Show I PERCY HAMMONDS HAMMOND'S LETTER lETIER I I Copyright 19 1923 3 N l Y T Tribune Inc Ine That must have been een ft sad con con- con conference ference ferenec last neck eek in the offices of Mr Augustus Thomas when the American National theatre after one eele of ot As You Like It as S mounted upon the Black Camel and sent away from here I Mr Thomas the tho director it Is ro- ro re reported ported was a a erse to the melan melan- melancholy melancholy melancholy choly journey holding that a ayoung ayoung ayoung young life so co auspiciously con con- con conceived should not I be he e allowed to end without I efforts forts to prolong IL It But Dut the representatives ti Uses ties es of ot the Prod Producing Managers association I experienced in mortuary cry ary matters pronounced the pa- pa pa tient patient extinct So oft ott it went to Its last resting with her tights and her blind Orlando Or- Or Orlando I thel lando the match the j Banished Dulce Duke with his appetite for tor venison enlson enison the tho Seven Seen Ages speech and the strange ani animals mals infesting that odd Zoo the Forest of o Ar- Ar Arden den Ar-den r den Also a largo large financial l- l d The managers committee which applied Its keen leen stethoscope to the tho breast beats of ot As You Like It was William lIam I A Brady William Herin Jr Henry lenry 1 W Sav Sa- Sa Savage age L Lawrence Weber Sam F Harris and George Nicolai 0 So far tar as now II-now I know the American National Theatre Guild at nt for the time being died without a hIm a lumper per No wailing walling complaints re uttered against the critics ho ho laid their cold and sapless hands upon it nor against the public which slew stew It with non non- nonattendance non attendance attendance It died with few Cew last words orda as 05 old Beaufort did mak malt ing no signs Mr Thomas how how- however however however ever permitted himself hope hope- hopeful hopeful ful rul observation that A As You Like It might be resuscitated for oth- oth other oth other er Cr cities next year though with without Ith- Ith out Miss Marjorie Rambeau os as Twelfth Night too ho he suggested might be adventured In the distant future But Dut the general tone ton of Mr Thomass Thomas's ss s's re- re reI remarks remarkS re remarks marks was withered containing I none of ot the hearty In- In or of hon honi S S If I one ono my the picture hero here ends a battle battlo that promised fine s victories for the tho Actors Equity which started It for or th Producing Managers Association which took up the gauge and for forthe forthe the non drama lors who stood neutral upon the sIde lines the ruit's s 's dramatic enter enter- enterprises enterprises have hav been some somewhat hat dire Though engineered Iy by such artists as Francis Wilson John Emerson Imerson of the screen Joseph Santley and Miss MIs Elsie th they y Y ha have hao 0 somehow to Interest the theat-e- theat gorg gors The Producing 1 after a 0 single Ringle endeavor are car car- carrl car rl d from the tho field hiving had enough Meantime another Institution institution Institution th the Theatre tro Guild organ organ- organ also for tor the dramas drama's pretty as the soldiers use to say BaY on the top of the tho world rich admired and competent S S The Equity Is exclusively an or- or orI or organization I of o actors the tho Amen Ameri American can coin Theatre Is a band of o nothing but hut Broadway managers But the Theatre Guild i Is an asso asso- association asso- asso association elation who o executive e board contains a lawyer an nn architect a banker an actress an ad though a minor playwright and an newspaper anex-newspaper newspaper ex-newspaper woman Aiding this directorate are some Home dally daily week week- weekly weekly I ly and monthly dramatic critics I an exotic producer direct fromi CromI from Crom Russia Russin ind md eral SPY oral what-nots what and I that others and thiS of oC the 10 11 Intelligentsia Yet their un- un Undertakings un undertakings succeed Their failures such as Mr Shows Shaws Back Dack to Methuselah are arc large nd ads advertise advertisements ments monts for their semi failures caus caus- causIng caus- caus causing causing ing th 1 to be bo prosperous And the American National Thea Thea- Theatre Theatre Theatre tre was stretching itself th tb oth- oth other oth other er en day on the lone couch of dis the Guildas Guild was as sas gayly sell sell- ing log Ing In bonds to build It- It Itself itself It Itself self a new playhouse and was aas hay hay- havIns hayIng hav having ing Ins difficulty In accommodating the drama lovers losers who ere aero eager to In ins Int et t S S S STo To such clients as may look 1001 to tome tome tome me for tor advice concerning w hat bat |