The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-20
AMERICAN PLAYS WANTED.
Awakening Of the People to a De-
mand for Representations
Of Native Life.
Tho Sudden Change Found no
Body Of Dramatic Writers
at Hand.
Bronson H0ward's Advice to Young and
Ambitious Play Writer'S How to
Write . Play.
lwritten for THE HELENA INDEPENDENT

Written for THE HELENA INDEPENDENT
T7HE MOST REMARKABLE PIE
nv nomenon in the whole history Of
0x0 the drama, perhaps, il presented in
America to-day. A nation OF sixty million
people has suddenly awakened, within less
than fifteen years, to a keen interest in see
ing Its own life and character illustrated
upon the stage.
Twenty years ago M American play was
looked upon ns q mere occasional curiosity;
the real interest of theatre-goers in this
English drama: with such new works az
were now and then produced in London
and the more brilliant efforts OF the French
dramatists. There was nothing whatever
in these plays that represented American
life; merely an occasional burlesque of
American character in strictly conventional
forms. A few native plays Of American
life had been successful here; but they had
made no impression, apparently. on the
taste Of the public and created no popular
demand for more work Of the Same kind.
A few special native characters, presented
by ''star" actors, produced q stronger and
more permanent effect; such as Scion
Shingle, Kit, Col. Sellers, Bardwell Bloate,
etc. 1t is to these single characters, rather
than to the occasional well-constructed
plays dealing with American social life, that
the beginning OF the new taste for native
subjects may be credited. This taste grew
10 quickly into q strong popular demand
that the older managers were totally I'M
prepared for ii; and, within a few
years past, this demand has risen
with such torrent-like rapidity that
some New York man ayers have been
almost swept away in the flood. While
they still had agents in Europe expanding
large sums of money for them in securing
the latest European successes, they did not
notice in time that the American people
had suddenly changed their taste. Pro-
duction after production lost fortunes for
the managers while pursuing a policy
which a few years before had made them
rich. Our Oldest theatrical company, Wal
lacks, was ruined andadisbanded on ac-
count OF this utterly unlocked for and I'M
provided for u%pheaval.
This sudden change found no body
Of dramatic writer's in this country
properly equipped and experienced to meet
the new demands. The result of this has
been that some OF its managers have saved
themselves, with q hard struggle, by having
az brought over. A few have had origi-
nal native plays. TO offer the public,
md fortunes have been made by others,
unknown before in management, who pre-.
scented semi-variety performances filled
with hits upon American social life. ! am
not sure that performances of the latter
kind, such as those Of Harrlgan and OF
Hoyt, have not beenfthe most important
contributions thus far to the coming
"American drama" They are full of neat
character touches, and it is on native char
acter first and artistic construction after
wards that q national drama is founded.
/ have said that this torrent-like, sudden
American people is a great phenomenon in
dramatic history. 70 see how great a
phenomenon it is one has only to con-
slider three facts. First, no mass OF
humanity SO large and at the same
time SO homogeneous and 30 generally in
%telligent,. has ever before existed in history.
Second. the development OF a dramatic
impulse like this, in any country, has here
tofore been gradual evolution, not 4 sudden
change within fifteen years, at the very
dawn of its dramatic interest in itself, been
fully equipped with magnificent theaters in
every large town with an immense body OF
actors and actresses competent to illustrate
any phase of human character and the pas
sions of the day; and with unlimited wealth
freely offered by capitalists to produce and
sustain any theatrical enterprise that prom
ises q fair return. Where, in the whole his.
tory of the stage, can all these conditions
be duplicated?E e
Now, for one thing lacking: a body OF
dramatic writer's sufficient in number, ex-
v,oria,rn a md fotant fo m oat tina p1161ap op1
unprecedented demand. No foreign writ
ers can do it; and if they could, they do
not new exist. England has been reduced
to q very few capable dramatists, too few to
look after the current development of her
own national character. 1t looks as If the
had exhausted its pyrotechnics. But it
would be useless to look in this direction
if there were a hundred good dramatists in
Europe for the bakers dozen that really
live to-day. They know nothing about
America or American life, they care rs lit
tie as they know about it, and they have all
tho contempt for it which always accompa-
MES Ignorance.
This question-where are our dramatists
to moot this great popular demand2-is one
that interests, only in n very mild way, the
general American public. IF they get what
they want they will enjoy it; if not they will
amuse themselves in some other direction.
X Luey 60 QOb uuu tuolE DTalua Interested
by the theater they will content
themselves with the circus for re-
Taxation, and depend on books
for their intellectual entertainment.
There ia nothing in the world more abso-
lutely certain to come than the indifferent
contempt of the public for any art that is
not kept by it's own devotees on q plan suf-
%ticiently high to command respect. If an
American drama does not arise at this won
derful crisis the American public will not
worry about it in the least. But those who
are truly and deeply interested in the coming
forward of new and strong workers in its
field are the few American dramatista that
already exist. OF course they will do tho
best they can to take advantage of this new
demand. But they are too few to supply it
now, or to sustain it for any long time to
come. IL others do not come to the front
rapidly the demand may simply die away
and as quickly perhaps az it arose. TO the
question, thsn-whete are our new drama
lists for the emergency? H.
They are struggling, now, against two
things: @ 4
Want Of experience.
Difficulty in getting their manuscripts
read by managers.
The young aspirant, who is grinding his
teeth at the delays he has had in finding
anyone to 40 much az open tho manuscript
OF his play, will be surprised, perhaps, to
be told that the greater difficulty of the two