The sun., 1916-09-17
NO WAR PLAYS IN EUROPE.


One Of the things TO make an AmAri-
can feel at home almost anywhere
abroad. according to Miss Alice Kauser,
play broker. who returned recently on
BOARD the Frederik VIII. after a stay
Of several months in Europe, il the
omn!prcsence OF American movies"
She found American screen stars
equally we'll liked in England and
in Austria and almost as we'll
known there as at home. In VI
ma and budapest She saw many
American feature films extensively
advertised, and in England 1.-THE
Birth Of a Nation" she says. IL now
enjoying a great vogue. The present
popularity Of tho motion pictures
abroad. she says. is due to the soldiers
from the trenches. either wounded or
on furlough. who turn to the pictures
for amusement and diversion in such
numbers that tho theatres are nearly
always crowded.
Mss Kauser. who IL the niece Of
Etelka Gcrster, tho Hungarian soprano,
went TO Germany several months ago
in search Of new material for the
American stage and visited the pvin-
c!ple ~playhouscs Of Germany. Austria
and Hungary while she was gone.
There are no war plays being pro-
duccd in any Of those countries" Miss
kauser says. War plays are not sue
cessfui. Theatres are we'll ~pitrviiin-i,
but war plays are not liked. The pco-
pie feel that this var is too deep and
vital "A thing to be treated 10y even their
best dramatists. Moircr wrote II play.
hut ii did not last. and lie IA nov back
at the front as "A war correspondent of
one Of the great German papers.
The failure to RESPOND to war plays
does not indicate that the theatre ia
Germany and Austria is on the de-
cline" Miss kauser says "On the
contrary the theatre Is bright and
attractive in spite " the war and o V
eral good things arc being produced.
The New York Success Romance
has been playing to packed houses in
Berlin, and another American play,
INV .N'N loIh lued IL siloItiy ~ W
produced at the Rhine hart Theatcr.
German theatregoers like American
plays.
"one of the most popular pieces IN
the German stage at present Is "A
fantastic comedy in verse called
Seven Days which is. however. il
! no way related TO the play Of the same
name produced in New York recently.
vienna and budapest run to re-
views mostly. but the effect Of the
war Nj be seen in the economy If
production. The reviews are by no
means as lavish in production as the
American reviews Or as reviews were
formerly in those places"
Miss Kauser brought back with her
two new plays by Hermann Sndkr-
mann which she says are t. lie pro-
duced in this country shortly.
Music and the opera" Miss Kauser
says. have never had such a season as
the last. Under the food dictatorship It
is almost impossible to entertain other
, wise. One cannot ave n dinner party
on bread tickets and meat tickets, so
when a hostess wishes 20 entertain
she gives n box party.
1.-THE most popular musical piece "
the season has lecn "Prinzessin
Charda." n typical light Nicnnesc
operc,ta 10y Hartman. The music Is
quite tuncful. and II may hc imported
TO this country shortly.
FRANZ Lehar. composer " The
Merry Widow and THE Count OF Lux
emburg,' has been In the trenches
most Of the time. but has found time
to write a few marches and patriotic
airs.
The season has already started at
the Ciarlottenburs Opera House and
the Royal Opera in Berlin will open
shortly.
There will he no dearth Of good
music In Germany" Miss Kauser says.
mo matter how stringent the food
situation may become"
The only mail Miss Kauser received
while she was abroad was one steamer
letter. which went across on the same
boat with her and trailed her from
Berlin TO Vienna and from Vienna to
Budapest. She was able TO commune
cate with her New York ONCE only by