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11. Reigen
box 17/7
Schnitzler and“ Reigen.“
Tothe Dramatio Edttor
Certalnly one wan-to keep the over¬
sexed young play from being later pub¬
lichy censored by the pollcs is to sup¬
press it privately at first blusli
Considering this as a means, the
burgers’ rlot agalnst Schnitzler’s
Reigen,“ given in Vienna some time
ago, appeared hopeful. Apparently the
riot expressed " publio sentiment“
against the play’s subiect matter.
course a rlot on the streets is hardl;
deally private as a meanr of suppres
sion. Also, the police, who, had they
been allowed to arrive a few week:
ater, might have censored the play
nurried to the scene at thrt moment
only to censor the rioters.
Now it appears the demonstration had
nothing to do with morals, It was not
even critical, being directed against
what the author toas, not against what
he thought. As the custom often is with
genluses, Schnitzler is a Jew. The riot
was antl-Semitic and was led by the
Thristian Socialist Party.
However, the play was stopped for
several months here, though it was run¬
ning at that time in Berlin and with a
was led astray. They had so fine à
chance for a personal suppression.
Vithin the last week there have becn
moments when it looked as though
Reigen“ might be brought to America.
where it could be used as a staple ex¬
ilbit to show newcomers who were in¬
terested in, but had not yet been thor¬
oughly Informed as to, the type of
Slay that needs personal suppression
Reigen“ has been deserlbed as botl
serlous“ and“ shocking.“ A foreign
buyer for our Theatre Gulld conse¬
qjuently looked in on it one night, and a
riend who is keeping his eye open for
something for our Al Woods bought a
icket for the next evening.
And both turned it down. One seemed
to think Shaw more shocking, and the
other may have realized that the New
York police are more serious
JANET TLANNER.
Vienna, May 14, 1922.
The Actors' Theatre.
Tothe Dramatto Editor:
The Actors’ Equlty Soclety is indeed
making a notable, if dangerous, em¬
barkation, in launching öut into the
ownership and control of ite theatre.
There have been a very few öther ex¬
amples of large scale dramatie produc¬
tion by the actors in recent years. The
nost successiul of these has been that
of the Theatre Gulld. And its success
has doubtless been in large part due to
its readiness to take the “ consuming
public“ into partnership as much as it
In the strictest sense of the word, we
have no genuine“ co-operative“' theatre
In this country, if we are to use that
word as it is used by the most careful
economists to denote“ consumers’ co¬
operation.“ There arc a very few mov¬
ing-picture houses owned and controlled
y the patrons, but nöthing ins the field
of legitimate drama, After all, produe¬
ers’ co-operation, In the theatre as else¬
where in social and economic life, lacks
stability for the simple reason that it
neglects to glve the ultimate consumer
his full share of consideration.
The Theatre Gulld has the greatest
promise of permanence and stabillty just
because it has gone furthest toward
taking the audience inte partnership. It
has not yet goue far enough by any
means. But who would have prophesiec
ten Fears ago that we should have such
excellent companies as those of the
14
Gulld and the Provincetown Players:#
all experiments of this kind, the onelto
live longest and to prosper most will
be the one which dares to take the
audience Into most complete partner¬
ship. And I say this not thinking of
the financial end of the partnership, but
of the spiritual end. The theatre-golng
public will develop high critical facul¬
ties in direct proportion to the amount
of responslbility thrown upon it.
We must by all means welcome the
new Actors' Theatre. Let us also In¬
sist that it take into organie partner¬
ship not only the Judges of plays, the
scenic artists and the business men, büt
he lärger number of men and women
who constitute that first essential to
successful drama—an understanding am¬
appreciative audience.
CEDRIC LONG.
New York, May 26, 1922.
The Origin of Madame Flirt.“
o the Dramatio Editor:
In Tnx Tiaes of Sunday, May 21, I
noticed a Berlin letter headed,“ The
German Stage,“ in which mention is
nade of the production of an operetta
entitled“ Madame Flirt.“ Your corre¬
spondent refers to it as apologlzing for
ts“ humble German origin“ by its
titte.
While I have no comment to make
oncerning the “ humble“ part of it,
wish to rectify the“ German origin.
Madame Flirt“ was composed by #y¬
self and the book is taken from.“ Di¬
vorçons“ by Victorien Sardou.
ANSELM GOETZL
New Tork, May 21, 1922.