Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-27
PILOT OPLAY
THE ATR e S
d AN CINC
NJ u SIC
GRACE GEORGES
ADVENTURE AS A
THEATRE MANAGER
How the Star. of "The New York
Idea" Founded a Repertory The
atre of Comedy in New York

-
Those who appreciate intelligence IN the
theatre have been following with keen in
terest Grace Georges establishment OF >
reportory company at the Playhouse In
New York Miss George in years past ap-
pesrnd generally in plays above the average.
and she attracted a following OF theatre-
goers above the average. Now she has
stepped forward long way. ana she has
not only taken her following with her, but
won many new friends. Miss George has
succeeded In most ambitious undertake.
ing. the formation Of a notable repertorg
company; and she has made that orEani-
zation. the Playhouse company, stand out
distfnctively, presenting only plays of a high
standard. She provides not only decent but
brilliant entertainment. And what is Of
most lively interest Just now Is that, al the
end OF her long New York season. she
brings her Playhouse company TO Phila-
delphia. for special two weelss' engages
ment St the Adelphi. beginning Monday.
Her first offering here ~ The New York
Idea" by LAngdon Mitchell, a Philadal-
phian.
It was with '"The New York IDEA" that
Miss George established her company IN
New. York last fall She assumed the di-
rection OF the Playhouse in September, an.
nouncing that she would give a series OF
plays that she thought worth while, not
poetic Roman tragedies or anything Of that
kind, but plays that afforded real enter.
tainment for intelligent theatregoers, who
are not always considered by the regular
producers. Plays OF that sort were not
abundant Miss George concluded to put
on THE New York Idea" which Mrs.
Fiske had produced once, but which Broad
way had never appreciated. Here was Ru
opportunity to lift good play, brilliant
play. of the kind written all too seldom. on
the shelf Miss George chose actors and
actresses that she though were above the
average, SO as to catch the spirit Of this
comedy satire. She opened with "The New
York Idea" in September. and instantly won
success. Here was personal triumph
such as she had never won before in her
various years of stardom. And her com.
pany, her whole enterprise. New York took
to Its heart. The occasion WAS notable in
the history Of our American theatre.
Miss George continued 20 present The
NewSYork Idea, on into November. mean-
time rehearstng another play, and then she
presented this other play, tfThe LIARS" gem
orally considered the best of the comedies
by Henry Arthur Jones The reception OF
this was also most favorable, and Miss
George continued her way. presenting
both of these comedies Meantime reports
of what she, was doing had Travelled even
into England and Bernard Shaw, who had
refused year after year to allow any Amer
lean producer to put on Major Barbara"
released the rights in this country TO Miss
George for her to play the title role.
She produced "MaJor Barbara" at The
Playhouse in December, and with this won
Shaw play, which deals with the ethics OF
war muniton manufacture and with the
salvation Army. actually, to use Broad
way phrase, went over" In other words
II caught the public fancy In way to make
| 1t very profitable commercially. Success
was in the air. as II is occasionally on
Broadway, for some unaocountable reason
Before the curtainNwent up on Major Bar
bara" there was an advance sale of thou
sands OF dollars. which meant that the first
night was sold out and next morning. In
the first hour after the boxaoffice opened,
two thousand dollars more Slid along the
glass plate into the Playhouse box Office.
That was only the beginning. The play
drew capacity audiences on through the
holidays into the new year. An arrange
ment had been made. to protect Mr.. Shaw,
that Major Barbara" should be given for
fifty consecutive performances without tns
terruption from other plays In the reper-
tory, and Miss George gave IL not only these
fifty but many more
The great danger now had become that
the popular success OF one play would warp
her whole scheme OF series OF plays TO
avert this Miss George. after trying out
several more plays IN rehearsal. put on
The Earth" by James Bernard Pagan:
This is drama of newspaper influence In
England, and, while exceptionally well
written. its appeal is limited. and by itself
IL never would win a hearing. AS matter
of fact, II had been refused by several New
York producers. But Miss George thought
IL worth dong, ana she gave IL In Gebs
ruary.
Circumstances then demonstrated that
through the months she had been building
up clientele which now came to see the
new play. even though IL had none OF the
prestige OF a first American production. Iiks
that of "MaJor Barbara" Consequently
'-Ths Earth" got It's hearing. and In gen
eraI the comment was that Il had been
worth doing One OF the New York critics
praised II as the best written play that has
come out Of England IN recent years.
But Miss George continued on with her
series. and in March she gave her next pro-
duction, Captain Brassbounds conysr~
sion." also by Mr.. Shaw. This had besn
presented in New York by Ellen Terry. but
under unfortunate circumstances, and IL
ran at the Empire Theatre for only few
performances. Then Gertrude Kingston
gave II one Sunday night down on Henry
street. at the Neighborhood Theatre. but
this served no more than the other 70