Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-03
THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
Dissertations on Plays and
Photoplays ofInterest
to PhiiadelphidnS

- was IN tOWn lOohluR. u Is NhisptiVu
In some quarters, over sites for
4 Philadelphia playhouse grew bit con-
fidential mot about the location or
prospects of the new theatre, however,
about which he was most dscreetD
Incidentally he gave one of the shortest
Interviews graved on the mental tablets
of the present writer.
''Mr. Morosco, have the motion pic
lures hurt the theatre?'
Mr.. Morosco promptly replied:
"Nothing can hurt the theatre hut bad
plays"
This was short but not curt. Shorter
iC both senses are the recollection OF
real (not theatrical) reportorial days.
As follows: Nothing to say; and
still briefer and more intensive, Get
out"
MIR. MOROSCO is, of course. abso-
. lV1 lutely correct in his epigram. And,
truth to tell, the stage has been hurt
good deal in recent years by bad
plays They have been the rule and
not the exception. Americans have
fatal facility in turning out the most
brilliant trivialities and trash-plays,
4 novels, magazines, pictures and what
not--technically polished often, yet va
cant of the vitcl spark.
Yes. nothing can hurt the stage but
bad plays.
A CHANGE is forecast among OBJ
"A servers. The present season has
not been particularly prophetic of it,
6 SO far as the managements are 4con-
cerned, but it is pretty obvious that
certain proportion of the playgoing
public wants something better. AL
though no statistics are at hand. one
has definite impression that more than
the usual number Of stage weaklings
had to hire hall in the storehouse.
The public simply stayed away. And
what is more logical q. r.. ID. to a
demonstration than that? If the man
ayers are wise next season they will
try putting substance and soul in their
offerings and thus reduce the percentage
of fivvers.
AFEW announcements Tor next sea =
y "A son give at least the drift of the
way the wind is blowing.
Mr.. Sothern and Miss Marlowp, for
many seasons, singly and in conjunc.
tion, among the props and ornaments OF
the contemporary American stage. have
reconsidered their determination to re-
tire permanently from the boards. Next
season they will do "A patti, though
nothing is said about its being a fare
we'll. We'll, as Hamlet said to the
players. they will he right welcome.
And. by the way, the principal item
of their revived repertoire will be
''Hamet.'' Two of the comedies will
complete it. Twelfth Night ant
..Taming of the Shrew,' the Petruchie
of which. to the mind of the Playgoer
is Mr.. Sothern's finest accomplishment
Doubtless he would prefer one to sa!
that his Lear or Dane was his mos
ripely artistic portrait in his Shake
spearean gallery. .--
TT WILL be good to see capable ac
i tors again in repertoire. Mayb
we can give greeting to Ethel Barry
more, also. in repertoire next season
The other week in the course of an in
terview in New York she said sh
wishes to establish herself in n serie
of her past successes and some addi
tional pieces from the standard an
classic dramas of the years agone.
Here is the list of the things Mis-
Barrymore would like to see herself in
..As You Like It." The School fC
Scandal" mid Channel The Sec
ond Mrs. Tanqueray." Cousin Kate
ga Dolls House, 'Tante' and ''TL
Lady of the Camellias.
OF these she has already done mid
Channel" Cousin Kate "A Doll
House, ..Tante' and The Lady {
the Camellias.
''These eight plays says Miss Bar
rymore. would just fill a week pror
erly-six evening performances and tw
matinees l hope it would be nic
Interesting week for the public, and
know it would be perfectly super
week for me.
She is not the only one who Won
Ike to see her in some or all of tn
attractive list.
fsya MANY who witness the performan
1v1 Of Jack o'Lantern' believe tn
the three tots who step out of the cant
boxes and sing and dance are l.illipl
tians. As matter of fact they n
such in size, but not in reality, so Fl
as Lilliputians are rated in the sho
business. The Lilliputians, accOrdi1
TO freak specialists, come from {
Hartz Mountains, or in that stretch
country next Innsbruck, in the Au
trian Tyrol, where. unless the mi
being now made in Paris chang
things, Germany, Austria and lta
meet. OF course, this is not accord
10 Gulliver. but Dean Swift i not
best seller in showdom.
The three little ones of the Fr
Stone show were all born in sm
town outside Of Amsterdam, HOllar
and their correct name is Hoy. 7
smallest-the one who smokes the Gig
lis. as matter of fact, the eide
being thirty -four, while the other t
are twenty eight and twenty four, !
speetively. How these three sist
should be so small--none over two a
one half s.~t. in heights n quest
unsolved There is nothing in their a
cestry to account for it, as none
their grandparents were abnormal.
their brothers and sisters are of N,
NAL build, like their father and moth
The three are well educated and hi
travelled over half the civilized wOr
CsTEwART BAIRD, the tenor
~ -Little Simplicity took the I
Of critic last week when he ATTENDED
q 4ha MoGk apd Il