Evening star., 1950-08-27
Drama Famine Ends
With Fall Bookinqs
Goyety's Prior-to-Broodwoy Plays,
Guild Program, Mean New Future
By Joy Cormody

famine in legitimate theaer Washington is ended.
Or to be technically pure about 1t, sis ending"
September 49, which always has the Gayety will
embark its second with play
production with gloss on it, with Celeste
veneu its author Richard W. Krakeur and Fred Fnkehoe
as its producers and Karl Bernstein as advance agent
These are fashionable names the theater Regesh
types will followed the the Gayey
prestige which it has hitherto lacked.
important the theaters stature than the first
booking the second The Barrier starring Lawrence Tbbe
is that the most booded of all institutions has booked
IL Gayey weeks for the This of course the Theater
Guild which sold $4,000 subscription tickets for its
play series the National and which exceed that impressive
record this year at the Gayety.
It's Tidal Wove, Not Mere Ripple
According this departments stagcay placed Spies these
first nmation of the Gayetys 9505l program have produced
not the rppes of interest but something approx
This enthusiasm Washington equally evident
famshed for the old profits this community
provided These atterarists to their are happy
National Capital.
New for Washington is influenced by
For one has just had brilliant of
Kiss Me- Kate the M Broadway quality @ ts nets mere IN s fne
production that attracted greatest interest was the threat
which 4oo paying customers paid $1,000 to see the
Cole er-spewacks show.
Gothom Producers Generally Interested
Only fool would like this unapped and whatever
cther kind Broadway may be- it scorns this one
it has been terrifying summer Tor play producers
York who have seen the number OF available theaer o
nish to 80 as Thirty theaters ppox
nately number that existed quarter OF century ago
ANALYSTS Of show business nothing but
smash likely to survive on Broadway.
stop told this reporter the other day. can be put
80 high that they confused with the daily bank clear
ances."
STOP Clauses Menace All Save Smash Hits
stop the provision in contract between pro-
dcer and thater that play shall close Wnen
its box Office earnings fall below specified level
with the demand what it will be this season.
the stop figures can skyrocket and undoubtedly will
only result in the theater being driven more
and more to the lot of citizens have thought be-
longed long while. -
has made theaters like the Gayety much more
important to them prestige which aeaoy
rejected really bright bookings the house has mao
since its conversion last season.
In its turn Gayety is responding handsomely IN It's new
prestige
House Reseoted for Coming Season
The MANAGEMENT modesty tentative attitude toward It's
last bookings late in the season.
concerned about in the Nationals policy and hesant
about how much remodeling its earnings might justify
The involved in converting the theate from
respectable temple
drama limited with giving surface uster
ock removal of before opening the doors to COM
panv It was that time available money ana future
prospects permitted. ~ -,
Now that the prospects comparatively brilliant with pro-
ers interested restraint bookings blocked by FED
taken heart
It's biggest the theater the that nnlsnes
off the earlier reseang the house Its bursque atmosphere
has completely perhaps but enough to make the
eligible road towns leading teater
1t ready Nations Capital ebirth OF the drama
on a scale worthy of the community.
Segegaton? ayey does not have It, Besides segregation
is the explanation teaters DISAPPEARANCE from washington
One the subject mentioned in the excitement OF the