New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-22
Suggestion That System
Has Points i'm Its
Favor
GOOD PLAYS OR
GOOD PERFORMANCES
Bitter Words About Mrs.
FiSke and Alexander
WOOIlCOtt
BY HAYWOOD BROUN

at destroys property said Mrs.
Fiske, when she recently "punctured
the repertory idea" with the aid OF
Alexander Woollcott and "The Cen
fury" And yet the idea may not be
entirely Debated, even though an in
telligent player, promising critic
and weighty magazine tramp upon II.
The ideas of Mrs. Fiske are ex-
pressed in certain general and sweep
ing terms which arc careless and often
inaccurate, but reinforced now and
again by specific judgments which are
probably valuable. Thus, no psrticu-
lar attention need be paid TO the state
ment: II have never known move
ment' in the theatre that did not work
direct and serious harm" Such names
as Synge and Yeats and Lady Gregory
elude the memory now and again
On the other hand, since Mrs. Fiske
SAYS that Granville Barker's produc-
ton Of "The Doctors Dilemma" was
"the mutilstion of a splendid play,
let us agree that the performance was
poor. even though we refuse TO accept
Mrs Fishes valuation Of this Shavian
drama. We also learn that Masefield's
Tragedy Of Nan" and Arnold Ben
nett's "The Honeymoon" we're killed
for further dramatic use by imperfect
productions.
Even if il is true that repcrtory
destroys, IL is also true that It creates.
But for the opportunity afforded by
the Abbey Theatre there would have
been no "Playboy" and no Patriots
and no "Workhouse Ward" 1t would
be better TO tear 1.-THE Doctors Dilem-
ma" into tatters than to lose The
Playboy."
At that, the point that repertory de-
stroys is not invulnerable. The TACT
that the Neighborhood Players did "a
Night at an Inn" has not deferred a
Broadway specialist from bringing 1T
out, and the Comedy Clubs produc..
ton Of "The Gods Of the Mountain
was followed by a professional per-
Torrance at the Portmanteau.
Throughout the article Mrs. Flske
shows an inability 10 regard the thea
tire from any point of view except that
Of an actress. We hear much of per
! feet performances" and little about
| perfect plays. We learn that only once
in twenty years did Mrs. Fiske and her
management achieve IAN absolutely
/ perfect performance" Was it "A
| Dolls House." or "Hedda Gabler,' or
"Rosmersholm" No; it was the rather
! inconseGuential salvation Nell' OF
I Edward Sheldon's.
Whether she intends il or not, the
reader cannot fail TO get the idea that
| Mrs. Fiske would regard an excellent
performance Of n minor play as more
| desirable than fair performance Of
major play. We learn of performances
which were spoiled by zone tiny false
note" For our part we remember no
evening in the theatre so wildly or
with such pleasure as a certain night at
the Maxine Elliott, when the first act
was played twice; when the action was
/ interrupted now and again as the actors
lodged potatoes and other flying mis-
sles; when great snatches of dialogue
could not be heard for the noise of at
Never Happened in Ireland" 1t was
( the first night of "The Playboy." AT
best the actors were scarcely out of the
amateur class, and under the conditions
the performance could hardly be called
perfect. And yet we would not trade
that night for such silken works as Be
lasco's actors do in Little Lady in
Blue"
And we would go further. In our
opinion. humble of course, the cause OF
/ dramatic art is better served by the
performance of candida" at the hands
( of a Sioux City stock company than by
; the finest imaginable production of
| "pollvanna" with Mrs Fiske in the
title role, supported by an all-star cast.