The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-02
BATTLE. Sun DAT. OCT. 2.


THE ROMANTIC DRAMA.
The present and future of the drama has
been the subject of much recent discussion.
both in England and America. The actor
Richard Mansfield, brilliant but eccen.
trio critic, in the current number OF the
North american Reriese, complains that
strong and sincere acting from the mind
and heart, simple and true, honest and
earnest. goes by unnoticed. "We must
have something eccentric" He complains
thas the people who thronged the theater
in the olden time no longer come; the
penny shows hold ell the great actors
former enthusiastic patrons from the
common people. He complains that ito
day. as we approach the serious portion OF
. play, when the tears are likely to follow
and the heart to beat little faster, when
there may be a thrill OF horror or gasp
OF agony, We men rise from our seats and
60 complaining to our clubs"
Mr.. Mansfield has the following vigor-
Gus statement Of what the stage is for:
Neither for rot, nor for driysi, nor for filth,
nor for tanks of water. nor for ancient danes IN
pennies. but for Poetry; for all the things some
of US, lying on the grass. with our faces TO thu
skylark, dream OF on q summer day or on q
moonlight evening--those things that come to
ms with Whit OF the balssm pine or the break
Of the sea on the beach, or the touch Of . soft
hand, or the discovery Of q withered flower. 1t
II In US always, and Ii will crop out in the
most hardened of US, and where we should
always see IT, aud where IL should forever
awaken all that was born good and beautiful
in as, Is upon the stage
The stage should not he for temptation, from
the deliverance of which We pray In the morn
ing and which we court in the evening; it
should not be for the idiotic laugh and the i'm
beetle applause; 1t Is not for the drunkard ana
the wanton: ii 10 not TO be shrieked at today and
90 be ashamed Of tomorrow 1t 10 not for gym
nastics; 1t 10 for the gracious, the thoughtful,
the gentle; IL r. to send Us home with better
thoughts and better feelings, with Q Lesson
learnt by example and with food for pleasant
reflection. IL is for wholesome mirth or for
such stirring tragedy a. will fire US to nobler
deeds, or for such potent example a. will sicken
Of evil doing. This 10 the stage - under
stand IL and as would strive for it.
This is MIR. Mansheld's complaint; this
is his theory of what the stage is and
what he would strive for. And yet what
does Mr.. Mansfield give us2 He gives
'Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. HYDE" AID his latest
performance, his dramatization of Haw-
thorne's "Scarlet Letter." There certainly
is no poetry" in the first of these per-
sonations, and the poetic quality of the
''Scariet Letter" is far too elusive to be
made effective on the stage. It Is hard
20 understand how an actor like
Mr.. Mansfield should suppose that he
could transfer the ''Scariet Letter" to the
stage and make it dramatic success. He
might as well expect TO take George Eliots
"Romola" and make it effective on the
stage. OF the two "Romola" presents
fewer difficulties, for il is not so subtle and
deeply colored with psychologist specula-
ton and metaph ysical introspection as
Hawthorne's great romance. Mr.. Mans
field need not worry about the audience,
or about ''the decline Of the drama" Sa-
rah Bernhard says that the drama has
not declined; that it has simply been
thrust aside by stupidity and cupidity."
Mr.. Mansfield is wrong; the non-roman.
tic drama will never long crowd of the
stage the great passionate and heroic
parts with which all the noble playwrights
of every age have peopled their works.
Put any one of shakspeare's great men or
women on the stage TO-DAY and have the
part personated by superior actor who
speaks from the spirit and the understand
ing and watch the audience. and then ask
yourself whether the picture of human na-
ture is not still more powerful TO hold the
fixed attention of an audience than anv
picture of transient human society that oc-
eupies the boards. To illustrate, take the
part of Esmeralda played last evening by
Miss Margaret Mather: its success tes,iiies
10 tie popular appreciation of the TO-
mantle drama The scene of the NAV
which has been dramauzed from Victor
uugo's novel. "rhe Hunchback of Notrs
Dame" is laid in Paris Of the 18th century
under Louis the Eleventh.
In spite Of the distance Of time and
difference of scene. "Esmeralda" Is a.
much today a popular figure OF the 70
mantle modern drama as II she had
stepped out Of Ms. Stoves Uncle Toms
Cabin" or Bret Barte's Luck of Roaring
Camp" Why7 Because the springs of
khc A4Satk arc tns same Yesterday
today and forever. Somebody said.
when a thought takes your breath away.
q lesson in grammar is an inrertinence. u
and surely after one has heard a rrss;
part in the romantic drama. which has
speech and situations which taxa voxr
breath away, the statement tina,
romantic drama is destined To aIs.
appear from the stage ana have
its place taken by the noG-gonant;c
uon-herolc, non -poetio drama seem.
ike very great impertinenee. As Ions
A. men aud women continue TO love +,
the heights Of unseihshness aad ;hs ca
Yaoity Of sacrifice; as Icing ss men con
ilnue 10 fight and die !0r ideas; g. long a.
Inen continue To fear death less thar
hight from pubic or private duty or tror
shs side Of friend. Just SO long actor,
Who are capable Of persohat.ng ths -
mantle, heroic, poetic drama will not .scl
en- saaisncs.
Let Mr.. Mansfield drop the "scarle,
Letter" sAY iekyl and NJ. Hyda" an