The sun., 1915-02-27
THE PUBLIC AS CRITIC.
II Has Not Yet Passed Judgment on
the English Actor Manager.

II Has Not Yet Passed Judgment on
the English Actor Manager.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Su:
was particularly Interested this morning
in reading your article on The Com
mercial Theatre" but as a theatregoer
and student OF the theatre and the
drama I must differ with some OF the
statements made. You speak OF the
popular success Of the eminent Eng
lish actor-manager now In this country.
whose first presentations OF two plays
that would ordinarily have appealed
but slightly to the general public have
attra cted considera BILE attention and been
written about extensively in the news
papers. II has been my pleasure to see
both Of these plays, and ! quite agree
with your opinion that the EnglHsh
actor-manager Is novel producer.
But as TO his having shown his ability
to draw the public TO the box office,
(which 10 power that will endear any
theatre manager to his sponsors, even
when art In their aim rather than fnan-
cial success" fear that our so-called
Commercial" managers are not receiv-
ing fair play. You yourself use the
word sponsors" and this tells the story
Of the apparent success OF the English
actor-manager now In this country.
When he set foot on our shores to
show us the new art OF the theatre"
his season was guaranteed by BODY
OF wealthy men and a large stage and
theatre society. numbering hundreds. II
not thousands. of members. who had
carefully worked up the sale OF seats
through a large subscription list. which
has been filling the seats at Wailacks
Theatre right along. II In unjust TO
the regular theatrical managers OF New
York to point out this English actor
manager. no matter how worthy he may
be, az one possessing q combination OF
talents and ability to draw the public
70 the box Office" when, so far, at
least, fail 20 see that he really has
drawn the public to see his plays. Pos
sibly dozen or more casual theatre
goers have wandered down Broadway
10 witness his productions, but II is
selt-evdent that mos, Of the seats have
been occupied by subscribers, whose
purchase of tickets in advance has guar
anteed the financial success OF the eS-
pertinent Of showing New York the new
art OF the theatre" Whether or not the
public itself will follow in line and
actually demonstrate that II wants
this new art OF the theatre and sup
port II, as your article intimates, re-
mains 20 he seen after the regular sub
scription list sale OF seats has ended.
| | for one hope tina: the public will live
up to the claims made for IL IN your
article. hut in all fairness ! do not
| think that mere experiment in the
| theatre should he set forth a. an ex-
ample for our regular theatres. run by
! business mon who. while some OF them
sometimes do, II IL true, present taUdrN
stun, nevertheless In the long run
usually give theatregoers a fair run
| FOR their money and not little art
| besides
| You say Few Of these institutions
| continued to exist after year or two
| in referring to that form OF the drama
! which must he supported by financial
( contributions from hackers ana other
| philanthrops,s as tn" most eNectua'
| manifestation OF the dramatic art As
n student Of the drama and "A regular
! ,heatregoer having an interest N the
| theatre ms a playgoer I DO not believe
| that the 4 stiugushed English actor
managers so-called new art OF the
| theatre" will ou:last the current season.
even with Us backing, and tho pub
| licity his productions receive because ~
their "newness" and because OF the TACT
that they are bizarre and Ike any
thing gawdy and unusual. mus, ne'' -
-arily. for the moment at least, attract
A little attention.
In the last paragraph of your artl-
| Gle YOU mention the artist" acl ieve-
| rnent" Of the English actor-mana ger
! Surely TO daub piece ~ canvas In bril-
liant clashing colo-s and So to light the
scene that Il hurts the ewes. which 90
no wise blends or harmonizes. is MT an
/ artistic achievement OF course on
English actor-manaEer visitor vii saS
that he desires TO stimulate the inagi'
| nation" and that his hlotches OF color
are meant to stimulate rather than pic
,ure directly; but after all, the play
| the thing as the greatest OF all dram
| atis.s has said ANYTHING which th'
producer" docs - detrlct from the l.Ue'
%, the play itself renders the piesenta
ton of the play inartstic and false
However. our English dctor-uauagr
visitor does doaerVe grea; d"ll mur'
praise Of n different sort than seems {
be given to him. With these few word
desire. through Your columns, to eN
tend TO him the respect and congratu
,at.ons OF a regular theairegocr. l. II
not this distinguished actor-nanagcl
from England who makes the mistake
that We read Of concerning his worN h.
the newspapers but Il is The overzeal
BUSINESS of those who think they So" II
his productions something more 'artls
tic" than our own mauagcrs have sh"w'
us In the theatre RlCH,Rp FLETCHER.
New YORK. February -