Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-08
Rather Discouraging
Efforts to Revive the
Affairs of the Theater
English Shakespeare Company Popular and Can
Be Classed Among Washington Early Season
Hits -Theater Guild Returns With New Play
By w. H. Landvoigt.

- INCE the opening of the new
season, each succeeding
~ week has. seemed to suggest,
with ever-increasing force
fulneSS, the fact that something
is more or less out of order in
Denmark, or maybe elsewhere, so
far as the theater is concerned.
This despite the herculean efforts
of the Theatrical Press Repre-
sentativeS, Inc, to bring back the
road" and to revive a fading art.
To the close observer there has
been something Of problem pre-
Sented as to the cause. At times
it appeared as if the coat was the
offenSe, and at other periods it
seemed to be the owner who was
trying to sell tiff you remember
the story. The result has been
that our home folks who have
some regard for culture and much
love for the theater, tortured by
the frequent misfires of the
prophets, seemed to have reached
the conclusion that, perhaps, it
was best to let it alone entirely,
for a while, at least, until things
assumed a more dependable atti-
tude.
The current week, however, has
brought a pleasant surprise in
the remarkable patronage &C
corded the Stratford-Upo
Players, who have given us as
delightful presentations of a group
of ShakeSpearean productions as
washington has ever seen. There
was no attempt at the bizarre or
sensational in staging or lighting,
such as are promised in the Nor
man Bel GeddeS production of
Hamlet that may or may not I'LL
timately reach Washington. But
the settings, massive, yet simple
in effect, and beautifully lighted,
in connection with human char
acteriZation and the traditional
rendition of the lines of the
famous bard by talented actors,
well trained in ensemble as well
as individual effect, have worked
miraculous conspiracy that has
made Shakespeare popular, for a
week, at least, in a center that
long has found its theatric art in
the talking picture and it's thrill
in the beautiful wickedness of
Earl CAROLS "Vanities." These
English players have shown us
beyond the peradventure of a
doubt that the great need of the
times in our theater Of drama is
not the pounding of its virtues
into the heads of numbSkullS or
yokelS in "the sticks" but in TAX
ing from the production centers
to the American people drama
that is worthy in type and in the
manner of its presentation.
It is not even claimed for the
people of this troubled land that
they are superior in mind and
morals to those of other lands
for often they have strayed away
after false gods. But when any
of these wise and experienced
creators of theater attractions
either in New York or in Holly
wood, where rather the imitation
is a matter of mass production
do their duty our people know
how to make their selection and
they are always ready to respond
with a patronage that SHOULD
gladden. the heart Of any box Of
fee, If box Offices really have
hearts.
Il
AS against a fascinating roper.
tory of the ancient plays thai
have always charmed men o.
minds and manners, we have {
modern effort at playwriting b!
the brilliant s. N. Behrman