Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-05
Drama Famine Ends
With the New Gayety
Capital Has q Theoter and q Play
And Possibly q Sound Future
By Jay Cormody


Nineteen months Washington
end tomorrow night.
The New Gayey (Which rejected this departments suggestion
Nationa will
with 1.-THE Barretts OF Wmpoe Street. starring Susan
Peters.
Most of the houses 1897 seats more than likely all of them
the curtain the plays 10th
puse and living players will begin going through the motions and
emotions of between Elizabeth Barrett and
Robert Browning. two Of historys best-loved lovers
will be that the ghtf world of reality which always
gtu here than in merely ordinary Cities will give
way little while the world of Illusion
There will be those who than little embarrassed
than thoroughfae that shelters the
important a world capital
great cche which down from Greeks namely
that theater building street but idea art
culture medium that first began to haunt mans mind before he
knew than the fundamentals Of building construction
great the world Paris, Rome
London York. beauty. luxury oca
ton with relatively modest modern movie palace Yet the
tonal Juror the 10 months absence legitimate drama from
No more eloquent proof could be offered that it not the
tainer, but the contents. that counts.
Productions Will Matter.
The New Gayety Wasngtons drama conaner but 1t Is the
productions that to it that will really matter
What these will out to be conjecral the subject
how legitimate theaters Washington will have when all
projected competitors the verbal
the these the
week with mention again Of the Beasco Strand and Columbia not
the seemed safe against appropriation by entire
bent satisfying the cy hunger for drama
not improbable that the New Gayety will not last forever the
legitimate teater that here but at the moment that
furously prestige prestige
in its previous A of existence
The vocerous anxiety of apparently be in the
revival of drama in Washington only vocay suggests that the
availability of theater here might lead to book
ings the situation Gains
This nmated in the fact that both elements the legi
theater interest the potential of
ington These the ideal small which believes
and the realsts who enormously ounuber the
Others who believe in rich producer has
something to SELL
thinks it has national shame that
Washington lacked the cultural theater the
shame that all that going something else
including televsion SETS
What Will Sell Will Count.
the nature of humans that the latter offers the
brightest promise Of genuine attractions the New Gaye They
something sell against cultural They
objections art being blended indeed
critics able rhapsodc this
achievement What they do object to is having not enough
customers for their wares to make enough money
it that they book Washington with their
old enthusiasm when productions begin take shape the
autumn.
following fortnight
anywhere.
Washington therefore, will be left to hope that the
the principal presenting evivas of
number of hits which escaped this city during the 10 months of
which sounds reasonable behind the
opening attractions Williams double prize winner
"A Street Car Named Desire"
Judith Evelyn it's repeatedly booked for
three weeks.
production which might we'll fix the
Gayety firmly its Washngtons legitimate
theater before the
At the first concrete evidence will begin to show
itself tomorrow night.
Where all will knows