New-York tribune., 1921-02-27
Shifting of Theatrical
Center Fails TO Check
Prosperity of Carrick

The recent extension until June 20,
1927, Of the lease of the Garrick The
ater held by the Theater Guild
promises the survival of the one re-
naming playhouse in the Herald
Square section which has not been
torn down, remodeied or devoted to
| vaudeville or motion pictures within
the last twenty years.
Although the Garrick was built as
! recently as $780, it may be considered
! historic, as Broadway reckons history.
During twenty-five years the center
of theatrical gravity has moved north
so rapidly that the ancient glories of
Dalys, OF Wallack's, of the Herald
Square, and of other early neighbors Of
the Garrick are already fading. That
the Garrick itself should have "come
Back" after five years of threatened
oblivion is all the more surprising,
since the coming back has not been
the result of revived theatrical ac~
tivity in its neighborhood, but of the
isolated effort of one young independ-
ent organization.
Built by Edward Harrigan and opened
and the Four Hundred on December
20, 1890, the Garrick was for four
years known as Harrigan's Theater. and
remained the property of the Harrigan
family until December, 1916, when it
vas added to the list of Shubert
theaters. Francis H. Kimball was the
architect for Harrigan, although the
theater has been often remodeled--
for the first time when i'll 1895, Rich
ard Mansfield leased it and assumed
management. The lease was to cover
a period of five years at yearly
rental of $4,000. Mansfield rechristened
the theater the Garriek, and included
IN his plans lounge where tea, cof
=. fee and ices Were served. The Gar
rick was reopened on April %, 1895,
with Arms and the Man." with sub
sequent repertory of the more famous
| OF the Mansfield plays.
Charles Frohman became lessee of
the theater on August 1, 1906, and re-
mained in possession until April 80,
1919. During the carrier years Of this
period the success of the Garrick con
tinued Caught in the RAIN" Fifty
| Miles from Boston" and "Raffles' Were
among the plays that were presented
there during that time. Gradually there
came change. More and more thea
ters were being built further north.
| forty~second Street succeeded THIRTY
| fourth as the theatrical equator. Nov
| ing pictures added competition. For
several years the Garrick policy
| "aVered. After housing q succession
of try-outs and Inherent productions
seeking one-week or fortnight stands +
was surrendered to vaudeville, burs
iesque and moving pictures. An en-
| peflmeht of "ali-night movies" was
/ tried unsuccessfully.
! Hemmed in by the tall BUILDINGS of
the new Herald Square develonnlenr +he
Garnek seemed doomed. Broadwav
managers shook their heads oyeT its
future Sentimentalists wrote to the
press ABOUT "The Passing of the Gar
For two seasons the copeau PLAYERS
occupied the Garrick; then came the
end OF the war and their return IN
Paris. During this time, however +be 70
disposition of playgoers had been slow
~ changing. One by one, little thea
ters on b'~streets had been exner;-
raentAng with plays and with audienrea
-aeg always successfully, perhaps. bnt
usually interestingly. The Neighbore
mood Playhouse, the Bandbox (the
carly home Of the Washington SQUARE
Flayers), and other theaters off the
beaten track had drawn increasing
groups aWa& from the "theater crowd .
50 1t was not wholly as an experiment
that the Theater Guild in 1919 leased
the Garrick from the Theatre Fran
ealse and undertook to present five
productions each season.
The first guild production was "Bonds
OF interest" on April ii, 1919. The
second, four weeks later, was 'John
Ferguson"
After two seasons. the Theater Guild
has established itself and resstahIisbed
She Garrick. The extension OF the
lease indicates the success of the guild
and the continuance of the present
policy may be compared with the many
experiments in the Garrick during the
last ten years, to show that a theater
with traditions can never be pronounced
beyond hope of resuscitation.