The New York herald., 1922-08-06

the metropolitan playhouSeS were
utilized in this way-went far to prove
how liberal managers are when it
comes to taking in any sort of an
artistic tenant that viii help to pay
the rent. Drums of Jeopardy"
"Salome" and the summer minstrels
are almost forgotten-but not entirely.
W1kdom in Their Action.
Maybe it was just as wise for the
next to the Theater Guild in artistic
importance to take the ease of a Sab
batical year just now. The Province
town Players earned the gratitude of
the public by introducing Eugene
O'Neiil to the New York stage. He
continued to provide the literary dis
tinction that the programs possessed
down to 1.-The Hairy Ape" But for
his participation in it's repertoire the
institution would have lost long ago
any importance that 1t ever had.
Doubtless the powers Of the theater
would be disturbed by the difficulties
of finding the necessary plays for an
other season.
The Neighborhood Playhouse could
not specialize in O'Neill, although "The
First Mar" was to be seen there last
winter There is some ground for the
suspicion that only so much O'Neill
as nobody else seemed to care for went,
however, to the theater in Grand
street. The American playwright was
not necessary TO it's record. Apar,
from such efforts as Great Catherine
and "The Queens Enemies there re-
Gently have been Galsworthy's "The
Mob" and Granville Barker's Madras
House." But it seemed In spite of
such worthy achievements as il the
wisdom of taking year for breath
was just as obvious in the case of one
theater as the other.
Both had evidently in the eyes OF
their directors come to be at least as
important as the commercial theaters
which appeal to a public inestimably
larger. 1t is a singular trait of the
dramatic reformer, one might say of
the artistic reformer, whether literary
dramatic or musical, that he is not for
long satisfied BY artistic success. Once
ii is possible to present plays or OPP
GIdS III a Wdy liliL lltClS NNCA al NAoNAN
demand straight away there comes the
longing for financial success. even
profit. or course the drain of loss
cannot be met for an indefinite period
On the other hand the scramble for a
return other than artistic on the out
lay of reformers is not more in reality
than a desire to play manager. Often
this ambition has done much to frus-
trate the aims OF benevolent patrons
ofthe theater.
Such an ambition never seemed to
color the aims OF the Theater Guild
Yet there were signs that the two So
cieties which are to rest for a year
considered themselves quite as inn
portant as the most popular of the
regular playhouses. They were nc
longer content to introduce their plays
on evenings which had not already
been preempted. They went into quite
open rivalry for the attention which
playhouses appealing to a vastly more
numerous clientele received from re-
viewers. Evidently they had become
quite aware Of their own superiority.
Whenever such state of mind exists
ii is well for tie victim to take a vaca-
tion always. 1t makes no difference
whether he deals in art in any of its
many manifestations or in soap. He
needs rest when he feels like that.
VIII There he More Shakespeare .
Since the performances Of Shake
speare organized to mark the anniver-
sary Of the playwright's birth, there
has been the barrenness predicted by
farseeing impresarios at the time. Ar
thur Hopkins realized beautifully for
John Barrymore's Richard Ill.," and
Rcb2rt Edmond Jones's too complete
Indulgence in his artistic ambitions
offered in a production of Macbeth" 4"
which brought fame TO neither Mr..
Hopkins. Lionel Barrymore nor Mr..
Jones, who was In reality the chief Of
fender. Walter Hampden, Fritz Lieber
and Robert MantelI have been oc-
casional figures in the seasons pano-
rama. No other manager has done so
much, however, as Mr.. Hopkins.
Now there is a promise OF unusual
devotion to the dramatist This year
will bring notably the joint debut here
of David Belasco and David warheld
in THE Merchant OF Venice" which
ought easily to be the most interesting
incident of the theatrical year Ethel
Barrymore will play RosoIind under
the direction Of Arthur Hopkins. who
is TO give her the exclusive posses
sion OF the Longacre Theater to act
other heroines Of the Elizabethan. But
he has so far said nothing about the
proposed revival Of "Othello." with
Lionel and John Barrymore in the
leading roles of the tragedy. II liz said
that Fritz Lieber has become appre-
hensive over the conditions existing in
the. towns outside New York and may