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ACTING IN"TANTE"
CALLS FOR PRAISE
The performance of Ethel Barry-
more and her associates in "Tante," C.
Haddon Chambers' play, which comes
to the Whitney theatre March 26, has
been praised universally. The follow-
ing review by the critic of The Dra-
matic Mirror is typical of the high
opinion in which both star and com-
pany are held:
"The admirable stage version is
obviously Mr. Chambers', but Mad-
ame Okraska is as obviously a study
from life by the author of the novel.
The great charm of the performance
lay in the highly artistic conception
and the thoroughly consistant presen-
tation which Miss Barrymore made of
the many-sided character of the
spoiled artist, denoting the lights and
shades, the various inflections, the
actuating motives, the underlying
shallowness and play of emotions of
the character with a delightful spon-
taneity and grace., All the suppressed
little impulses of mischief, the under-
current of jealously and malice in

LIKES REPERTORY
THEATRE SCHEME,
Lady Gregory, Founder of the Irish
Players, is Well Qualified
to Give Opinion.
SAYS VENTURE WILL SUCCCEED.
Those who argue the need of a reper-
tor' theatre in America will find strong
support for their assertions in the suc-
cess of the Irish Players who come to
the Whitney for two performances on
March 26. In 1904 Lady Gregory, fa-
mous author, producer and manager,
founded her repertory company at the
Abey theatre in Dublin, and since that
time it has risen to a high degree of
eminence. Her ideas on the subject of
a repcrtory theatre, therefore, should
be of great value. In a recent talk she
said:
"The repertory theatre should be a
permanent Institution. It cannot and
does not seek to depend upon the
chance passer-by, but it calls for an
audience of regular and enthusiastic

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which is the special glory and joy of
the repertory theatre.
Considered in its larger aspects, the
repertory theatre's concern is with a
universal and evergrowing appeal, not
with an appeal which is merely ex-
tensive and stereotyped. Its ambition
to achieve, not just to succeed; for
success now-a-days is confused with
the always monotonous process of ac-
cumulation; it must have scope to
breathe and free air to develop. The
special aim of the repertory theatre
may be said to be that of giving the
public bread instead of stone, and its
business, in order to accomplish this
most satisfactorily, is to bring back
into its ranks those who are its na-
ture-born children, and who are being
ousted by the outsider. the children
of the theatre use it to its ultimate ser-
vice; the outsider seizes it for the
purpose of exploitation, and the end
of an exploitation is sterility and
death.
But the outsider does not care about
that, for him the sun is shining when
the ducate are pouring in. When bad
times come he will have retired on a
fortune, and the theatre may close its
doors. The promoters of the reper-
tory theatre, then, are looking ahead.
The drama is the people's most direct
artistic need. They will not see it
blood-sucked by the speculator, while
the public passes by on the other
side. The moment for success is now,
before the fatal process has gone too
far for recovery. The repertory thea-
tre is repairing the damage. It is.
recreating a broken dramatic tradi-
tion. Its success if properly organ-
ized, should be certain, for the drama
fulfills a need which is as deep and
far-reaching as life itself. If the light
of life shines within its portals the
people will surely respond."
Mr. B. Iden Payne will bring his
famous English Players to the Whit-
ney theatre, Tuesday, March 3, under
the auspices of the Drama League of
America.
On the afternoon of the 28th, the
Irish Players will present "Kathleen
Ni Hoolihan," by Yeats, "The Building
Fund," by William Boyle, and "The
Rising of the Moon," by Lady Gregory.
In the evening a double bill will be
played, "The Wells of the Saints," by
Svnge, and "The Workhouse Ward," by
Lady Gregory.
Lady Gregory, the founder of the
Irish Players, is fortunate in having in
her company this year two excellent
leading men, Fred Donovan and Arthur
Sinclair, both of whom are well known
in England and Ireland.

INHERITS F
SENSE 0

Ethel Bar
for .

WOULD MAKE

There is every likeliho,
Ethel Parrymore, who i
the Whitney theater Thu
March 26, in "Tante," I
the stage as a professi
have achieved fae s
writer with a crisp, c
style. Miss Barrymore l-
somewhat rare among «
mistakably hitting oaf a
ation or an idea in phra
could not change in the s
without marring. "Once
cautious," is one of Mis
mots, but is only one of
to the wit of this delight
Miss l'arrymore's gift
maker might be said to
herited, for her father, I
mnore, was noted for hi
less than was her bri
Georgie Drew Barrymore
a clever conversationalist
Miss Barrymore is foi
two instances of family r
pears that while walking
way with a celebrated v
actor, to whom Barrymo
ing New York, a blind ma
the two. The English
while he dug ostentatior
his pocket and extracte
coin obtainable, dropping
the blind man's tin cup
gives me great pleasure,'
"to extend charity to blim
it does," replied Barrym
never see what you give

-more


appear at t he Whitney March 26, in "'Tante."

on.

:Y

Actor,

"THE ONLY SON" TELLS
STORY OF NEW YORK LIFE.
NWinchell Smith's, "The Only Son,"
which Cohan and Harris will present in
tabloid form at the Majestic theater for
the last three days of this week, tells a'
dramatic story. Thomas Brainerd, a
New 'ork millionaire, who has arisen
from the ranks, is nettled over the fact
that his son, Tom Jr., has a greater
fondness for luxury than for hard work
On top of this, Brainerd discovers that
his wife, in her loneliness, has developed
an indiscreet fondness for an artist.
This knowledge is furnished to him by
a detective. In the presence of his son
and daughter, Brainerd orders his wife
to leave the house.
It needed such a domestic tragedy as
this to bring out what is best in the
boy's character. He leaves the house
with his mother. Heavy-hearted, they
go west together, after Tom has forced
his father to abandon the idea of a di-
vorce. The boy forms a business alli-
ance with a successful inventor, and in
time the elder Brainerd seeks to buy the
firm of which his son, unknown to him,
is a partner. The discovery works a
powerful change in the father, who in
his hard-hearted way, loves the boy.
Father and son are brought together
again, with the ultimate result, a re-
union of father, mother and children.
To Observe St. Patrick's Day.

When "The Onl
Majestic on Thurs
Brainerd, Jr., will
mond Kent, a pop

the brilliant
The latter as
very early c
prayer book
to Mass, me
he was retur
his club. "W
going so ear
the actor. '
torted Mrs. F
the devil!"


PLAY.

George Arliss in
>medy, "Disraeli,"
April 2, promises
t interesting the-
;eason. This play
ces of the Drama
a commended by
cs in the country.
n long in letting
ow famous 'inter-
Disraeli, for his
in a few cities
nsive tour impos-
three years since

George Arliss in "Disraeli," at the Wihtney April 2.


ted

shown at a period when
e a spectacular young Jew,
f romantic novels and the
tartling waist-coats,abut an
nan, whose warmth of Ori-
nation is concentrated on
country an Imperial world
e historic incident of the
e Suez Canal from the dis-
ve of Egypt, 4nd the saving
thereby of the short route
hosen by Mr. Parker as the
e of the play. The intrigue
absorbingly dramatic and
esting. Incidental to this
is a delightful love story,
rewd statesman is shown
ian of a young aristocrat
be worthy the heart and
te English damsel.
etion is elaborate scenically
tumes of the period, the
es, lend the play attractive
.ities. Mr. Arliss' company
et Heming, Margaret Dale,
rliss, Lila Repton, Lilla
rarles Harbury, Arthur El-
Carvill, Oscar Adye, Dud-

This week will be St. Patrick's Day
week at the Majestic theatre, and in
honor of the event the management will
offer a number of special features.
Heading the list of acts will be a-dra-
matic sensation known as "The Pass-
enger Wreck," which employs a cast of
to people. As a. climax the stage is
made the scene of a thrilling collision
betwen two passenger trains. Tracey
and Rose, two talented young girls who
sing and dance; Schreck and Percival,
a couple of acrobatic clowns, and Moss
and Erye, a pair of colored entertain-
ers. constitute a large part of the bill.
!As an added attraction, The Three Am-
erican Trompeteers, Major Tourjee and
his daughters, will appear.
Manager Lane has several surprises
in store for all those who attend the
theatre on Tuesday, March 17-St. Pat-
rick's Day.
From a practically unknown musical
comedy team to a position as headline
feature in the two finest theaters in
New York in the same week, and this
accomplished in the short space of nine
months-is the seemingly incredible his-
tory of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle.

the artistic temperament, were con-
veyed by insidious means with the
art that conceals art. What the char-
acter reveals with remarkable clear-
ness is the polish and amiability of a
pampered nature in contrast with the
vanity, the sordid, selfish attributes
and insincerity of a spirit used to
conquest and aroused to a dangerous
state when crossed, all conveyed in a
spirit of delicate comedy and sprightly
suggestion. It is Miss Barrymore's
good fortune to have the sustaining
aid of a brilliant dialogue, even if
there is something lacking in point
of situations and physical episodes.
An unusually good bit of acting is
done by Haidee Wright in the part of
a social floater who is attached to
the entourage of the great artist and
maintains a hazardous equilibrium be-
tween the two points of her patronage
and disfavor. The part of Karen
was played with much sincerity and
charm by Miss Van Blene, a newcomer
from London, and Mr. Cherry was
excellent as Gregory, without quite
measuring up to the standard of his
adversary in the play. Another neit-
comer was Mr. Edwards, who played
the poet with a fair degree of intel-
ligence; but an impressively kindly
if somewhat exaggerated dialect, im-
personation of a German violinist who
loves Karen with a tender, unselfish
devotion, must be credited to Mr. In-
gersoll. Lizzie Hudson Collier scored
strongly in the part of the bluff and
candid companion of Madame Okras-
ka."

patrons. Upon them it weaves a spell,
which is cumulative in its effect, and
its material success depends upon the
gathering together of a large body of
supporters who have taken the reper-
tory idea as part and parcel of their
lives.
This takes time.
The very term is new and unfa-
miliar, and often misconceptions have
to be removed. All who have exper-
ienced the true delight of the theatre,
and who fear not to have this emo-
tion aroused, have to be brought by
twos and threes, and then by tens and
twenties, to the repertory theatre,
there to discover its especial joy and
to fall beneath its glamour. There-
fore the repertory theatre must not be
a mere occasional splutter of fire-
works; it must be a permanent light
shining in the darkness.
In this way the repertory theatre
becomes a center of social life, and
the devotee feels that he is "coming
home" when he enters its doors.
Familiar faces, whether those of ac
quajntances or not, amongst the as-
sembling audience; the retrospective
pleasure of the memory of the former
dear and precious experiences within
the same walls; the anticipatory pleas-
ure of seeing the players, who have
grown to be almost as personal
friends, In new and different roles;
the happy certainty that the play will
at least be something more than a list-
less instrument for "killing time";
all these combined to produce 'a subtle,
intimate and individual atmosphere,

A Scene from "The Only Son," at the iv