davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
In Ney York's Playhouses
By GILBERT SELDES

going to the Garrick and living
through two hours of darkness and
despair to discover how great this
Greek dramatist was and how far
he has the power to capture the
imagination of the most modern au-
dience. Ellen Van Volkenburg is the
Medea. and it was BIZ. Brownies luck
10 find his ideal character without
opening his outside door. Browne
is one of the men who does not be-
lleye that Broadway success Is the
only thing in the theater, and his
chief interest now is in the Seattle
Repertory Theater opening in Oc-
tober. with plays by ancient and
modern, European and American au-
thors, together with a school of all
the theater arts and in connection
with school of music I mention
this because il should be some
thing of an inspiration to those
who think the theater can develop
in community without regard for
the tyranny, which we all enjoy
and all resent. of New York.
AS for the "Medea." I disapprovs
OF much of the production. but il is
A magnificent play and its effect
iveness is terrible.
Going from that to modern
work, THE Letter of the Law"
had the pleasure of seeing the fine
ly drawn character work Of Russ
Whytal. a really splendid actor. and
of noting that John D. Williams, the
producer, still puts his faith in in
telligent plays. Mr.. Williams, you
will RENE mber. is the man who said
that he does not intend TO produce
plays for college-bred men any
more, because these same college
men go to burlesque shows, follies.
and such. I have heard a rumor
that Mr.. Williams is not so serious
as all that. because he takes a
friendly interest in the burlesque
art himself. However. Lionel Barry
more is not a burlesquer. and his
work In this play by BrieuX is very
interesting: but il is clear that
Lionel. having become intoxicated
tention of leaving off the fumes.
His voice, at any rate, is the voice
of Neri. but it happens to fit, and IL
you can stand a great pull on your
emotions. this play is to be seen
1t is having an astounding success
As I said. the season brought od-
dities, and the previous note is only
by way OF contrast. The matinees
are the moments of madness. Hence,
a production of 'Cyrano de Ber-
geraC." with Edward Vroom as the
long -nosed poet, philosopher. but
friend. You probably know that the
right to produce this play has at
last been won, after one OF the most
amusing lawsuits in the world, and
Rostand is established as its author
and not as plagiarist. Mr.. vroom's
performance did not re-establish
Mansfeld's vehicle on the stage. but
Robert Lorraine threatens to bring
II here after its great success In
London, so we may have it for a
long run. The Piper is another
play which is running at matinees-
a poetic success of some years ago.
with fair chance Of being inter
esting again.
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
Are Musical Comedy Fashions Changing?

q, AZ me minEpt sk Gt6eing dcd for regard
the
chiefly notable
of theme.
Irene" actually delved
OF drama albeit particularly
conclusion
The New Dictator Of light and
really unefu
Irene"
and of
talked Dixie
to the Bao that
atmosphere Harlem
devout
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
ck Leaps the Fore With the Only N1 Stage Play Of the Glad Eaaede
Dn,k,oater on the 7heater

to prove their policy. The com
merc3al theate1, on the other hand.
he finds inclined toward the waste
OF its extraordinary expertness on
too many poor plays. The hope Of
the stage, therefore, as Mr.. Drirx-
water sees II, lies In co-operation
between the one kind of enterpriss
and the other. And" he finds. 'ft
is good to see many signs of this
II Is said. and on no less an au-
thority than the dramatist himself,
that when J. N. Barrie was a boy
his mother intended him for the
ministry. Barrie's mother had all
the Scotch love for religion and she
wished James to be fitted for the
church. But the young man, like
untold numbers Of other young men.
when II came time for the matter
of a calling in life, wanted to do
his own choosing.
His mother would not hear Of this
at all, particularly when the young
Barrie informed her that his am
bition was to work on a newspaper.
She was abashed. But the young
man persevered. BY the time he
had left the university he had made
his mother believe, or pretend she
believed. that a man might be q
God-fearlng person and still work
on a newspaper. And so began his
career as a newspaper reporter, or.
as it is better known in London. q
press man.
There is no record that Barrie was
a great success as a newspaper
writer. He was exceedingly quiet.
thrifty of speech, and a dreamer. In
his spare time he wrote a novel and
sent it out. The first publisher who
read 1t send back word that he
would consider its publication on
receipt of f50-a small fortune to
script began the rounds, until final
ly one man took a chance and pub
lished it. The novel was The Lit
tie Minister"
Barrie had a great reverence for
his mothers opinion. and saw TO IL
that all his stories and novels, and
finally his plays. fell into her hands.
The tale is told that she used to
sit back quietly and laugh as she
read them. for she found herself in
every one of them. Her James -evi-
IDENTIFY never could get her out of
his mind-and didn't want to. Mag
gle Wylie. of What Every Woman
Knows" had many of his mothers
little ways. That Of tidying up the
sitting room and smoothing out the
cushions on the best chair after the
company had departed was one OF
them that Maggie used. Friends OF
the Barries say there are traces OF
the mother in everything that her
gifted son has written.
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
4 Venus of 1920

To the Greeks Venus was q su-
perior sort Of being-a mythical be-
ing in . class by herself, one be-
yond the hope Of mortal attainment
So they let her stand worshipfuI1y
alone on her pedestal, paying her
the homage due an exalted spirit.
Until now the rival candidates for
honors in the present generation
were Annette Kellermann. Aurdey
Munson and, more recently, Eva
Balfour. the celebrated English
actress.
And now comes another young
and stunning beauty. physically and
otherwise, to dispute the issue.
Olive Thomas is the girl-fascinat-
ing Olive. star of Selznick pictures.
whose latest picture, "Footlights
and Shadows" will open a weeks
engagement at Loew's Palace to-
day. The character played by Miss
Thomas in this new photoplay is
that Of Gloria Dawn" a stage
celebrity, and the part gives her
the opportunity for displAyfng her
physical charms-c harms that
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
The Stages Offerings This Week.

include
Of
in Burks hin and the Child which Grth did
our glance
Of
well known It's Garrk run begins tomorrow evening " -
n.c.
- ''-N' 'ueA'"eo
Of
by
modern ladies
gath ,N>~-'pAeeS
obse
venture While naturally recalls the
Shade of
Down Among the shsitsIing Palms.
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

Az . parting messags On leaving
for England. John Drinkwster sets
down In the April Vanity Fair .
very happy impression Of the Amer
: lean theater as he saw IL and stud
led IT during the five months Of his
visit here.
'I think" he says, 'T must have
seen more plays in the last five
months than ! had seen before that
In five years. Without having kept
a diary, and with a head somewhat
away to use a Scotch phrase, after
a spell of trying to match unbound
ed American kindness with decent
gratitude, remember some thirty
visits to the theater since 1 tumbled
: into New York at the end of Sep
81 clearly cannot pass my thirty
New York theater outings in re-
view In a few brief paragraphs, but
i may set down some general i'm
pressions and say that / have en-
joyed myself immensely. 1t is good
to confirm, by a short and concen-
trated renewal of experience as a
theatergoer, ones instinct that, how
ever fa- the modern stage may have
fallen from grace, IL remains far
more interesting on the whole than
the lamentations that proclaim that
it is no longer worth serious atten-
ton. The theater needs reforming,
IL Is true. So do we all. And in
the theater as in our own elect
selves the reform will come from
within, IL it comes at all. The the
ater will never be improved by
scolding, though scolding may be
justifiable enough. The theater will
improve as people OF artistic in
tegrity and understanding go into
it and work there for tenor fif-
teen-hours a day.
In art the public demands no
better than it gets; but there is al
ways a public for the best that is
given, il it is given by practical
and patient men and not sulkily or
defiantly by doctrinaires for whom
the theater is no place.
BY practical and patient men,"
Mr.. Drinkwate makes clear that he
means such figures as Shakespeare
himself, and Moliere, and Ibsen and
Synge, who were great artists
but professional workmen of the
thester. who knew also how to
make great audiences" This is the
kind of reformation which Mr..
Drinkwater thinks he sees going on
more certainly in the English
speaking theater than has been the
case for some generations. For
much of the best intentioned work
in the modern theater he gives
credit to small groups or societies
that have not enough capital or
resistance to enable them to work
through the period OF test in order
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
The Old Chinese Puzzle

trary. resorts to subterfuge-and
perhaps becomes a criminal.
The Chinaman. I will admit, is
a puzzle, but sooner or later we
must solve all puzzles, and the time
to begin on the Chinese puzzle,
believe, is right now. We owe it
to civilization
London is calling for Charlotte
Greenwood, and the popular come
dienne OF "Linger Longer. Lefty
expects TO give the English metrop-
oils a good laugh some day. Walter
Catlett. who supported her in so
Long, Lefty" her frst starring ven
ture, is urging her to cross the At
lantic as soon as possible. Catlett
has been making a huge success in
the British capital, not only as a
comedian but as a reader of Dickens
-he happens to be one of the best
informed authorities living today
and he has assured the eccentric
funmaker in 'Iinger Longer. Lefty
that her famous flying arms and legs
would take London by storm.
IF I go to England" says the
musical comedy favorite, "I should
like to appear first in So Long,
Lefty and then in my new comedy,
Tinger Longer, Lefty Music hall
work, which corresponds with the
vaudeville work I first appeared in,
would be acceptable, I understand.
but the musical comedy prospects
are even better. England has never
seen any of the Lefty shows, and
they tell me that over there they
have never seen a comedienne quite
like me. This explains the present
offer. but the difficulty Is that, in
the first place. I am still under con-
tract to Mr.. Morosco. and then 1
have an offer to go into comedy
pictures"
The London offer involves the
prospect that Miss Greenwood might
be absent from the American stage
for at least two seasons. There will
be no change in the popular stars
plans, however. until late in the fall,
or until her present tour in 'Iinger
Longer. Lefty" Is over.
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
Bide Dudley's Too-Subtie Humor.


missed
Dudley
agrees put the chief fault oh grieve
Beyond contende public
and for breath Of
is
his public is particularly
ceeded
Dudley, York
himself when
of a
would Washington
following cast" ~ "
evening pounded out
obviously
This what he
Mi
he across people we'll
Carrtck Theater the Capital.
How you?" md howIs
Broadway: Mashlngons own-lvey all
eVerything You haven't anything
said -How's the big he boys? And
cidentaly not
Philander Johnson happened time.
You may not hnd things quite but
thereu be plenty
anything special down with did
oSn yaP shove venT we otto Harsah
a loaded
down with anything unnnentonable, ~
Ano 50 II went Others who bout
Paul of
Walter Duggan Hirsch wilson N
chatting we decided Washfn
of the finest cities in the world-and
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

match closely her unparalleled IA
cial beauty.
Marguerite Clark, the dainty
screen star. Is tired Of the name Of
Sally.
Somehow they seem to think
Sally is an ideal name for q picture
heroine when am playing the
role" said Miss Clark recently. II
have been Sally in picture after
picture, and ! was longing for q
change when came east from the
California studios to make photo
plays in New York. When they told
me that I was to play in Easy to
Get and that my screen name was
Sally Morehouse, I just put my
foot down. Amy name but Sally
I insisted. And Mr.. Edwards, my
director, was very nice about it He
changed Sally to Milly. It isn't
much of a change. But II isn't that
eternal Sally, so I'm satisfied"
whether Sally or Milly, Margue-
rite Clark makes very charming
little heroine In 'Eaxy to Get
which opens . weeks engagemsst
sx LoevAs Oofusnbia to4ay.
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

Tn the great scope OF the plans
for Americanization the United
States seems to have forgotten the
Chinese colonies of New York, San
Francisco and other big cities. This
is natural. because 1T is hard to
conceive Of an Oriental becoming
associated with and assimilated by
the West 1 feel that this over
sight is not altogether fair to the
Chinaman- He is a queer soul. and
I believe he can be made a factor
for good"
Forrest Winant. in The Unwant-
ed One" made this stateme mt, and
he knows the Chinese, for he has
studied them in all classes. castles,
conditions and humors.
The Chinese is submissive" he
continued. "and therefore not a dan
gerous alien. The fear of authority
is inbred in him For centuries his
spirit has been trodden beneath the
heel of the tyrant He fears the
law. But he is not frightened into
good behavior. He, on the con-
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

Lent and spring have combined to
play hob or havoc with the theater
and with the few little emotions left
to your reviewer. Serious plays dis
tress his soul, and he saw all the
amusing ones in the wintry days
when he, and many other people,
needed rest and forgetting. As for
the producers, one of the most en-
terprising among them said to me
yesterday: Your troubles are near
ly over. Mine are beginning. I have
to prepare everything now so that
you can have a good time next sea-
SON." That's fair enough, and 1
might as well note now that next
season there will be eight new thea
ters in New York In addition to
the Music Box of Irving Berlin. there
will be a House of Melody with a
siXty-three-year ground lease, so
you see how pathetically confident
we are in ragtime). and the Selwyns
are building a brace on Forty-sec-
ond street. so you can realize how
faithful we are to the center of the
world. The Shuberts have a couple
and independent producers some
others. 1t will be a season.
John Murray Anderson is the man
who had faith in Greenwich Village
and put that faith into the theater.
The enthusiasts who built the the
ater near Washington Square in
clude in their number no less a per-
son than Barney Gallant, who runs
the Greenwich Village Inn, and made
a great name for himself by offer
ing to go to the Tombs when a
waiter in that establishment was
sentenced there for helping a man
put the calendar back to the good
old days. The other day 1 saw Bar
ney ensconced in a box, watching
Anderson's second production. the
first being the "Greenwich Village
Follies." The second is called
What's In a Manner" and the an
swer is. Nearly everything" am
sure that the names of the people
in the production do not matter
half so much as the stunts which
Mr.. Anderson has put on. The chief
one is taking the entire stage and
putting tall, slender screens behind
ii, with a little stage at the bottom
then yelling everything with drap-
cries and putting on this stage
whatever came to mind in the way
of little sketches. dances. songs
burlesques, a hodge-podge. most
agreeable, of things. Olin Rowland
does one-man performance of
Uncle Toms Cabin" very amusing
ly, and Beatrice Herford recites two
Of her exquisite monologues. Ev-
erybody else dances and sings and
chatters, and the whole thing has
all the virtues and virtually none OF
the vices Of an amateur production.
1t is different, and although the
books and music are not exception
al. not dull.
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

This Weeks Shows

Unwanted One a
new drama by Forrest Halsey
and Clara Beranger. unfolding a
Chinese-American romance; For
rest Winant Marguerite Leslie.
Mable Burt and others in the cast
Opens tomorrow night
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

NATToNAL-Rsturn engagement Of
Sir J. NJ Barrte's Dear Brutus,"
starring William Gillette; cast
includes Hilda Moore, Marie
Wainwright, Violet Kemble Coop
er and others Opens tomorrow
night
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
Some Stage Superstitions.

Speaking of superstition" said
Cliff Bragdon, the grotesque aero
batic comedian of The Million Dol
lar Dolls" this weeks attraction at
the Gayety, sailors have got to go
some IL they want to beat the aver
age actor in his faith in omens.
once worked in the same company
with a famous actress who invaria-
bly, raped on the wings before max
ing her first entrance. That SAME
woman would just as soon have
jumped of the roof as peep through
the curtain while the house was
filing. The late Louis James was
mortally in fear Of the number 10.
A prominent manager told me at
one time that there were two
things he never permitted to pass
the door first-a cross-eyed man or
a pass. Either one, he declared.
was sure to bring misfortune, and
seriously AFFECT the duration Of a
successful engagement. In the su-
perstition of stageland green Is gen.
orally considered the omen of i'll
luck. and one well-known actress
argued that a certain green dress
always brought her trouble every
time she wore 1t.
Bills of nine acts in length are
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04
Next Weeks Shows
sHUBERT-GARRICK-Max Marcir

SHUBERT-GARRIC MARGIN
will present Frederick Isham's
comedy, Three Live Ghosts"
with a cast that includes Beryl
Mercer. Charles McNaughton.
Olive Reeves-Smith. Cyril Chad
wick and others.
POLPS-"Greenwich Village Fol-
lies" revusical comedy of life in
New York's Quarter Latin, by
Philip Bartholomae and John
Murry Anderson, with music by
A. Baldwin Sloane: cast includes
Frances White, James Watts,
Ted Lewis, Ada Forman. Al Her
man and others.
Leo GARLIC. original star, and
Harold Russell, Winifred Bryson.
Ina Rorke and others
NATIONAL-'Listen Lester" must
cal play produced by John Cort;
cast headed by Ada Mae Weeks.
Fred Heider. Ruth Mabee. Joe E.
Brown. Allan Edwards and others.
company in Scarlet" Dickinson
and DEACON: Santos and Hayes;
Lester Sheehan and Ethel Ford:
DAvisneau's Celestials: Lily
Lena: Miriam and Wiser: Enos
Frazer; Topics of the Day" and
the kinograms.
GAYETY-James E. Coopers ''Vic-
tory Bellies" with Eddie Dale,
Micky Markwood, Franz-Marie
Texas, Vivian Lawrence, Jeanette
Brown. Bert Lester and others
FoLLY--Giris from Joyland-
PAI.ACE-Robert Warwick in Jesse
L. Lasky's adaptation OF +. e.
Mills Youngs story, "Myles Cal
thorpe, L d. b." retitled Thou
Art the Man" with Lois Wilson.
J. N. Dumont and others.
METRoPoLrTAN- silk Husbands
and Calico Wives" with all-star
cast led by House Peters, Mary
Alden Vincent Serrano, Sam
Sothern and Eva Novack.
COLUMBIA-First four days, Maui
rice Tourneurs adaptation OF
jacques Futrelle's, MY Ladys
Carter" last three days. The
.Corsican Brothers" starring Dus-
tin Farnum.
KNICKERBoCKER - Sunday and
Monday, silk Husbands and
Calico Wives Tuesday and
Wednesday. Wallace Reid in Eek
cuse Ny Dust Thursday and
Friday, Taylor Holmes in Moth
ing But the Truth" Saturday.
Dorothy Gish in Mary Ellen
Comes to Town.
CRANDALL'S - First three days.
The Children in the House."
with Norma Talmadge: Wednes-
day, through Saturday, Maurice
Tourneur's The Whip"
"Abie the Agent" Harry Hersh-
fields study Of human nature as il
exists in the daily comic strips, has
been planed and chiselled into a
play that Samuel Blair expects to fit
into a Broadway theater during the
next campaign for Broadway votes.
It is hoped that the new Able will
prove to be as good business man
a. Abe Potash has proved 70 -
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

BELAsCO-Charlot Greenwood in
Lnger Longer. Lefty" a sequel
to so Long. Lefty" original New
York cast supports the star.
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

do not know IL you could go
further by way OF contrast than
did. turning from the above men,
toned piece to a production of the
'Medea" of Euripides, put on by
Maurice Browne, Of Chicago and Sc
attic. This play is running at mat
inees. and although the afternoons
Of these days are lovely, II is worth
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

by Bradley King especially for
Miss Thomas; direction by John
w. Noble; the Inside story" OF
famous Broadway beautys
quest for love: production sup
plemented by added attractions,
including overture Easter Fan
TASTE" (Saks).
LOEw'S COLUMBIA - First four
days, Marguerite Clark in Easy
to Get" a love comedy of a
thousand smiles; story by Izola
Forester and Mann Page; scena-
rio by Julia Crawford Ivers; d.
rection by Walter Edwards; cast
includes Harrison Ford, Rodney
La RoQu0 and others Final
three days, Bessie Barriscale In
The Woman Who Understood
KNICKERBOCF<ER and to-
morrow. Pauline Frederick in
The Woman in Room 1s" and
Harold Lloyd in Haunted
Spooks:" Tuesday and wednes-
day, Bert Lytell in Sir Gilbert
Parker's, The Right Of Way
Thursday and Friday, Mary Pick
ford in "Pollyanna;" Saturday,
Elsie Ferguson in His House in
Order"
GARDEN-Cecil =. De Miles pro-
duction OF why Change Your
Wife?" a matrimonial-emotio
study. featuring Gloria Swanson
and Thomas Meighan. supported
by Bebe Daniels, Theodore Kos
lon and others; supplemented by
unusual film and musical fea-
lures.
sTRAND-Third week Of Marshall
Neilan's perturbation of TN Old
Kentucky" the famous stage
story. featuring Anita Stewart
supported by Mahlon Hamilton,
Edward Coxen. Adele Harrington
and others. Usual extra hits.
CRANDALL'S-First three days, be-
ginning today, Clara KimbalI
Young in The Forbidden wom-
an" last four days, beginning
Wednesday, The Blue Pearl"
featuring Miss Edith Hallor;
usual subsidiary features.
STEAMER MACALESTER - First
river trips of the season will be
made to Mount Vernon tomorrow
by the steamer Charles Macal-
ester at 10 a m. and 2:30 D. m.
from foot Of Seventh street
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

b r. KETTHs-Harry Fox, with
Edythe Baker, Beatrice Curtis
and Five Fascinating Bellies in
Bellies OF the Swell Hotels"
Mabel McCane, assisted by Bryan
and Broderick and William B.
Taylor in a smart revue; Cicco-
lini, Italian tenor: Lew Dock
stader, humorist: Tracey and Nc
Bride in Bits Of Exclusiveness;"
Lovenberg Girls and Slime Neary,
in song and dance; Five Nightons
acrobats; Nelson and Cronin in
-Sniles;;- Griff. bubble king. and
other acts
C0sMOs-Odiva, swimming beauty;
Capt Adams sea lions; Adrian"
comedy singing; Sue Creighton
and sister, in songs; PasQuale and
Golden; Chisholm and Green in
The Cave Man" Wilson and Will
son In The Bandsmen;~ Rather
Inc Mcdonald In The Turning
Point" and other acts.
Dolls" present q sparkling musi-
cal myth, full of comedy spirit
arranged by A Douglas Leavitt.
ChNAbACu III w fIcdS-
ure," in two acts and twelve col
orful scenes; Cliff Bragdon, Eda
Mae Scottie Friedell. Margaret
Osborn and others In cast
FOLLY - Ed. Rush's Cracker
Jacks:- Harry Bernard. Lew
Rose and Ruby Thorne head the
cast; the famous Cracker Jacks"
chorus Of selected beauties is
featured.
RIALTO-Priscilla Dean in the
Virgin OF Stamboul," supported by
Virgin of Stamboul, supported by
Wheeler Oakman, Wallace Beery,
E. A. Warren and others; sup
plemented by added flm and
musical hits.
METROP0LITAN- Freder-
fck, In the film version Of Max
MARGIN and Samuel Shipman's
stage melodrama of mystery.
THE Woman in Room 49,"
supported by Charles Clary, Rob-
ert Edeson. John Bowers and
others; supplemented by Haunted
Spooks" and other features.
LOEW'S PALACE-Olive Thomas In
-Footlights and shsdows:- story
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

PoLPS - Second weeks engage
ment Of e. H. Sothern and Julia
Marlowe in Shawespearean rep
ertoire; Tanning OF the Shrew.- -
Monday and Thursday nights.
Saturday matinee; Twelfth
Night" Tuesday and Saturday
nights; Hamlet" Wednesday and
Friday nights
The Washington herald., 1920-04-04

Bills of nine acts in length are
common at Keith's these days. The
present week is an instance. The
Albee- Keith idea seems to be to give
the pubic exfra 1Deasuea