The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-07
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC }. HssHIN. Dtrecpo.
Washington, ID, c.
ART TRIUMPHs IN THE THEATER

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ART TRIUsfPHs IN THE THEATER
New York City, Jan. e.-As night
after night the New York Theater
Guild continues. to place above its
box office window a sign reading.
Sold Quit" a surprising truth is be-
coming more and more seif-evident:
Namely, that the average theater-goer
is just as eager to spend his money
to see a good play as a bad one.
The play which the guild is new
presenting to such crowded houses is
Bernard Shaw's "Heartbreak House"
1t is unsuestionably of the .'high-
theatrical circles to be SO fatal to
the success of the box office. Further
more, it is not the only play of high
artistic merit -which is drawing ca
pacity houses here this season. There
are at least six others, including The
Mob" and 1.-The Skin Came both by
John Galsworthy; Sampson and De-
lilah" by the Danish playwright, Sven
LANCE; The Woman of Bronze by
Henri Kistemaeekers 'aFhy Name is
Der Weibsteufel," and Mixed Mar
riage,"- st. John Ervine's latest con-
tributiony
Incredible as it may seem. the pub
lie is clearly and regularly Registering
a loud hurrah for Art. Either it has
suddenly changed it's mind about
what it Ikea on the stage, or all along
the big theaterical producers have
been wrong. For years. they have
been perfectly sure OF WHAT he peo-
pie wanted to see in the theater We
know what you want" they told us
firmly. You want to be entertained,
soothed, tickIed, shocked, uplifted,
and excited, but you do not want to be
made to think. Most Of the plays
we give you are bad, but that's why
they succeed"
The fact that on an average of 60
per cent CT these sure-fire hits have
failed miserably a month or SO after
their production has had no effect on
this theory concerning the tastes of
the public. The fact that literally
rolled in community dramatic clubs
where they learn to distinguish good
plays from bad ones, has likewise
made no Impression in commercial
theatrical circles. Still, there is hope.
The men at the head of the theater
industry have not much faith in the
intelligence of the public, but they
have infinite faith in the cash receipts
of the box office. And this season is
conclusiveiy demonstrating that art is
triumphing over twin beds, lingerie,
spirit raps, Let-X-Edual-the-M Murderer
Equations, and the usual quota of
feeble musical comedies.
In great measure, it is believed, this
sudden rise and popularity of we'll
written dramas is due to the work OF
the New York Theater Guild. For in
producing Ervines John Ferguson"
the guild first proved to the New York
theatrical world that play might be
good and at the same time CONNER
cial success. In other words. they
showed the public that it really was
capable of appreciating something
good if it got the chance.
The i'm, m pdiafe result was that sew
eral Broadway producers were COM
PEELED to go hastily thru their desks
and bring forth one or two on the
hundred or more excellent plays that
had been lying there unneticed for
months, and to consider producing
them. 1t was a risky venture, how
ever, so when THE Jest was put on
to compete with the artistic fame of
John Ferguson" it contained the two
safely popular Barrymores, Lionel and
John-enough to carry almost any
play in New YeFk-while Ethel Barry
more was put in Zoe Atkins's play,
"Declasse, because it, too, was con-
sidered risky on account of its unhap-
| py> ending. Later Lionel Barrymore
was transferred to the Brieux play,
THE Red Robe" given the American
| title of 1.-The Letter of the Law" apd
Elsie Ferguson was temporarily
snatchd from the movies to appear in
Arnold Benefits characterization of his
Book of Carlota."
All of these plays proving successful,
| the producers are taking bigger
| chances this season, which accounts
| for the unusually large number OF
good plays to be seen. The big pro-
ducers You see, cannet afford to nave
the theater guild get away with all the
| dramatic art laurels, because the guild
| is the one small but important compe-
titor of the organized labor industry.
Since the actors strike, it is no
secret that the theater industry is COM
| pletely controlled by an association OF
| producers and managers, who own all
of the principal theaters turnout
| the country and hence virtually con-
| troll all of the Players For while you
may be an extremely popular star, you
| cannot get people to come and see you
unless you hire a theater, and the only
| way you can hire a theater in a good
| location in any fair-sized city is thru
| this mana gers and producers associa-
ton.
Fighting the Trust.
| Years ago when these associated
producers first began buying up all OF
| the available theaters, a few we'll
known actors and actresses, including
| Francis Wilson, Joseph Jefferson and
Mrs Fiske, attempted to fight the en-
/ terprise with an independent actors
association of their own but it was not
| successful. These three, of course
| could afford to lie Independent, be-
| cause people would have gone to see
| them had they appeared in n tent on
a vacant lot. but few others in the
actors association were SO fortunate
| And the producers and managers did
not fight back. They merely offered
the more important of the rebels very
| fat contracts, SO that before long there
were only three or four rebels left.
This early lesson had such a dis
! couraging effect upon recalcitrant
| players that no attempt was made to
dispute the complete domination OF
| the producers association until the
| Theater Guild suddenly came to life
| two years ago. The guild was not
| formed to combat the theater trust
1t has no such ambitious idea II
hopes-to get along quite peaceably
with that organization. But ii does
want to be independent, because ii