The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-07
By ANNA LOUISE STRONG. (By International News Service

Moscow. July 7.-They have come troping back to Moscow to play again 1T, her Art Theatre-the prodi gals who have been wandering for three years in the capitals of Europe, greet ed with pIaudits, but longing for home. Moscow also has greeted tasm with p1audits, and the Moscow Art Theatre IS running full blast all Sum fn~r. though ncst other theatres have new closed t:n Fall.
 They are glad to get back. Olga leading woman artist of the Art Theatre, sat in her dressing room re- moving the robes of the Tsarftsa. from the great historical play, Tsar Feodor, n which she had just been appearing and told me, as she put on the worn garments more appro- priate to present day Moscow. just how glad she was.
 to us.'' she said, but it is in Russia that the real fountain of art resides
 Do you not find conditions of life hard here ?" asked.
 Living Conditions Hard.
 Yes" she admitted, and for that reason some of the younger folk did not return, loving the ease and soft ness of the foreign lands But I am duced her forty years to twenty-five --"and I have learned what ease and plaudits are worth compared with real understanding of all the fine shades of ones art, such as I get in Russia
 The Moscow Art Theatre itself under Stanislawski, the most cele- brated Russian producer now living never stopped during war or revoIu- tion- For most of this period it boast that there was never an un- sold seat But now a few such seats are occurring, due to the high cost of everything and the lack of money in Russia If RusSans have money for anything at all they have it for art and for flowers.
 The group of "prodigaIs'' consisted or thrty-five players, who went to Kharkoff three years ago for fifteen days performances and were caught by the Denlkln attack and were un- able to return home. They went to the Caucasus. to Constantinople. and thence to all the countries of Europe, where they were we'll received. But rumors had spread in Moscow of their reported support of Denikin and they were unable to return home.
 Theatre Has Expanded
 Nov they have come back. at the call of Stanislawski, to the theatre rupted during their absence. They find that it has expanded, under the protection of Lunarcharsky, Com n11ss7r iof Education, SO that in place of the two studios existing before the war there now are four dramatic studies, an opera studio, an operetta studio, and a Jewish. Armenian and Datvian studio Each studio hos it's own theatre and gives performances. The artist gradually work their way up to the main Art Theatre, or if singers. into the Grand Opera of Moscow. The Government gives free rent and a small money subsidy. for which it takes in return 25 per cent. Of the tickets.
 Stanislawski htrnself descEb bed to me the changing chara cter Of his audiences during the past seven years, as we sat in the little opera studio in his own house after a performance by "his children" as he called the youthful players.
 Before the war we had an audi erce which he had ourselves trained 10 understand us Then came the war. with foods of foreigners Poles retreatins. drifting populations: it was tni nirCss1ble to play well to such people
 Revolution Causes Strike
 linen was the BolsheVil< revolu- ton and all the intellectuaIs struck and refused to work We artists did not strike but kept on playing. so we were allowed to keep our theatre. The audiences at first were rough.