The New York herald., 1922-03-12

: And two houses which have done
SO much as introduce Eugene O'Neill
and make up its repertoire from Shaw
Dunsany, Barker and Galsworthy can
not but possess an important influence
in any community that takes it's
drama seriously. Nowhere does there
seem to be such seriousness about the
art Of the stage as in these two play
houses, alien as at least one of them
may be in the character of much of
it's attendance.
The Greenwich Village Theater.
probably because it seems larger and
more comfortable, falls less naturally
into the list of the theaters on the
side. although It is certainly far
enough from the broad way of the
drama. Yet 1T never seems to lose
altogether the atmosphere of a hot
house. One always expects that the
play IL it pleases the public, will be
moved on to larger auditorium. The
general aim of the Greenwich Village
Thcater. however, is always in the
direction of a higher artistic standard
than the commercial theater always
maintains. geographically. rather
than in any other way, does the Sheri-
dan Square playhouse seem to be-
long in the list of the theaters on the
side.
Moving the Successes.
The process of moving the successes
on is not confined by any means to
the Greenwich Village Theater. Even
Granville Barker's Madras House."
which would seem fitted only to the
exotic atmosphere of a more or less
private theater, had az brief term of
exhibition at the National after its
Grand street popularity was ex-
hausted.- -
The Provincetown Players have ex-
hibited a certain eagerness to get up
town. 1t was. of course, inevitable that
Emperor Jones" should be seen In
another and less exclusive environ
mcnt while "Diffrent" deserved it's
revelation to uptown audiences. The
band of Macdougal street actors even
took the Princess .Theater for, a brief
term and there tried George Cram
Cooks Tho Spring on the desert
Broadway air, while THE Verge" en-.
joyed the hospitality of the Theater
Guild at the Garrick Theater long
enough to allow Miss Wycherly to be
seen I'm the leading role. Few OF these
theaters on the side are ever satis-
fled to let their successes remain in
the atmosphere to which it has pleased
their artistic fathers to call them.
The Theater Guild is OF course con-
Quoted on a scale so much more am
bilious that its only possible resem-
blance TO the other theaters mentioned
is the lack of financial gain back Of
the enterprise. II is not primarily
conducted for profit. But its opera
tions have met with far reaching sue
cess. No task seems to stump its pro-
moters, as the current representations
of Bernard Shaw's Back to Methu-
seah" seem to demonstrate. 1t Is
indeed abroad seeking the difficulties
that Il may overcome. The Theater
Guild " OF course the more or less
direct descendant oc me Washington
Square Players. Interesting as their
accomplishments were they set for
themselves an impossible task. 1t is
impossible to interest the New York
public in program OF one act plays.
Success OF "The Grand GuignoI."
Such has been the success OF the
Grand Guignol," which Is a name
that has come to have it's significance
over the theater world. 1t was not
possible for such an experiment. to
flourish here, as Holbrook Blinn and
his associates demonstrated. There
was, OF course, the difficulty that the
programs we're altogether one act
dramas. Then their character failed
to arouse any sympathetic response
in theatergoers. Prosperity for such
an institution is not altogether linn
tied to Latin countries, however.
such theater seems to flourish in
London.
The yearly increase Of the imporA
tanco OF the .Neighborhood and Prov