Evening star., 1924-10-26
The Stage Reveals Herself
In Diffident Debut.
By Ph;1ander Johnson.

The Theater takes her cue; little
haltingly and unprepared, for the
dear girl has had a hard Summer.
What with the Actors Iniquity and
the bulldozing Managers Associa-
ton. she answers the inexorable
summons OF the Autumn calendar in
i palpable state OF nerves. The busi-
ness branch of the theater has been
trying to dictate to the art depart
mcnt. and the art department has
shown a naturally resentful spirit.
Formerly actors did not appear to
care a great deal for money. 1t was
necessary, but unpoetic. incident
of their relationships. When it came
in abundance, they would delight to
scatter it along the curbstones. The
managers realized its value and its
power: first as means of providing
Tor the material needs OF cherished
proteges then as a means OF auto
cratic assertion. The impressario
became slave-driver. Actors be-
came colossal in their demands for
Iucre: not so much because they
cared a great deal for it. but because
they knew the managers hated to
give it up.
:. =:
The business side OF theatric en-
terprise escapes popular attention
Yet it is uncompromisingly in con-
troll of opportunity, and, therefore,
in control OF taste. There are few
more comfortable possessions for
the land and building owner than
1,c
must have entertainment. We will
take mediocre if we cannot find
good. We will accept poor if we
cannot find mediocre. The control
OF booking time became the great
consideration. The problems OF the
theater evoluted into a housing
problem The disclosure of a play
was accompanied by implied threat
of the foreclosure of mortgage.
so, it is not surprising if Miss
Theater OF the Fall of "a has seemed
little stage frightened.
j. x i
Under suchlike circumstances" as
the immortal w. S. Gilbert phrases
| II. ''surelv never had a male so ad-
venturous a tale!" The theater is old
Vox Popul himself. and no amount
of arbitrary. inefficient and in
sincere control can prevent the pub
lie from watching with affection for
the glimpse OF message. During
the Summer the late Mr.. Gilbert
made us merry. De Wolf Hopper
brought forward several of his
operas. and the audiences loved
them. The Gilbert satires, so deftly
implanted in rhythmical recollection
by the adaptable musical scholarship
OF Sullivan. were critical in their
purport to a degree possible only to
the confident and stalwart era OF
their inception. Who would imagine
satire on the navy i'll these later
days like "Pinafore," or reference
10 army and police like Pirates OF
Penzance," or scoring OF our
somewhat influential modern lounge
lizard like "Patiencc'? The insin-
uations would have seemed too
poignant to be endured.
Following the season of De Wolf
Hopper. Polls Theater invited a
reckless comparison. Gllbert's ver-
sification took the nonsense form
which he reduced to its final possi-
bility in the limerick"
There was a young man of st. Bees
Who was stuaE on the neck by wasp.
When aske1, does it hurt?'
He replied "No it doesn't
But I thought all the while, twas a
hornet
No better practical joke will ever
be made at the expense of the GUIDE
literary taste reading in expectancy
Of the pcrfunctory rhyme. Polls S
brought along THE Purple Cow.
The title was a reminiscence OF
smart decadence, when Aubrey
Beardsley's pictures subordinated
the human figure to extravagant de-
tails of superficial establishment
Carolyn Wells, who is obligingly
prepared to write anything from a