New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-07
Thomas, Otto
Kahn and Others Putting
Their Heads Together.
SHAKESPEARE VOGUE
ENCOURAGES THEM
Carefully Selected Stock COM
pany and Moderate Sized Play
house MIR. Thomas's Idea.

A new endowed playhouse in New
York devoted primarily 10 Shake
spearan drama and 70 the occasional
production of works Of modern dra-
matte art of kind that does not make
its principal appeal to the box-oflice
may become reality before the close
of the next theatrical year. The
project was first mentioned by Otto
Kahn and Augustus Thomas Thursday
night at the dinner given by Mr.. Kahn
for the Mayors committee Of the
Shakespeare Tercentenary Celebration,
although neither the fnancier nor the
manager gave any intimation Of the
scope which the plan might assume.
Yesterday several Of the men inter-
ested with Mr. Kahn in the foundation
of a Shakespearian theatre said that,
while the scheme was still in a nebu-
lous stage, it was certain that the at
tempt TO provide New York with such
a theatre would be made as soon as
they could come to a decision on the
practical details involved.
Adolf Lewisohn, who was one Of
the promoters with other wealthy men
Of the New Theatre, now the Century,
said that, in his opinion, the educated
theatrical public in New York had be-
come sufficiently numerous to support
a theatre which gave them good Shake
spearian drama, in addition TO other
plays of a consistently higher grade
than the average Broadway produc-
ton. The fact that there was so much
protest against the purely commercial
drama was evidence enough, Mr..
Lewisohn thought, that the people
wanted something better If they could
get it. Such theatre might not be
self-supporting at first, but If there
were no radical errors in its establish
ment it would be sure to be q success
before long.
Encouraged by Shakespearian Interest.
Another of the men behind the
scheme, Paul ID. Crayath, said that the
public had manifested in the many
Shakespearian plays given this year,
though he did not know what form IL
would take.
Augustus Thomas was certain that
a theatre for the purposes outlined by
Mr.. Kahn was practicable and that the
people of New York we're sufficiently
interested in Shakespeare to make u
Il success 1--WE have learned enough,
said Mr.. Thomas, from the failure of
the New Theatre to be able 10 predict
about what form a similar scheme
should take to enable II TO be an artis-
tic and commercial success. 1t should
not be small playhouse, because you
cannot get enough people into 1t TO
make it profitable and because on a
restricted stage you cannot get the
effect necessary for the more preten-
tious dramas. At the same time, the
theatre must not be so large that the
facial expression of the actors is lost
70 the rear Of the house. With the
modern stage lighting an actor can
move his audience to laughter by
simply lifting his eyebrows. In a big
place like the New Theatre oil of that
is necessarily lost.
Carefully Selected Stock Company.
81 presume that there would be
stock company OF carefully selected
actors, and there is no reason in the
world why a company brought together
TO give Shakespeare should not also
make success Of modern drama. IN
spite OF the general impression, | am
certain that we have the material for
as great Shakespesrian players as at
any time IN the past. Witness the
extraordinary success Of Thomas Wise
as Falstaf recently. With little
dramatic training he gave as good a
performance of that character as any
/ one of this day can recall. Brandon
lyman, Ign Harding. Edith Wynne
Matthison and many others have given
sufficient evidence that the ability to
play the great Shakespearian dramas is
not in the least lost"
/ Mr.. Thomas was particularly en-
/ thusiastic over the training that such
stock company would give TO actors.
That alone was enough to Justify the
scheme, he thought.