New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-28

has been done in numerous productions,
an elaborate moon is flashed across the
backdrop TO make good Lorenzo,s words
the moon must stand or fall on its
physical aspects. The character Lo-
renzo has given it will be OF no avail
unless the stage electrician contrives to
make IL shine bright. The better the
moon the less attention to the words OF
Lorenzo.
We do not think that Shakespeare, in
the style of Ben Greet, is effective. The
demand for scenery is so lngrained IN
modern audiences that its absence
creates an uneasiness of surprise which
mitigates against the best attention
We do believe that the settings for
Shakespearian play should be simple.
Here IL might be well to seek the moral
support of Arnold Daily, who said in a
recent interview in "The New York
Times"i -,
ain Germany they did Hamlet with
soft, sensuous scenes, beautiful in their
painting. but completely out of the
spirit of the play. Hamlet is rugged,
the snow on the mountain tops. 30
your soft scenes are rotten. AT the ART
theatre in Moscow they lined row OF
soldiers, all over six feet in height, in
uniforms of white across the back OF
Che stage, with Fortinbras at the death
of Hamlet. The white soldiers
are out of place. They are not art;
they are rotten, rotten. Your SOFT,
sensuous scenery is rotten, rotten. To
interpret thing so that il will live you
must get at its soul. That is why the
work Of the pretender. who, with the
aged, the infrm and the imbeclle, the
gods protect is so soon forgotten and
fha nretender with II"
For our part, we thought that the
clump Of rubber plants in the balcony,
scene of the Chanler Romeo ana
Juliet" was rotten, rotten, rotten. Nor
could we see any reason to plant RED
roses TO the left Of the balcony and
pink ones below. The eye should be
compelled to look at the balcony and
nothing else in that particular scene.
All the scenic lines should focus there.
No such definite scheme Of decoration
has been carried out in the production
at the Forty-fourth Street Theatre.
There are some things to be said for
the most recent revival Of Romeo and
Juliet" II should serve to show the
difference between intelligence and an
aptitude for acting and talent. Miss
Khyva st. Adams has aptitude, we
think, but her time is not yet.
In our review Of "Romeo and Juliet
we stated our opinion that Juliet is not
in any sense star part. IL does not
call for a great amount of virtuosity
Our statement has been ridiculed by a
reader, who thinks it "arrant non
sense" Being attacked, we have sought
support, and have found IL in what we
consider an excellent quarter. Glanc-
ing over the pieces George Bernard
Shaw used to write when he was d
critic we found the following in re-
gard 10 Mrs. Patrick Campbell as
Juliet: "Her Juliet, nevertheless, IS al
immature performance at all the ex'
ceptional points, which, please remem-
Der, are not very numerous, mucn OF
Juliet's business being of a kind thai
no leading lady of ordinary ability
could possibly fail in"
We are always sorry TO make a cor
rection when IL has been proved that
we are in error Once again our in
ordinate fondness for sweeping state
ments has betrayed US. And so, grudg-
ingly and without enthusiasm, we pub
lish the following letter rom the press
department Of The Modern Stage OF
Emanuel Reicher:
"In referring 10 Mr.. Reieher's season
at the Garden Theatre, you remark,
under date OF November 10, that
o" an attempt to found an
American Peoples Theatre, with q
repertory which 10 almost wholly Sean
din1vian or Germanie, is shortsighted.
Without questioning that fact, may
j be allowed 70 inquire why you apply
this reasoning 20 Mr. Reicher and the
season Of The Modern Stage and the
American Peoples THEATRE
Mr.. Reieher has, by interview, by
literature, By press matter and by gen
efal advertising announced the pro-
KrArnme TOT the entire season. The
names OF tho plays and the names OF
tne authors should be known TO you.
and II they are, may suggest that the
statement above quoted does not apply
IN me least TO his attempt 70 found an
American Peoples Theatre.
THE plays selected for the present
reason are as follows:
American.
1.-THE Girl in the Conn by Theo.
dore Dresser.
"'The King by David Plnsky.
"'The Dollar by David Pnsky.
According TO Darwin by Perciys
Wilde.
@'The Finger Of Cod by Perciva
Wilde.
1.-THE Noble Lord by Pcrciyal Wide
Papa by Zoe Akins.
German.
1.-THE Wesyers,' by Cerhart Haupt
uann.
"'Nadonna Dlanora,' by Hugo yor
Iionmansthal.
Norwegian.
"'When the Young Vine Blooms by
blornstJsrE BJornson.