Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-02
SOTHERN At BEST
IN RECITAL HERE
Earnest Plea for Revival of
Romantic Drama
by Actor.

To presume TO offer critical review
of the opening appearances OF f. H.
Sothern in his repertory of dramatic
readings from his famous Shake
spearean roles and other plays yes
terday at the little theater on the hill
would be entirely out of place. When
we have said that it was Mr.. Sothern
at his best we have said it was done
as 1t should have been done.
His offering in the afternoon in
cluded readings from Hamlet" and IF
l Were King" in addition to some
amusing anecdotes of the stage. Last
night he entertained with Macbeth"
Lord Dundreary," Kipling's ITO the
True Romance" and other remi
niscences.
This afternoon and this evening Mr.
Sothern will present scenes from The
Merchant of Venice"--Some more of
his delightful "reminiscences. and a
reading of the Ballad OF Bygone
Actors by Andrew Lang. His Shake
spearean recitals are not given in cos
times. but they are brought before us
wildly none the less in his colorful
monologues.
Appeals for Roma ntic Drama.
Quite as interesting as his recitals
Yesterday were Mr.. Sothern's informal
chats between times, in which he made
an earnest plea for the revival of the
romantic drama and pointed to the need
for endowed theaters in America. as
there are today in Europe. in which
great artists might be developed.
Minneapolis is the one city in Amer
lea so far which has been aroused to
this need" said the man who has trave-
eled the cobbled-stone road of failures
to the goal of dramatic success. and
therefore knows whereof he speaks.
THE people are eager to be about the
task Of building their endowed theater,
but have not yet decided upon the man
ner of conducting the task. The first
essential, as have told them, is not a
magnificent playhouse, but a group of
capable artists. And no matter how
great the embryo genius. he is not a
capable artist after fortnight's effort
On the stage-nor after year for that
matter. 1t requires anywhere from 2
to 10 years training to produce the
skillful interpreter of artistic thought,
just as it requires years OF medical
training to produce the specialist in
medicine or the artist whose work will
pass the tests applied by real critics.
The first step, then, Is to get to-
gether a promising group of young
actors and give them the opportunity to
work together and under capable man.
agement in whatever sort of building
the city might be able to provide. The
rest will take care of itself If the people
of the country really have a desire for
the beautiful and artistic in drama. And
from my observations. I believe that
they have. There are evident signs that
people are getting tired of the So-called
adult drama"--perhaps its name is too
suggestive of the theme on which 1t
concentrates. There Is going to be,
think, somewhat of a return to the
spirit of childlike wonder, romance and
imagination, in the theater. and when
we get that we shall find that children
and every one else can enjoy Shake
speare as enthusiastically as in past
generations"
European Audiences Cited. y,
Popular prices are essential to the
Sothern pointed out, using as an Illus
tration the packed houses of endowed
playhouses In Europe, where the finest
plays can be seen at nominal prices
within reach Of every mans purse.
Men of wealth have seen the need
for endowing libraries, so that our peo-
pie could cultivate their taste for liter
ature; for endowing medical colleges. so
that our young men and women can
become great doctors; for endowing our
schools of art and music. so that other
young people with talent may become
great artists, but they are just begin
ming to wake up to the same need in
the theater-to realize that the artists
of the drama must have training equal
ly as intensive and even more eXacting
than the genius of science or the other
arts.
This new awakening. slight as it
has been so far, suggests to me the
dawn of a new era in drama. Let us
hope it will break soon into the light
of full dave F.