THEATRE WAR IN PARIS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6537, 20 February 1928, Page 4

THEATRE WAR IN PARIS

There is a serious crisis in the Paris theatrical'world. For years there has been a growing feeling of bitterness between the newspapers and the managers, which came to a head recently when Louis Verncuil, an author-man-ager, and the grandson of the late Sarah Bernhardt, made a move to bar dramatic critics from the first nights of Paris productions. M. Verneuii sought to obtain a following among his brother managers, but although in the beginning, many were agreeable in the end ho was loft like a general without troops. Paris newspapers proposed to deal drastically with the threat to bar the critics. It was suggested that no criticism of a production should appear until after the fiftieth performance. The conflict has almost como to an end with a victory for the newspapers The Managers’ Association, in a stormy meeting, decided that it was impossible to remain at war with tho newspapers and to carry out the proposition of the majority, which was that they should pay space rates for dramatic criticisms, with the object of obtaining nothing but favourable notices. It was pointed out that only

those pJays.jvhich were well backed ■financially'could possibly hope for fav--ourable criticisms. ' The matter has bees settled for the present on a proposition that the newspapers shall submit a list of names of dramatic critics to the managers. Another phase of the war is the conflict between the suburban theatres and the theatres in the centre of the city. A theatrical trust was formed recently to control the central theatres, but, as the price of seats went on increasing the suburban seats reaped such a rich harvest that many local cinematograph houses were taken over and turned, into theatres. The suburban theatres are comfortable and comparatively cheap, so that residents in outlying districts abandoned the central theatres and-waited until the shows from the “trust” theatres visited the suburbs, mostly always with the original companies. The managers of the suburban theatres have t° pay only 8 per cent, to the «frttio<rt, while the central theatres nave to pay 12 per cent. Boulevard theatres have now declared ’oh the suburbs, and refuse to allow their productions to go to the suburbs, even after they have finished their runs in the “trust” theatres. The suburban theatres have in turn, formed a “trust” and have offered to pay 1 12 or even 14 per cent, for the

authors to allow their productions to go to the suburbs. The reply of the Boulevard theatre “ trust ”Tis to threaten to boycott, any actor or actress -who, without written permission, goes to play in the suburbs of Paris.