Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-26
HILDA SPONG INDICTS STAR SYSTEM IN DRAMATIC
ART; CHAMPIONS CAUSE OF WELI-ROUNDED PLAYS
Young En- G is h Actress
Talks Entertainingly of
Need of Theatre of To-
day
Deplores Tendency to Sub
ordinate Sterling Work
to Desire for Immediate
Success

IN
\ returned today by Ililda Spong. an
actress well known here and abroad, now
playing at tho Little Theatre.
The star system Is the greatest OBJ
stacle in the way Of good drama today"
she said. II have always been interested
in tho wcll-balanccd, finished play. This
balance is being sacrificed TO the star.
Other parts are made inferior, character
parts arc ninimized. everything that goes
to make the play even and well rounded
is being absorbed by the star part Plays
are even written around star, aud Il Is
easily seen that such would affect the
rest of the production. There really IS
nothing like steel; company for we'll
rounded play"
The gray walls Of the theatre, an oc-
casiona! section OF an attractive room
and pieces OF stage property formed q
gloomy background for this attractive
young Englishwoman who sat on an old
! bench telling Of her interest in her pro-
! fesson and her suggestions for its i'm
provement. The occasional word or sen-
tcnce drifted out from the stage where
mon and women already well known in
the theatrical world were rchearsing fol
the production OF a piece OF real drama.
Her dark fur coat and small feather hat
merged into the sha adow Of those SIR.
roundings and seemed 10 symbolic that
adjusting power which any one who
succeeds in this world must have. but
/ her bright face radiated enthusiasm and
II determination to do her 'bit' toward
tho accomplishment of her ideals.
! Life is filled with innumcrabe taska,
there Is work for each and every ind.
! vidual, people are working at whito heat
as never before, and SO It Is not surpris-
1 Ing that in many instances tho world Is
forgetting or at least neglecting the up
lift and Improvement in its Chosen pro
fess!ons. But. according to Miss Spong,
this is not necessary.
"There Is time for the work at hand,
I winning tho war, and Yet there is time
as well for our home work. this Woman
who Is being seen here this Week N y
Gauntlet said.
Coming from tho headquarters Of the
Actors and Actresses War Relief Assoc
citation in New York, where sho is one
Of tho directors. a member Of four COM
mlttccs, one OF tho leaders in the drive
for funds and ,ovcral other things, Miss
Spong is giving Of the best OF her crea-
tive ability in the portrayal OF Mrs.
Dles in this Scandinavian drama bring
ing to lovers Of the strong, old-fash-
toned play revived interest and spread
ing to the general public an apprecia-
ton of good drama.
These days. you know. everything is
so frightfully commercial Miss SponG
said "the managers and producers dare
not take anything that will not prove
lot
promising bits of real drama, as well a'
the masterpieces of older playwrights
have been crowded off the present. -da )
stage The Theatre Workshop offers a.
oDportunity TO the actors and actresses
TO play the things they really want &c
play and so We who are so interested II
the re-establishment Of the art OF th'
theatre as one o! the hne arts come
here and give what time we can 10 til,
production Of drama. We have manI
well-known theatrical persons who Civ
a considerable part Of their time TO thi
unfit work. | believe ] have the names
here" and sho opened her knitting bag
There arc men who disdainfully claim
that this kuittiug-bag craze Is hoax
/, that women carry them because they arr
! bright and attractive. and even though
! they may have ball or yarn and
couple Of needles in the bag, knitting II
= furtlpSt from tnCN luousHNS' Inns hllS
ring bag was q revelation, the rcvcla
/: ,ion of rimble wits and nimble hands
u There were reports and al! sorts o
I literature on the Actors and Actresses
War Relief Association, and the nesrl!
finished khaki sweater and the sock jus
? started told Of minute snatched her'
Z and another there.
"You see" this young English. womai
conflded, smiling sadly, Il have to Keel
-. nv brothers supplied with KNITTED
= thinrs 1 have two in the war On
of them has been in tho trenches sine
last December Not minute can b
= wasted these days
! To turn to the play "a Gauntlet
+ being produced this week. \ Ilttle plr'
I whispered that Philadelphia was slow
. that the subtlety OF the ending OF tn
: nlay had so escaped the audience ina
4 a fourth act was going TO be added 10
. the remainder OF the run.
0 at is nothing of tho knd.' Mis-
: Spong denied. philadelphia audience
. are extremely appreciative and | low
: Them. To be sure we are going TO ADJ
n fourth act this week, but that wa
our original plan. The original OF =
Gauntlet" by the playwright, Il. BJoern
son was written in three acts. III
Y friends. however, persuaded him 10 max
n a happy ending for the play, and so h
. later wrote the fourth act. we ar
> anxious 10 see how both versions will b
> received by the public