Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-13

THE season Of 1915-16 in the New York
i theatre has been, in the whole not only
one Of the most profitable financially, but
one OF the most encouraging artistically
z IN many years. Not only have the movies
failed to kill" the spoken drama, so far
as New York city is concerned, but they
actually seem to have benefited II in GER
tain ways. They have reduced the num-
ber Of theatres, and so increased the rela-
tive number of good plays, for 1t is easier
to find good plays for 80 theatres, say,
than for so. And 1t seems to be the fact
that the great exodus of stage stars of
Los Angeles has actually resulted not so
much In a dearth of actors as a survival
for the spoken stage of the actors with
the keenest devotion to their act, AT any
rate there has been a much higher level
Of acting down through the casts from
hero TO butler this winter than at any time
IN decade this is especially true of the
masculine side of the casts. The women's
roles have not always Jared so well. We
do not Intend to push speculation too far
along this line
Artistically, the outstanding features of
the season were the excellent production
Of Louis Anspacher's play, "The I'm
chastened Woman" which carries on the
tradition of Clyde Fitch the establishment
by Grace George of a repertory theatre
where high comedy is acted unfortunate
", only such comedy as contains a leading
role adapted to Miss Georges somewhat
limited range); the successful establish
ment on paying professional basis of the
Washington Square Players experimental
and radical theatre (our vers libre of the
stage) and, finally, the unpredictable and
great popular success of Galsworthy's
powerful and searching modern realistic
QlrAA
John d. Williams with John Barrymore and
q splendid cast 1t is a fact that seven diff
ferent theatres refused to book this play,
predicting only failure for It, and the joke
is now certainly on them. Under the
circumstances, it would be difficult to over
estimate Mr. Williams courage and faith.
de Is just starting out as a manager.
and he might so easily and excusably
have given up the fight for this play. But
ne didn't. He stuck to his guns till he
nnally secured the Gambler Theatre-and
now he sits back and watches the line at
the box office, and believes the public
aren't such fools as they are painted.
In addition to the production of 1.-THE I'm
chastened Woman several good produc-
lions were made this winter of interesting
native plays, though none of the plays
was on the whole, quite 80 good as Mr.,
Anspacher's. The most successful, from
the financial standpoint, was undoubtedly
Hlnchell Smith and Victor Mapes' comedy,
Ihe Boomerang" produced by Mr.. Bel
Aseo II has run all the season, and is
sui playing to packed houses. Nor Is its
success difficult to understand. This little
esnedy is bright, entertaining, clean as a
snlsge, sufficiently sentimental. and,
kpoye all, acted with complete surface II.
,pslon OF reality. 1t is worth doing, and
y y done supremely we'll
another eXCellant native comadV IA ssrrha
sssat Lover" In which Leo Ditrichstein
LAYS lhe part OF a popular and amorous
snsFHlle hero. This. too, is capitally acted.
s.la deserves Its success. Sam Forrest,
o. me Cohan and Harris forces, staged It,
n !. mention this fact because this winter
mas demonstrated how much success de-
1snas upon good stage directing. Jus
- $ was staged by B. Idyn Payne; "The
519omerang," by Belasco; "The Great
Lsysr, by Sam Forrest And these three
1psn are among our best directors.
smother pleasant feature OF the season
rs the return Of Mrs Fiske in a rollIclx-
ek fantastic comedy role. in "Erstwhile
susan the sort OF role only she can