to be
enough people in the house to justify
the notices.
TSo, rxoL IL A.
have formed very good crowd But
Tor play such as so Much For So
Much" presented as It Is by a company
Of actors who do not seem to be acting
at all, but are going about ordinary
daily work and play and pain in the
has gone about their work and play and
pain every day in their lives-for such q
play and actors the audience seemed 70
reflect very poorly the critical taste Of
the city.
Poor Attendance Mystery.
At least that il what Mr.. Woods and
Mr.. Klauber thought as they sat there
amazed. and that is what was forced
to think as I came In behind them.
They both asked the reason why. There
was no answer. The situation Just Is.
The author and the play and the COM
pany are SO far above the usual stand
ard Of ever the best Of such things that
no comparisons can be made to ht the
case. And yet the total number Of per-
sons who have witnessed the produc-
ton sc far this week Is so far below
the average attendance at one of the
ow-much-she-can strip and yet keep
out ut-of-stripes forms Of entertainment.
that comparisons are distinctly odious
here. too OF course. the aggregate may
he brought up by the attendance at the
matinee and evening performances to-
day-the last opportunity the public VIII
have. But 1t Is doubtful.
And so Mr.. Woods and Mr.. Klauber
are taking their doleful cnuntenances
back to New York in search of the an
swer. Something is the matter with the
theatrical business when the finest OF
productions cannot draw crowds In