The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-14

ACTER.
1t may be suggested here that there is too
much of this kind of work going on among
the alleged makers of dramatic literature
Many modern plavwrights are too lazy or
too incompetent to create or discover char
acters, and turn to books and plays for their
raw material They may fool the critics or
even deceive themselves, but the kindly
public at last percelves and resents the
fraud.
The good old story of the musician, who
courte0uslv bowed at everyStheme in new
opera he was listening to and explained his
conduct by saying that each strain was an
old and esteemed friend, applies to the
stage with equal pertinence and force.
Play writing, or a goOdly portion of it,
consists in holding the mirror up to nature
The better this is done, the greater is the
success Of the play. Society, es-
pecially in the great cities, is full of inter
it changes more rapidly than kaleido-
scoDe.
The character of the half witted italian
Joe in Waddy Googan can be found in a
SCORE of places wherein has poured the still
incoming rush of immigrants from the
sunny Mediterranean. Ten years ago he
would have seemed. if not au impossibility,
at least an improbability, and disagree
able puzzle to New York audience.
der obligations to the variety" The lat
ter long ago perceived the picturesqueness
of every day life, and placed upon it's mod
est boards the German, Chinese, Hebrew
Russian, Italian and northern negro, while
the former was busy adapting plays from
the French, or stealing them from the Ger
man. Just as many Of our clever artists
rose from the variety stage, so this utiliza-
ton Of the humble and lowly passed from
one to the other. What, after all, is that
charming play. Baron Rudolph, but Ugh
DEVELOPMENT of our old friend, the Dutch
serio-comic." The success of the Mulligan
series of dramas was due chiefly to the con-
trasts they exhibited, which are to be found
every day, in nearly every part of New
York among the Irish, German and colored
citizens.
| am continually accused of putting indi-
viduals into my plays. and although it is
to some degree contrary to the ideas l have
tried to express, it is certainly true that
there are pictures of certain persons whom
know well. In such cases. however, it is
obvious that the proper treatment demands
the use of such characteristics as are illus
trative of types not of individuals.
In one instance a gentleman whom l
have known for years, and who is a rollick-
ing, joyous, eccentric character, posed as a
model to me for some time without know
ing it. Finally | told him, one night, that
| would put him into play, and he laughed,
thinking that L was joking, l did it,
though, without saying anything more, and
after the new play had been running for
week or so some one OF his friends told him
of it. He came to the theater, recognized
himself and told two or three of his friends
in the house that he would have some fun
with me-" Accordingly he waylaid, me at
the stage entrance and for about five min
utes / really thought one of us would have
to thrash the other.
To make lasting impression, a charac-
ter in play should be type rather than
an individual. This seems to me to be an
unwritten law of dramatic composition. In
every persons heart is feeling that he
knows or has known the personages who
pass and pose before him for brief hour.
IL it be a type that is presented before his
ewes, it brings up some one with whom he
is acquainted, and the feeling is gratified.
II it be an individual, the feeling is not
gratifled, and vague sense OF something
disagreeable is the result
Thus Dan Mulligan typifies the honesty,
wit. humor and bonhommie which underlie
the great army Of Irishmen who have
crossed the ocean and prospered in the me-
tropolis of the west.
MANY friends have told me that they
knew Mulligan in real life and have named
the man they supposed he was copied from.
In each case they gave dfferent name.
With Cordelias' Aspirations the case is
the same. Not single part represents one
individual but is an endeavor TO sum up
GROUP How far the endeavor has been
successful is for Others to determine.
II It be asked who composes these groups,
the only reply is you, reader, and all the
rest Of us. While nationality or race may
change appearance and all the other feat
ures Of humanity, they do not change hui
manity itself. They are the ornamental
ton of the drama, while it is the
drama. The same virtues and
vices. excelencies and defects, the same alb
surdties and incongruities exist in every
quarter. Assuming new forms and express
sions as society grows, they afford ever new
opportunities 70 the dramatist. II only
remains for him to arrange them as he finds
them in his daily walks, 70 give them proper
form and color, and 10 create types, but
not 10 make senile limitations.
Nor is the task 30 hard as IL first seems.
In every circle whether it be OF cab drivers
ON Union square, Of clubmen on Fifth ave
nue.. Of stsvedores on the river front,
of merchants in Delmonicos, OF colored
men Thompson IN street, of brokers around