SUNDAY, IMARCTJ 23, 1925
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE THIRTEEN
SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 1q25 THE MICHIGAN DAILY 1'AG13~ THIRTEEN
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Jiusic and Drama
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The American Prize - Pla)
46 -48 Bowery,
New York
By Irene Wlinemn 1 ish aid to those managers and pro-
The New York Morning Telegraph, ducers who are seeking plays suit-
-] I
believing that America has started an
era which will make it a formidable1
rival of all other nations in artistic
products, is, as the recognized spokes-
man for the theatre among the coun-
try's daily publications, endeavoring
to find new talent in drama and to this
end offers a prige of $1,000 in advance
royalties to the man or woman who
submits the best full-fledged play to
its contest editor on or before August
1, this year.J
Because so many of the recent ex-
cellent plays have come from persons
but a few years out of college, and
from some still on the campus, The
Morning Telegraph is making an es,
pecial appeal to the stud~nts of drama
throughout America's various instituf
tions of learning, although it by n,3
means considers others ineligible. The
gist of this enterprise is, first, to en-
courage the writing and production of
meritorious plays by new authors, and,
secondly, to give vicarious and unself-
able to their own ideas and experi-
ences.
The :restrictions are few. One-act
plays and operas, of course, cannot be
entered, and musical comedies shall
not he seriously considered, but an-
other form of full-length drama,
ranging from tragedy to comedy and
satire will be welcomed. - One other
restriction arises out of the Morning
Telegraph's campaign for new ma-
terial. Any person who has had a pro-,
duction on Broadway is automaticallyI
barred from the contest. If the win-
ning contestant has previously listed
his offering with a stock or company!
producer and his play is bought or
contracted for before August 21st,
former Michigan student who is now
studying music in New York City.) C
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Recently we attended a performance
at the Thalia. The theatre is in the
depths of the Bowery and a really
impressive musty old house with
graceful operatic balconies, paintings
of Shakespeare, Meyerbeer and his ilk
with flying blaclbirds and pink angels
on the ceiling.
We arrived late, at nine, and Bos-1
cetta was doing his tricks, one song
after another, between which, when he
changed his clothes, cats prowled the
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and sang three more waltz duets in
varying costumes which they changed
leisurely-their act lasting some 30
minutes in all.
The other performers were equally
generous with encores, and the result
was that Comm. Godono, matinee idoll
and Bowery Barrymore, came on just
shortly before midnight. By this time
the audience was augumented by the
East-side elite, who came in near-fur
coats to hear the star.
.. .. . He came on, accompanied
by an orchestral fanfare, very John-I
Drew, in the strippest formal dress,
the pinkest of button-hole orchids,I
the sleekest of black hair, the softest
of black eyes, with the most lachry-
rnose of tenors and the most im-
passioned of gestures. He sang many,
many song with lengthy intermissions
By Max Ewing I forming a right angle, and Vuolo,
(Editor's Note-The following ar- growing tender, promptly sat down on
ticle is a description of an Italian the latter during an entire refrain.
vaudeville house in the Bowery writ-. After this they left the stage-prob-
ably to rest-and the cats and boys
t n +,,,,,,,,, ,Tt rm y Ewng,., ,,,a,. ;came back. Finally they re-appeared
ed the stage to a cat. The frequent
repitition of "Mamma" led us to be-
lieve that the songs were the Italian
equivalent of that about the well-loved
Irish matriarch.
When he was through the "Drama
in 2 Atti" commenced-"Gli Ultimi
Barbari." Every speech was read
first by the prompter, then repeated
by the actors. The effect was often
that of a round, for the actors would
commence to repeat before the
prompter had ceased. Occasionally
too, if the speech was no longer than
"Si!" the actress (or actor) might re-
member it ,and get the word out
quickly; but the prompter undaunted
would call it out forte immediately
after.
We left at one A. M. before the de-
nouement. There evidently, was no
action in the play. It was psychologi-
cal like "Exiles," it seems, and its
import frankly escaped us-even
though each speech was heard twice!
Ring Lardner's forthcoming book,
which was originally announced by
Charles Scribner's Sons without a
title, will be called, "What of It?"
The Scribners also announce that
Stark Young's new book is to be call-
ed "Glamour: Studies in the Art of
the Theatre." Both books are schedul-
i
f
;I;;>:: I There is a rugged simplicity about
'' this man, and a rugged strength un-
derlies his gentleness. He has an
Katherine Cornell American's keen sense of humor, a
who with Ann Harding and Leslie York stage. She has just completed twinkle in his eyes, and a smile so
NIoward is the featured player in an engagement in the title-role of the infectious that it moves his audience
Michael Arlen's dramatization of his Actor's Theatre production of Ceorge to rippling laughter. In his splen-
famous novel, "The Green Hat." The Bernard Shaw's "Candida," and her lid art of dlelivering songs, each word
production is being staged by Miss Cs other successes include "The Out- is clearly enunciated, each tone is
rinell's husband, Guthrie McClintie, sidcr," "The Dover Road," and "Will fully colored.
and will have its world premier this Shakespeare." Her appearance in
evening at the Garrick theatre, Detroit. Detroit is especially fitting because Far away from the scene of his
Miss Cornell is to-day one of the she was at one time the leading lady eventful triumph, Lawrence Tibbctt
most prominent and promising play- in Jessie Bonstelle's repertory coin was born in Bakersfield, California..
eis of the younger school on the New Iany. Il is first professional engagement was
___ in a Shakespearean repertory con-
__ _ _ _ _ ___ pany. This was followed by an en-
i gageenmin spoken drama with the. .
Civic repertory company, and in turn
Tsucceeded by another with the Cali
he Sensational Mr. Tibbett fornia onera. company. in 1922 Tib-
the day on which the announcement empty stage and an array of boys
of the winner will be made, such win- dressed as barbers or something ranI
ner will be automatically disqualified up the aisles selling ice cream.
from commanding the guarantee of Next came Vuolo and Narcisso. I
$1,000 -royalty advance and a first- don't know which was which, but the
class Broadway production. In such lady, whom we will say was Vuolo,
an event, the prize and contract will was as big as Mme Matzetmauer and
go to the second choice of the commit- Elizabeth Rethberg combined. She
tee, unless it, too, has been self-elim- stood a little on the bias, Pisan fash-
inated by previous sale or production ion, leaning forwards, and was dress-
in New York. ed as a (loll in knee-length gingham
The Morning Telegraph promises and a big hair-ribbon-conscientiously
that the winning play will be produced ingenue. The 'pack-drop represented
in some well-known Broadway play- a. waste flanked by rugged projections
house, and guarantees, regardless of that might serve either as the Pyra-
the outcome of the venture, $1,000 to mids or Gibralter. The blue moon-
the prize-winning playwright, who light was turned on, and Narcisso
will benefit otherwise just as any sue- came on in a canoe, recalling Lohen-
cessful playwright, with full royalties grin and establishing the locale as
and the utmost in the way of publicity. Gibralter. Then he climbeda canvas
This contest is prompted by the de- wall and came on land. There follow-
sire of the Telegraph to encourage ed a Tosti-esque waltz duet, during
and help young writers to enrich the which he took the proposal position,
dramatic stage of America. one knee on the ground, the other
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Po ia iiag
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It only took Lawrence Tibbett, bari-
tone, native of California, descendant
of generations of Americans, fivef
minutes of actual singing, to arouse a
hitherto unheard of scene of .enthus-
iasm at the Metropolitan opera house.
New York. That same night saw the
news speed throughout America, over
the Atlantic, to all the music loving
capitols of Europe.. It was the first
time in our country that such a splen-
did triumph was accorded to an
American. . . . And this was how it
happened: Tibbett, not long with the
Metropolitan Opera forces, was given!
his first big chance in the role of
Ford in Verdi's "Falstaff". At the
end of the second act, he came for-
ward with the other artists for re-
peated applause and then the curtain
fell, supposedly for the last time. Not
so, it merely marked the starting of
the "joyous riot". "Tibbett-Tibbett",
were the shouts mingled with the re-
doubled applause. Ile alone was the
one whom the vast audience desired
For fully fifteen minutes this kept up
And still no Tibbett. Finally, in des-
peration, a hurrying messenger found
him sitting quietly in his secluded
dressing room, he did not know they
wanted him alone. But when he did
appear there was no longer room for
any doubt. Such pandemonium broke
loose as has seldom been recorded
in musical history. In but a few min-
utes a young almost unknown Ameri-
can had been lifted to fame's pinna-
cles . . . Up to that night he had just
been a young baritone, possessing a
lovely voice . . . . a young man who
seemed awkward in action and lack-
ing in distinction and authority. And
then he made his "Ford" a master-
piece both dramatically and musically
But it is only fair to add that this
was made possible due to the fact
that Von Wytmetal and Serafin gave
bett determined to come to New York
Eto further his connections in opera
S tsinging. With him he brought his
mp their iersonal attention and wife and twin boy5: to acconiplish
brought out the best that was in him. the long trip he b'rrowed money on.
"For the first time he was taught his life insurance, all he had in the
what make up meant, how to stand, world; and took the risk. Five months .
how to walk, how to listen. The re- later he obtained a contract with the
sult was a splendid lesson in the need Metropolitan opera company in New
of competent training and example." York, where an unprecedented tri-
Art is an acucmulation of the ages. umph in the early part of his second
For it tradition and study are neces- season placed him in America's hall
sary. of fame.
For Easter
Wliat would compare with a gift of a
Diamond
Buy them and use our new Divided Payment Plan
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Let Rentschler produce that
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between, during which he relinquish- ed for early publication.
II
A Place to Spend Your
Friday and Saturday
Nights
By the end of the week, when you have
seen the best shows in town, it is often
a problem to know where and how you
will spend Friday and Saturday nimts.
Granger's Academy offers a solution to
your problem. Here you can spend two
enjoyable evenings dancing to the per-
fect rhythm of the music furnished by
Bill Watkins and his Granger Eight.
Dancing every Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday night.
i'
GRNEISAA)N
Tell us what you think
of the Rentschler cases
this week. Theyre extra
special!
Por
319 East Huron
trait Photographer
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ISunday
DinneH
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Soup T
Cream of Tomato
SWafers Olives Celery
PrF'icasseed Chicken with Biscuit I
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T-Bone Steak I
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Asparagus Tips on Toast I
Mashed Potatoes E
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Dessert
Home-made Apple Pie
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