Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-12-21
Sothern Favors Little Theater
IN H. SOTHERN is cham
H MON of the little theater

~ H. SOTHERN is a cham
II, pion Of the little theatel
1s movement. In a recent in
terview in Toronto the distinguished
actor said:
II read an article by David Be
lasco the other day deriding the
idea of the little theaters. 1t seems
absurd to me. The possibilities OF
these ambitious little play-houses
are very great. should like to see
them all over the country. They
ought to be endowed by the govern
.ment, for only in this way will their
real importance to the communities
be recognized.
ut is a mistake" he continued, ito
think that the simplihed stage deco
rations are used chiefly in the inter
csts'of economy. What we gain in
the swiftness Of changing so many
scenes is Of vital importance to the
dramas. With the neutral colors OF
the backgrounds, the attention OF
the audience is not distracted from
the plays. The figures are thrown
out Just as from a. painting. The
scenery in any production should
hold a position analogous to that OF
the accompanist Of singer.
"The fact is that so tar this new
scenery has cost us more than the
old realistic settings. The bills for
production, including the pieces OF
scenery, the properties and the
lights, have come, to over T53,ooO
and all the accounts are not yet IN.
In addition the costumes tor the
three plays, Hamlet" Twelfth
Night" and "The Tanning of the
Shrew," reached the figure OF $751;
600, which is an advance of 500 per
cent over what costumes were be-
fore Mrs. Sothern and 4 LETT the
stage. As we disposed Of everything
we possessed in the way OF scenery,
properties, lights and wardrobe, it
has been necessary to build up an
entirely new organization.
1--WE have been interested In the
new school of stage designs from
its inception. We followed its ad-
vance in Paris, London and in other
foreign cities. Personally have
nothing against the detailed produc-
tons Sir Henry Irving liked 80
much, but I believe that this pres
ent method is much more satisfac-
tory for the, Shakespearean plays.
1t might be extended to the modern
pieces by few adaptations"
"Tea for Three" the sparkling
comedy announced for the Boyd to-
night for Christmas week, with
matinees Christmas and Saturday.
was one Of the genuine successes OF
the past New York season. Pro
duced by the Selwyns at Maxine Ell
fiott's theater in September of last
year, the piece was a hit from the
rise of the first curtain. The att
thor, Roi Cooper Megrue,, already
famous, for his at Pays to Adver-
tise," "Seven Chances" and Under
Cover" was ha;..d by dramatic
writer. - -ht.e sieverest of Ameri-
can playa .zqhts. Tea for Three"
was given hattering comparison to
the works of Shaw, Wilde and
Pinero. The theme of "Tea for
Three" is not an original one, based
as it is on the triangular domestic
situation of man, his wife and his
friend. but the development Of the
story is decidedly new and interest
ing. Everywhere the Righteousness
of its humor, the wit and brilliancy
Of the dialogue and the novelty of
the presentment in its entirety
leaves trail Of gleeful delight. The
action is modern, taking place in
the New York homes of the prin-
cipal characters. There are three
acts, effectively staged by the Sell
wyns. OF the players, Norman
Hackett in the chief role, that OF a
fashionable man of the world, who
fits and futters to pass away the
time, his only moments of real liv-
ing being those spent in the society
of the woman he has adored from
boyhood, now the wife of the other
man. is capital. His magnetic per-
sonality, fine voice and diction give
sincerity and conviction to the part
and in the second and third acts he
rises to splendid dramatic heights.
Hayden Stevenson portrays the
jealous, selfish, but lovable, husband,
whose greatest fault is lack of hu-
NOR. Mildred Evans as Doris, the
feminine angel of Roi Cooper Me-
grue's triangle. is lovely and gra-
cious enough to quite justify her