The Washington herald., 1919-11-30
THE DRINKWATER FORCE IN ART

There are many sides to John
Drinkwater. whose play. Abraham
Lincoln" now in its second London
season. will be presented at the Shu-
bert -Garrick Theater by william Har-
ris. jr.. this week. Although in this
country but a few weeks, his public
utterances have stamped him as a
parsonage Of importance. He is a
force in art. He has shown himself
10 be a keen commentator on Ameri-
can tendencies and ne is the more
acceptable in that role because he is
an optimist OF the highest type.
Mr.. Drinkwater is particularly in
terested in the growth of native
drama, and ne regards small produc-
ing compafies as the most natural
outlet for this. Last week. when he
was the guest of honor at a luncheon
of the New York Drama League
quite the most successful the leaGue
has held-with hundreds of persons
present-he told of his work with the
Birmingham Repertory Company
which has become one of the two
leading acting organizations in Eug-
land. This company was the first to
produce many plays of Importance IN
GLIDING John MaSeield's The Faith
full 1t also brought Abraham Lin
coin to the light. introducing it first
in Birmingham. then taking il to Lon
don and acting il there for the past
year.
Fourteen years ago Barry johnson
and myself" Mr.. prinkwater said.
concluded that there was n vast
amount of energy being expended in
theatrical productions OF uneven quail
ity. while a great number Of hne
plays lay unacted. on the shelves.
We found also that there was through
out England a real ferment toward
the lettering of the theatrical stand
ards. but we discovered that in most
towns this fermcnt expressed itself
in the form of playgoing societies
which talked a great deal about drama
without doing much to get better
plays done in the theater. 1t seemed
to US the logical course would be to
start from the beginning to do some
thing ourselves. so that we confined
ourselves to play producing. doing it
at first with an enthusiasm that was
only equalled by our incapacity but
we gradually grew in expertness.
1t took three weeks to erect the
elaborate set" of the British House
of Lords for The Miracle of Love. -
the new picture on view at Loew's CO.
lumbia today. Over 800 extras" all
British, take part in the scene. and
over three-quarters of them have ac-
tually been in the House of Parlia-
4 Q ~
debates. They declared that the re-
production is faithful in every detail.
Lester J. Nermilyea. art director of
Cosmopolitan productions, is respon-
sible for the work. and based his
ideas upon a detailed set of drawings
which he worked out from his per-
sonal observation of the House OF
Lords and from architectural books.
THE Miracle Of Love" is a stirring
story of English high life, with
Wyndham Standing and Lucy Cotton
in the chief parts. The hero is a
younger son of a British noble FAM
lily who is about to renounce his ca
reer as an idle and impecunious lord
and seek his fortune outside OF Eng
land. when he suddenly becomes heir
to the title through an accident
death of his elder brother.
Cosmo Hamilton, the author and
playwright. had the unique experience
recently in New York of spending the
morning at a motion picture studio
watching one Of his novels being
screened. the afternoon at a matinee
of Scandal" written by him, and
the evening at the premiere OF his
latest stage play, IAN Exchange of
Wives"
The picture was The Miracle of
Love"
Forrest Stanley. the featured mo-
tion picture actor. usually tries to
visit New York at least once n ,ear.