The Washington times., 1922-07-30


able Libraries.
CONTINUED from Page 81
AND now comes Gary McGarry,
present manager and direc-
tor of the Garrick Players, un-
dismayed and with a great hope
In his heart, with the announce
ment that he plans all-the-year-
round stock productions for
Washington and hopes ultimately
to house this permanent fixture
in a theater of its very own,
built to specification with ami.
and convenient to Government
departments. That's what we
call handing adversely whole
armful of lusty thumps.
But to go on with our story.
Mutual Productions first spon-
sored the Garrick Players four
teen" weeks ago. Mutual Pro-
ductions then consisted principal
ly Of Monta Bell and Arthur
Leslie Smith. Bell withdrew ac-
lively to do scenario work for
Charlie Chaplin. Smith had
other associates and the project
went ahead until suddenly he
withdrew to establish the Belasco
Players, taking with him Wanda
Lyon and Earl Foxe. Survivors
made an assignment of stock
to Thomas jefferson Tucker,
who directed things for several
weeks and who then ousted him
self, ,bequeathing the shabby
growing mantle of dictatorship
to George Henry Trader, who,
after two weeks; stepped aside
whfferthe Actors Equity Associ-
alton took charge to guarantee
salaries Actors Equity is Still
keeping a sleepless eye on the
company's affairs but Gary Nc
Garry is now managing director,
The Versatile Gary! One mo-
ment Lord Dashington in an airy
farce, bored with nothing to do;
between acts prorating salaries,
comforting with attorneys paci-
flying janitors, bargaining for
manuscripts, alert for the inevi-
table subpoena, and fashioning
mental pictures of an endowed
stock company in its own musee.
We like McGarry for his indie
fatigable sense of purpose and
his enduring, faith. Some day
we thinks hh preside over a
battery of. diversified cash regis
ters. But not in Washington.
WE mean to say that this will
not come to pass in Wash
ington unless the Garrick policy Of
play selection adheres more closely
to the FIeischman school than that
of Anthony Comstock. In other
words. the need is for vitamines.
The production Of two decidedly
unprofessional plays. Tho Mar
riageable Mother" and Tho Hole
In the WALL" plus Charley's
Aunt" which we last saw acted in
q medicine show, is enough to
blast any enterprise into a thou
sand atoms Of medioority.
With, Ada Meade and Dennis
King: there Is the nucleus for high
standard in any stock organization.
The need, as we see It. is to bal
ance their undeniable talents and
those OF certain other members of
the company, with competence in
the play production end. Maybe
the trend is that way now for
certainly "The Gentleman from
Mississippi has pointed the way
toward popular approval.
THERE is room here for one good
stock company; crowded space
for even two II tranquility pre-
walls Lawsuits, prejudices and
dissension, related to both COM
panies,' will fatally demonstrate,
however. that there isn't room for
either for the public win not capt.
tulate to performances 'ill-advised
and poorly acted because ex-
traneous causes interfere with the
actors doing their best
MEANWHILE, as we remarked
above. when the box office
falters, someone in tho business
can make royalties by writing .
book and, II localized to Washing