New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
Washington So. Players
They Failed, but First They Produced
"TriRes," ''Fn the Zone," "The Life of
Man'-And Also Some Superior Acting
By Haywood Broun
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: A recent editorial in your
valued newspaper entitled "The Pro-
fessional Amateur" has been called to
our attention.
The writer of this editorial, in
speaking of the Washington Square
Players, says:
Now that they have failed, every
tody wonders why. Various reasons,
including the war, helped; but we sus-
pect the underlying cause was a very
simple one-that you cannot be both
q professional and an amateur in the
same breath. -TS
"The Washington Square Players
sold their amateur birthright for the
chance of Broadway. They retained
much Of thei. old amateur pretension,
but their outlook, their plays, their
productions were necessarily colored
by the Broadway viewpoint"
There is no need to wonder why any,
body fails in the theatrical business,
because everybody fails at some time
or another. It's that sort of business
If, indeed, it is business at all and
not an adventure. The Washington
Square Players would have been con-
tent to remain at the Bandbox Theatre
indefinitely, if that had been possible.
But, as a matter of fact, on account
of the small capacity of that theatre
they were unable to pay their actors
a living wage
The actors wanted to live and the
management of the Players yielded to
their anxiety. So much of compro-
mise they made, but it seems to US
justified. The company did its best
work at the Comedy Theatre. We
think it may be maintained, with no
more than the usual opposition, that
the most significant achievements of
the Players were Susan Glaspell's
'Irifes," Eugene O'Neill's .Tn the
Zone" and the production of Andre
ieff's "The Life of Man"
We are prepared to go further and
say that "Trifies" was the most note
worthy achievement of an American
dramatist within the last FIVE years.
AS matter of fact, we merely put
the fve years in as sort of check
because we realize our tendency to un-
bridled enthusiasm. However. our
judgment concerning "Trifles" is not
ar overnight opinion. 1t isn't some
th'ng carried straight from the the
atre to the office in a subway ex
press. If We are wrong our error is
deliberate and premeditated.
Only in their first season were the
fiayers amateurs, and in that season
thcir enthusiasm was more praise
worthy than their achievement.
Later they became something which
perhaps Is more rich in possibilities
shan either professionalism or ANA
seurlsm. They were semi-profes.
sionals. Much, if not all, of the an
thus'asm OF the amateur was pre.
served, and they did develop a great
aea' OF the skill of the professions,
There was something of pose alwavs
In the ovcrsevere criticism of TN. not.
ING of the Washington Square Plavsrs
"of course, they can't act" was
more or less the popular thing to s,v
1t showed that the critic or casua, oh
server was sophisticated and not n bo
fooled. Now in reality some ~ ,hs
acting of the Players was exceedino,v
good, just as some was as bad as von
could wish. Several performers who
were casually classed as amateurs as
long as they remained with the pIav.
crs straightway became finished artists
ms soon as they appeared on Broad
way In professional companies.
Few recognized Roland Young. for
instance, as one of the best light come
dians in America until sbs was snatched
away from the Comedy. =. w. Gibson
was another who had to wait for his
praise until he became professional.
Then there was jose Ruben, who re-
csiyed better notices for worse Per-