The Washington times., 1922-07-20
BACK
IN RUSSIA AF TER
TOUR OF EUROPE
Famous Troupe OF Art Theate'
Caught in Denikin Raid
Returns.

Returns.
BY ANNA LOUISE STRONG,
International Now Service Staff Cor
| respondent.
MOSCOW, July 20.--They have
come trooping back to Moscow to
play again in her Art Theater-
the prodigals who have been
wandering for three years in the
capitals of Europe, greeted with
plaudits, but longing for home.
Moscow also has greeted them
with plaudits, and the Moscow
Art Theater is running full blast
all summer, though most other
theaters have now closed till fall.
Other Countries Kind.
They are glad to get back. Olga
Rnippef, widow OF Tcheckov, and
leading woman artist of the Art
Theater, sat in her dressing room
removing the robes of the Tsaritsa,
from the great historical play, Tsar
Feodor. in which she had Just been
appearing, and told me, as she put
or the worn garments more appro-
TTldIe 10 DFcStHtudy mOoSOWJ JUDI
how glad she was.
1.-THE other countries were very
kind to u.s." she said. but 1t is in
Russia that the real fountain Of art
resides"
do you 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 am
an old woman"-here her smile re-
duced her forty years to twenty five
-"and l have learned what Ease and
plaudits are worth compared with
real understanding of all the fine
shades Of ones art, such as / ger In
Russia"
The Moscow Art Theater itself.
under Stanislawski, the most cele-
brated Russian producer now living,
never stopped during war or revolu-
ton. For most of this period II
boasts 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. II Russians have money for
anything at all they have II for art
and for flowers.
The group Of 'prodigals" consiste ed
Of thirty-five players, who went 10
Kharkoff three years ago for fifteen
days performances and were caught
by the Denikin attack and were un-
able to return home. They went to
the Caucasus, to Constantinop,e. and
thence to all the countries of Europe,
where they were well received. But
rumors had spread In Moscow OF
their reported support Of Denikin
and they were unable to return
home.
Theater Has Expanded.
Now they have come back. at the
call of Stanislawski. to the theater
which has been running uuinter-
rupedly during their absence. They
find that 1t has expanded, under the
protection of Lunarcharsky, Com!
missar OF Education, so that in place
of the two studios existing before
the war there now are four dra-
matte studios, an opera studio, an
operetta studio, and a Jewish, Ar.
menian and Latvian studio. Each
studio has its own theater and gives
performances. The artists gradually
work their way up to the main Art
Theater. or II singers, into the
grand opera Of Moscow. The gov
ernment gives free rent and small
money subsidy. for which 1t takes in
return rs per cent OF the tickets.
Stanislawski himself described to
me the changing character of his
audiences during the past seven
years, as we sat in the little opera
studio In his own house after a per-
formance by ''his children" as he
called the youthful, players.
Before the war we had an audi.
ence which we had ourselves trained
to understand us. Then came the
war, with floods of foreigners. Poles
retreating, drifting populations: 1t
was impossible to play well to such
people.
Revolution Causes Strike.
Then was the Bolshevik revolu-
ton, and all the intellectuals struck
and refused to work. We artists did
not strike, but kept on playing, so
we were allowed to keep our thester.
The audiences at first were rough,
unused to art, and calling out as at
a political meeting. But gradually
they also became trained to art and
made a very fine audience, under
standing as they did so great
variety of life.
And now, under the new eco
nomic policy, our seats are sold for
al much as we can to make a sup.
port for us. We have, therefore. the
new rich spectators. It Is an
audience"-he shrugged his shoul.
ders-'rather a heavy onev'
The Art Theater plans an Ameri-
cam tour in the fall, being engaged
for three months in New York, and
expecting possibly to go farther.
They will give typical Russian plays,
and also the Blue Bird" which was
written for them by Maeterlinck and
was first played in Moscow. They
are going to raise money Cor the
famine and also to refresh them.
selves with good food; since, in spite
of the help given by the government,
the Art Theater. like everything I'm
Russia, is painfully poor ana ex-