The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-30
CHALONER TO STAR
IN PLAY HE WROTE
"Who's Looney Now" to Make
Sweat and Blood He Shed
Pay, He Says.
TO BUST LUNACY TRUST
"RObbery Under Law" Will Be
Produced Here With Much
Realism.
TO BUST LUNACY TRUST

John Armstrong Chaloner is going to
make the public pay. The author who
showed one of his greatest strokes of
genius with who's looney now7" and
who recently won his twenty-two-year
fight to be declared sane In this State.
announced yesterday that In addition to
busting the lunacy trust on the lecture
platform he will harry It from the stage.
Mr.. Chaloner intends not only to produce
one OF his plays. Robbery Under Law"
, which he wrote several years.ago as part
OF his campaign ef lunacy law reform,
but he intends 10 make the acting repu-
tation of John Armstrong Chaloner in 1t.
Mr.. Chaloner Is not doing this. how
ever. with the aim of capitalizing his
experiences and making the public stand
and deliver just because he wasn't al
lowed here once without a keeper.
As Mr.. Chaloner himself says concern
ing his production: 81 would any day
In the week rather see a good play acted
than act in a good play" Though
earnest citizens will be admitted to the
drama for a consideration. Mr.. Chal-
oner's prime purpose Is not to blow his
own horn with 1t, but to sound the
Judgment day trumpet of Gabriel, SO to
speak. for the so-called. "lunacy ring"
Chaloner Announces Himself.
All this came to light yesterday when
Mr.. Chaloner summoned reporters to
HIM In his apartment on the NTH floor
OF 80 Washington Square East. which
might be called the birthplace Of the
Chaloner drama. Mr. Chaloner read from
a document which was longer than the
Declaration OF Independence and which
had preamble calling the attention
o. the scribes that this room was hence
forth TO be a meeting place for them
having been itted up so that II called TO
mind the Witenagemot, the ancient An
glo-Saxon assembly OF the wise men,"
Then in Washington Square, which has
been the starting point for SO many new
movements in the drama, there was
heard these words:
THE object Of this meeting is to an
nounce to the country that / have con-
centrated my attack upon the lunacy
trust by Joining the lecture platform. no
less spectacular aAd glittering an ally
than--the theatre.
who's Looney Now proposes to
make the sweat and blood ne shed, so
to speak, for years while beating his
soul against the bars become a mar
side Of his managers ledger-the Broad
Way manager OF twenty years stand
irg who is about to bring out my play
Robbery Under Law which wrote in
the summer OF 1914.
TO avoid all doubt as to my object
in going on the stage in the leading
role in Robbery Under Law'-that of
Hugh Stuffeld-I hasten to say that
neither fame nor fortune-neither desire
for fame nor an increase in my fortune
cuts any figure therein. Far from IT,
Frankly, l am passionately fond of the
theatre, and have been all my life-but
purely as a spectator. The idea OF
making up'-of plastering my skin with
grease paint-and then having to face
the acknowledgement I be mitted
to say hellish glare of the footlights?-
makes me exceedingly dubious as to
the pleasure / shall experience in work.
Ing out my salvation on the boards"
Manager Gets His Answer.
When Mr.. Chaloner took up the prop
osition with producing manager
whom he didn't name-he agreed to
have the play. good as it was, retouched
by a. professional dramatist, but when
the manager asked him why he didn't
get really good actor" for the chief
role Mr.. Chaloner states plainly that he
swore a great round oath and declared
no one should play that part but him
self. Then he let the manager have
this:
"If 1t were a question OF my attempt
ing to act the role OF Othelfo or Richdrd
UI. your second condition aforesaid
would be enthusiastically accepted by
me- But II Is not a question of acting
Richard Ill., or Othello but John Arm
strong Cha'oner-upon whom Hugh Slut
field Is drawn-and no living man can
act John Armstrong Chaloner so we'll
as can. can act John Armstrong
Chaloner TO the life
Mr. Chaloner feels that the tenancy of
a theatre-the name OF which, with the
date OF production. will soon be an
rounced--wi'l ena BILE HIM TO use II for
lectures on Sunday. as the use OF Cooper
Union on the Sabbath by the Peoples
Institute seemed likely TO choke OFF his
lecture plans. Finally, II the play should
fail. he promises not TO hold II against
the American people.