Evening star., 1915-12-19

u IL wv a L very III d II
Knows" lent the only charm
to things theatrical the past week.
playing to large and well satisfied au-
diences during her engagement at the
New National Theater. Miss Adams
long ago won her way to the hearts OF
hosts of admirers in Washington and
the latchstring is always out to her.
with the assurance OF a hearty well
come whenever she comes.
Morosco Cast.-In the cast of Ed
ward Childs Carpenters new comedy.
1.-THE Cinderella Man." which will be
presented here by oliver Morosco, are
players who have appeared in many
of the most successful plays produced
in New York within the last few years.
Miss Phoebe Foster, who Is to portray
the character of Marjorie Gamer, was
the original Amy Cartwright in Under
Cover" when that play was produced
at the Cort Theater last season.
Shelley Hull. the leading man, created
the part of James Hollenden in
ELECTRICITY" at the Lyceum in 1910;
CASTOR LIE Clearance in THE Foolish
Miska Sandorffy in Seven Sisters at
the Lyceum in 1911; Bill oFarreli IN
Lady Patricia" at the Empire in 1912;
Bayard Duclos in What Ails Your at
the Criterion in 1912. and Darlington
in "The Amazons" at the Empire in
1913. :
Frank Bacon was the original Will
liam Carr in stop Thief" which had
a long run at the Gaiety the season
of 1928.
Reginald Mason created the part of
Christian Brent in Peg O. My Heart
and played the part through the con-
tinuous run of 604 performances at the
Cort Theater.
Lillian Dix created the role of Ole
Pine" at the New Amsterdam Theater
in 1912 and Hannah Mullett in Little
Women at the Playhouse in 1913.
Hubert Wilke. Theodore Babcock,
Charles Lane. William Yerance and
others of the company have also Gre
ated important roles.
Deserved Promotion.-J. W. Cone, who
has been the manager of Polls Theater
since last May. is to leave Washington
within few weeks. Mr.. Cone has been
so successful in restoring the popularity
Of Polls, and in making it one OF the
most profitable playhouses in Mr..
Polls entire circuit of stock theaters.
that it has been decided to promote
him to the post of assistant to Gen.
erai Manager Thatcher, and his conn
mission will be a roaming one, going
wherever the needs demand. put with
general headquarters in New York and
New Haven.
During his six months in Washing
and he has maintained Polls at
higher standard of excellence than at
any previous time since Mr.. Thatcher
left, after its original opening four
years ago. Mr.. Cones promotion is
said to be in line with Mr.. Polls policy
Of promoting the men who have shown
signal ability. Just as Mr.. Thatcher
was promoted from this theater to the
post of general manager, SO Mr.. Cone
is now being advanced.
Manager Thatcher is now in negotia-
tion with a prominent stock company
manager. and 1t is probable that the
successor to Mr.. Cone win be an
nounced within the next few days.
Mr.. and Mrs. Cone will not leave the
capital until the new manager has been
installed.
Bad Plays, Not Movies, the Menace
Nothing will keep people away from
the theater but bad play" SO says
oliver Morosco, Americas youngest
producing manager, whose successes.
Peg O. Ny Heart" "The Bird of Para
disc" and other notable productions,
make his opinion authority.
Almost everybody I meet asks me
why the patronage of the legitimate
theaters has fallen off in the last two
years and one and all seem quick to
attribute the decreases to motion pic
lures" says Mr.. Morosco.
The motion picture has unquestion-
ably become tremendously big public
institution and is apparently growing
every day. but 1t can have no great
effect upon the legitimate theater if
the producers will provide a sufficient
number of good plays. and keep them
The percentage of good plays-suc-
cesses-produced in the last two years
hag fnr hlv nd he
centage of plays of no real purpose
whatever horribly large. These bad
plays help to destroy public confidence
and keep people away from the play
houses
"of late the motion picture producers
have been offering New York man
ayers such big inducements for the
motion picture rights Of their sue
leased for the screen rather than held
for the speaking stage and the stock
companies The result has been that
before many managers could offer a
play to their patrons. or even In stock
for SO and rs cents. the motion picture
manager in the same block has pre-
sented II as silent drama. featuring
some prominent stage star, at 10. l5 and
20 cents.
Producers and playrights are them
selves the only ones to correct the
present condition. for II you orer the
public a good play-something real
and human and possessing a purpose
nothing will keep them away.
Il have always found the public ready
and willing to support any play or
production of merit. The moving pic
lures have had no effect on peg o.
Ny Heart" Eight Of my companies
America with II and very often were
forced 10 give extra matinee per-
formances.
But you cannot see it In moving