The Washington times., 1921-12-18

sAsv As@ss~s~ ~ $50 - S~~s -
circumstance.
The public can sleep later on Sum
day. After attending . performance
today late sleep u necessary. The
show never starts ON time ~ id.
vertised and rarely ends until It has
fatigued its patrons.
Do managers realize that the
suburban trains dump Thousands Of
people every night into the city for
theater- going purposes. and do they
realize that these people-upon
whose patronage the very welfare
Of the theater depends-have to 80
home again7 Trains win not wait
for them. Owing to the slovenly
and inexcusable manner Of start
ing q performance at any old time
thousands OF people are forced to
miss last acts. or lose their trains.
Sooner than do that. they prefer
to stay at home, and right they are!
You'd do the same. Mr.. Manager!
The suburban trains usually ar.
range things 10 that the theatsS-
people land in the city q few min
utes before 8 o'clock. what hap
pens7 They 60 to the theater. find
that the performance starts just be.
fore o'clock and there they sit for
three quarters Of q blessed hour
locking at the asbestos curtain. It
is nice curtain. but by constant
inspection 1t grows hateful. Why
this unpunctuality7 IL THAT keep
ing faith with the public2 You may
say that 1t IL a small matter. I say
that it IL q very HUGE matter, and
until this indifference and negli-
gence Is rectified the managers have
NO case against tho public. The
theaters are not run for the benefit
of few late diners who enter after
hours and disturb everybody. Or
II they arc run for the people. why
don't they come out and announce
1t? Why ask tho public to be seated
at certain hour and then disregard
the courtesy of those who have COM
piled with the request?
WHY don't managers como out
into the open and take the
public into their condolences? Why
skulk in equivocation? Why not
say frankly that seats for some
shows can be bought for half price:
that seats for Saturday nights are
infinitely more costly; that 1t doesn't
matter what time the performance
begins, and that those who depend
upon suburban trains should stay
away? Just a little candor. There
is none.
And then there are hurry calls
to those interested In the theater"
to come and discuss the perilous
condition Of things theatrical. Do
you wonder at the unrest? There
is an absolute flouting of the public
on the part Of the theater people,
and then they kick!
have already discussed a few
Sundays ago the terrible affronts
to the public intelligence that have
been offered as plays this season
quite without excuse. One can never
gamble on a success, OF course, but
plays have been pitchforked on to
New York stages this year that had
neither rhyme nor reason-shoals
of them. No critics were needed TO
tell what they were. The theaters
ar so unpardonably numerous that
attractions" are necessary and on
the off chance Of some of these
awful things getting over" the
public Is buncoed. Some of these
shows are placed in the cut rate of.
flee BEFORE they open. BEFORE.
mind you. Nothing Of this kind is
told to the public. The public acts
in good faith; the manager persis-
tently In bad faith.
NOW. I maintain that never be-
fore in the history Of New York
has the theater been so powerfully
strong as 1t is today. It is the IA
vorite topic Of conversation every
where. 1t is almost in the blood,
so to speak. Those who don't go
to the theater are pariahs at any
gathering. This public adores the
play. This public feels, as I always
feel, that the theater is the safety
valve Of the community. Where
on earth would we be without IT.?
Just imagine it IL you can.
With this tremendous force all
in its favor the theater this season
has been a succession of failures,
and some Of the plays that failed
-.