Evening star., 1926-11-21

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went from this city for further re-.
hearsa's, was return to prices OF
20 years ago A glimpse back to
prices of 20 years ago. whose revi-
val is now contemplated in connec-
ton with untried material. discloses
that A. H Woods. to whom two do
lars and half is gladly donated i'll
return for a ticket to The Green
Hat" was showing at the Academy
of Music pure melodrama Of the
most emphatic BE good and-you-
will-be-happy" description and sell
ing the best seat in the house for
one dollar. Classical names have
long since disappeared from our the
aters. What was then the Academy
is now known as the Strand. and the
Lvceum took on a number of mod
ernized titles, until it is now known
as the president" William Collier
was wiling to accept a dollar and a
half in return for the privilege Of
seeing him in Caught in the Rain" "
and regarded the price as large
enough to be consistent with his
newly assumed dignity in dropping
the familiar name Willie Collier"
and substituting the more sedate
| William"
The Belasco Theater now known
as the Shubert- -Belasco. advertised
itself as independent of the theatri-
cal trust and Camille D'Arville ap-
peared in a musical play that could
be enjoyed for the small sum of Is
cents, although you could pay as
much as dollar and half if you
chose. The play was by Stanislaus
STANCE, the versatile father of the
Mr.. STANCE whose Glamour" so far
as the Washington appearance was
concerned. had not been rehearsed
70 a point where it could be saved
by an unlimited amount of we'll wish
ing. Maclntire and Heath, at the
Columbia. would have regarded re-
quest for two dollars for a 'ook at
The Ham Tree as uncomfortable
was content to accept much less at
the Majestic. first known as Ford's.
then as the Empire. then as the
Biiou (manv". people pronounced it
By Joe) and subsequently by other
names. till the muse abandoned it
entirely and it has become sort of
fruit and poultry warehouse. with no
trace Of its theatrical identity re-
naming. Chase's Polite Vaudeville,
which performed an epoch making
ork in establishing an absolute dis
motion between variety and
vaudeville" demanded tribute at the
oox office of only 25 or 80 cents. The
word variety" has disappeared from
he playhouse vocabulary. Bur
lesque' has been substituted. and
while rough acts are. offered, as they
are in far more pretentious enter
tainment, the upward tendency in
The matter Of taste and refinement
has been quite as prominent in bur
esque as the downward tendency in
the Broadway drama of the past
decade.
The threat once made of with
drawing the "Ziegfeld Follies' has
never been fulfilled. The show is in
dustriously and effectualiy compiled
from year to year by Mr.. Gene Buck
and Mr.. Dave Stamper. Mr.. Zieg-
fields personal activities appear to
be limited TO an extraordinary en-
dowment of personal charm and a
singular. graceful affability in en-
couraging a sense of close personal
acquaintance among people who real
ly meet him but seldom AS diplo-
mat of the theater. Mr.. Ziegfeld
stands exceedingly high. and in the
changeful course of the seasons he
has taken a position which entirely
reverses his old one. that of a man
ager who offered reprehensible ma
terial and invited censure without re-
/ strant. He is now esteemed as the
conservative purveyor of entertain
ment which delights the eye. permits
some rough foolery. but avoids vehe-
ment objurgations and does no
| harm.
The Big Parade" commands a
widespread interest. 1t is one of the
few impressive reflections of the
stern, spirit tbrea eaking events of the
war, which. though years have
passed. remain close and terrible in
recollection. This film draws a pic
ture of youth under conditions of
stress whose influence was. first of
all. to suppress many of the frank
ideals which are youths best heri-
tage and to familiarize the mind with
thoughts and forms of expression
which violated all previous sense of
restraint. Yet the picture remains
warm with youthful sympathy. 1t
revives the raucous tunes, the feeble
witticisms. the foolish fiirtations
which passed current at a time when
ethical considerations had but little
standing and men were deliberately
commanded to educate themselves
backward into brutes.
The rehnements and elegances of
speech and social interchange to
which the theater was formerly COM
PEELED to defer are no longer re-
quired and the theatricist may do
and say absolutely what enters his
mind. either as suggestion in view
of possible profits. or for the gratif-
cation Of some propensity of per-
sonal taste. II is a situation from
which to begin. Universities are
recognizing the need Of more schol-
arly dramatic tendency. and the
managers would be only too glad to
60 operate in educational work on
these lines for the sake of securing
new material A dramatic poet.
however. is not likely to be made in
a classroom The best of them. it is
sadly rumored. was out deerstalking
in the English woods when he ought
20 have been learning his Latin con-
jugations. A theater there must al
ways be. At this low ebb the strong
aopreciation manifested toward well