The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-24

world over, and there are lew Innings
that are more interesting to the onlooker,
even IL there is no personal interest IN
the combatsnts. Theatergoers the coun-
try over have a greater personal inter-
est than they imagine in the persistent
and long-continued fight that the theatri-
cal managers in New York have put up
to wipe out independent criticism of their
attractions in the New York daily news
papers. By far the greatest number OF
new productions that later on hope to
appeal to the patronage of the whole
country first see light in New York
Their fate largely depends-or did de-
pend-on the verdict of the New York
critics In their fight on the honest
critics the managers have been SO far
successful that criticism has largely lost
its fearlessness and independence and the
public has lost confidence in the reviews.
Where everything is praised indiscrtmi-
nately there is not much guidance for the
reader and prospective patron.
In the present fight one result is that
the critic of the New York Times is ex'
cluded from the Shubert thesters and
that the Shuberts do not advertise In the
New York Times. The newspaper has
fathered a suit against the managers I'M
der the civil rights law to secure the
right of admission TO its critic. but the
exclusion still holds good pending final
decision on appeal. In New York State
the courts have adhered firmly to the
theory that a theater is not public
place although II is SO classed in several
statutes.
A new twist is given to the situation
by the conduct of the New York sun
with reference to the new piece produced
bv the Shuberts at the Winter Garden
and called "A World of Pleasure" The
Suns regular critic gave the production
n review a column long. and on the face
of il the notice was extremely comph-
rnentary Those who could read between
the lines might understand that the praise
was not unqualified and that the piece
was not meant for the fastidious.
4 couple of days after the production
the Sun printed a prominent editorial
which. without naming the theater. tho
managers or the attraction, evidently
and Enthusiastically referred to the Win
ter Garden show. 1t described il accu-
rately. except that it did not state at
length that in scenery, costumes, size
Of the company and general gorgeousness
il was on an equality with the similar
big girl-and-music spectacular eNtraVa-
ganzas to be seen at other theeters offer
ing the same class of entertainment.
The Sun editorial did say that in
the near-nudity of the women. in the
yuIgarity and coarseness of the COM
medians, in the lack of originality of
the music. and in the general stupidity
of the performance. The World of
Pleasure" went beyond anything yet
seen The attitude of the Shuberts
this remarkably frank though
yelled pronunciamentO of the Sun has
not vet developed. They cannot very
from their theaters because his notice
was. in the main, commendatory.
Their night must be with the news
ps per itself. and this would mean the
removal OF the ShUbert advertisements
not only OF the Winter Garden. but
also of the numerous other theaters
they control. Their attractions are
already suffering from the omission of
their advertising from the Times. To
cut it out OF the morning and evening
editions OF the Sun also would mean
A further reliance on the billboards
which do not reach the great public
dependent on the newspapers for its
in Information. II would doubtless also
mean trouble for the Shuberts with the
other theatrical interests allied with
them. and whose profits depend largely
upou the generous use of newspaper
Therefore il does dot seem
likely that the Shuberts will attempt
TO chastise the Sun. as well as the
Times: at least not at the same time.
Woman of Business.
Il was a curious inspiration to pick
out FL; .el barrymore to impersonate
the Emma McChesHey. made known to
fame in the Edna Ferber stories as
the successful woman commercial
The woman of business too
often apes the Curtness and abrupt
manners. or lack of manners, that the
man assumes to demon
Strate to the rest of the world that he
is a person of too great Importance
to bother with the graces and cour-
tcsies.
Ethel Barrymore is so thoroughly
feminine. even to her tremolo voice
with its appealing break. that she
seemed about the last actress in the
world to cast for the part of the wOm-
an whose life is made up OF travelling
with her sample trunks, putting up
at commercial hotels, competing with
male drUmmers and dealing with the
buyers for provincial drygoods stores.
May Irwin or Marie Dressler would
sooner have come to mind as the suit
able artist to give the character
stage identity.
The play. being largely farcicaL does
not call for close adherence TO prob
abilities. and does not provide any lines
or situations which do not consist with
fenininity-that is. as we have come to
know femininity today. Therefore,
Ethel Barrymore's personality is not
at all out of the drawing. She is
not at all the Emma Nc
rhesney that any one pictured from
reading the stories. but a story is a
story and a play is a play. so it Is
quite enough that she fits the require
nents OF the dramatic character
There is no plot in the Ferber
stories, and George Y. Hobart. who Is
for the dramatization. has
none, so our Mrs. McChes-
ley" is practically a series of episodes
and not a play. Several times dire
and dreadful things seem to impend.
but a quick curtain or a change OF
scene averts the disaster and we re-
turn again to the humors of the pet
ticoat business as exemplified by a
arge company of persons who derive
/ livelihood from II in various capaci-
lies. II is a play Of business. hut OF
business as il could never possibly be
conducted. except in farce. Two or
-hree times what there is of plot |
reaches a Legitimate conclusion, only
70 take fresh start to introduce ad- |
iitional humorous episodes. The big |
last is principally occupied with bits |
hat make no strain on any ones abil- |
t. and produce no novel effect in per- |
sonation-
Taken altogether. "our Mrs. Nc |
-hesney" is an amusing collection OF |
nonsense, and gives Ethel Barrymore |
good opportunities in the comedy way
where she appears to the best advan- !
age.
British, but Interestinr,