The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-23

excuse Tor passing away nnally. It's
increasing weakness Is shown by the
The Show Shop" "Beverly's Ro-
nance" THE Lie" Inside the Lines"
Daddy Long Legs" and Maid in
America" The patronage Of the sailors
of the fleet who had more than a week
in New York has strengthened the de-
clining financial pulse a little and the
GOODNESS of the present week has helped
some. but the symptoms of speedy dis
solution are very evident.
From present appearances no new
theaters will be added next season to
New York's present list. In fact. the
final abandonment of several old the
aters and the permanent transfer of
others to moving picture uses indicates
that the roll OF frst-class houses at
the opening of next season will be
smaller than the list at the beginning
of the present one. This decrease in
competition may help the financial
anaemia of the theatrical business, but
ii will be Offset in a way by an even
greater decrease in producing power
to supply attractions for the houses
that remain. The Shuberts will feel q
pinch. as the war has cut Off the i'm
portation of musical pieces. a line of
theatrical industry in which they have
always taken a greater interest than
in the entirely dramatic. With the aid
of William A. Brady and of Joseph
Brooks. who quit the other faction to
join their forces. they are likely to
dominate the situation next season. but
even so they will be short of material
to keep open their own houses and
others they are obligated to supply.
Most Rudimentary Farce.
That such a piece as She's In Again"
could find a Broadway theater to house
it is a sure indication Of a waning
season. Claim is made that it was
adopted from a French farce to suit
American conditions by a Mr.. Thomas
]. Gray. whose name appears on the
program as author. and is kind enough
to the French author to bestow on him
no credit or discredit for any part of
the invention. Perhaps this is gener-
Gus. for Frenchmen are notably skillful
in farce writing. and shes in Again"
shows no trace of skill of any kind.
Mr.. Ned Wayburn fathers the piece
as producer and manager. He has been
notably successful in herding together
pretty and inexperienced girls for the
choruses of girl-and-music shows and
training them to appear creditably in
various dances and evolutions Of his
devising. Judging by shes in Again"
his ability stops there. He was wise
enough to engage several clever prin-
cipal artists, chief among them Ada
Lewis. who never hesitates to sacrifice
her own personal charms to appear gro
tesque for the purpose Of achieving re-
suits. In addition, ne has in his acting
force Miss Helen Lowell. Miss Jessie
Ralph. and Messrs. Sydney Greenstreet.
William Roselle. and Edwin Micander.
and. for the two girl parts. the Misses
Piono
these last two justifying Mr.. Wayburn's
reputation as judge of feminine good
looks regardless Of acting ability. The
others could handle good material we'll,
but this dramatic aspirant for summer
honors and profits Is SO mediocre that
any ability on the part Of artists Is
wasted on 1t.
Why Care whether 'She's in Again.
Nobody could tell the plot Of She's
in Again." even with the aid Of the
authors manuscript. He wrote two acts
of dialogue and situation. compiled
mostly from some record of the things
used in farce ever since there was such
a thing as farce. Then apparently he
went into a sound sleep, from which
he was awakened suddenly, and wrote
the third act with almost entire forget
fulness Of what had been the relations
of the characters in what had gone be-
fore. From the rising of the curtain
on this third act the audience was COM
pletely mystified as to what it had to
do with the other two until it was
suddenly revealed to them what was the
real object Of the play. This was to
show a scene In a bedroom with a very
practical bed prepared for the night.
BY a series Of these wonderful mistakes
possible only in farce several Of the
characters are supposed to be assigned
to this particular bedroom. the climax
coming when the hero of the play ap-
pears from one Of the dressing rooms
attired in pajamas and pumps himself
into the bed already occupied by an
elderly. unattractive. but presumably
proper spinster. who joins the young
man in fleeing screamingly from their
unexpected predicament. This was sup
posed to be funny and might have been
intended to be shocking. but It turned
out to be only deadly stupid. Then an
irrational shifting Of the characters,
which in no way touched on whatever
Plot had been previously intended. The
confusion was quickly ended by the low
ering Of the final curtain, which came
down. not exactly In a blaze of glory
showing through a door UP stage a bath
tub with the head and nude shoulders
Oh d young "OIHAH servant VINO hdQ IN
truded on the privacy Of the bed cham
Der and been ignominiously showed
into the bathroom and the door
slammed on her. Just why In those
circumstances she felt the necessity Of
undressing and getting into the tub
could only be explained by some idea
Of the author that he must end the
play with q picture. preferably sensa-
tionaL The picture was evidently taken
from q plumbing advertisement. and was
supposed. perhaps. to have some de-
moralizing suggestion that would make
public talk. II served only to give .
stupid play . stupid ending without ap-
peal even to the evil-minded
II shes in Again has suflcient flnan-
cial backing Il may be advertised sum
GENTLY by word and picture to enlist the
attention OF those who are always look
Ing for something salacious on the stage.
No one cares how badly this gentry b
fooled. but Is . fact She's In Again" In
about as dead in its actual appeal to
persons Of intelligence a. anything that
has been put on the stage this season.
Author, producer and the management
Of the Gaiety Theater should BE- shame
fully proud Of their accomplishment IN
putting such stupid material on the
stage TO cater to the low-minded.
Critics On Tsp Again.
Judge Hendrix today handed down q
further decision In the. Timss-ehubert
case which extends the protsetiou Of
New FORKS civil RIGHTS law. svvn toI
am0nf3e eE3ttea vsDoAe ~ ~ 49,
: - 4