New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-25
SOCIETY PLAYS.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR The MODERN
SOCIETY PLAY-MANAGER. AUTHOR
PUBLIC - THE TRUE DRAMATIC
SOURCE OF THE PLAYS NOW
IN VOGUE - THE SUMMING
UP AGAINST THEM

SOURCE OF THE PLAYS NOW
IN VOGUE - THE SUMMING
UP AGAINST THEM.
London. December IL.
The controversy over the Modern Society Play
continues in the columns Of 1.-The Times" not
without asperity. Nj Tree. however. who
seemed at first inclined to resent the rather
sweeping criticism John a Dreams" has
recovered his usual serenity Of mind and is pre-
pared to admit" that the propriety of producing
such plays on the stage may fairly be discussed
He even grants that the woman with past"
NAV have been seen too frequently upon the
stage of late. He pleads however. that If she
has the fault lies with the public. ut is the
epoch not the actor or the author. that is ar
raigned." That is not new point. It is, within
strict limits. good defence. Mr.. Tree must
nevertheless be aware that the manager and the
public divide the responsibility between them
leave the author out Of view for the present
,he attack is on the manager rot on the author;
on Mr. Tree rather than on Mr.. Haddon Cham
bers Mr.. Pinero.
But let us keep the limitations in mind. for
they do exist The managers responsibility is
urinary He seeks sometimes to create as well
as 10 crafty a public taste Take the case Of
the so-called Living Pictures at the Music Halls.
The public did not demand them The managers
provided them, and 1t Is an open question how
far they OWNED and how far they provoked the
annette for this kind of thing. So with The
second Mrs. Tanqueray" and her successors;
among which. at considerable distance. is
John a Dreams" No organ of public opinion
cIamored for the appearance of Paula There is
nothing particularly new about her. She Is not
an inventions she is an importation. She trod
the French stage long before she crossed the
Channel and made her curtsey TO an audience
OF British Phstines and British Mrs Grundys
at the ST. James's Theatre She is the offspring
Of Angler and of Dumas the younger Mr.. Pinero
is only her godfather.
But | suppose it occurred one day to this sue
cassful PLAYWRIGHT that human nature on either
side of the Straits Of Dover is. after ALL much the
same and that if the fallen woman had 50 long
horne sway in the French theatre there was no
clear reason why she might not set up her throne
IN the British capital also. He set himself 10
accomplish tina; bit of carpenterng and sue
ceeded. No doubt he reflected also that. beneath
the decent disguise of foreign tongue she had
already given expression to many surprising
sentiments in this same respectable metropolis
and that the respectable public. so far from re-
senting her intrusion or Kissing her off the stage
had taken some interest in her proceedings and
given her sort Of welcome. At the same Time
the respectable public seemed content that she
should remain French For an English Clorinde
or an English Marguerite there was no demand
til the supply created it; reversing perhaps, the
law Of political economy. hut ooeYlnS the larger
law Of human nature
Il hold" says Mr.. Tree. that an immoral
NAV is one which deals in a spirit Of fppancy
with those passions which the very central
fact of life" Judged by that test, The Second
Mrs Tanqueray' is an immoral play. and lot
one plain reason. The whole play turns on the
resolve OF Aubrey Tanqueray to marry Pauia'
and for that resolve no convincing or adequate
or even plausible reason is given. / wanted 10
give her a chance" says Aubrey. IL Is pitiaDie III
its fimsiness But what dramatically speaking
is a spirit Of fippancy if.it be not to assign
Nippant motive for the very central 1act Oh the
piece the fac; or act upon which the whole ac-
ton turns? Therefore 1t is among other reasons.
that The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" Is immoral
The public is invited to look on at tremendous
social experiment. and the very basis of 1t crum-
bles before their eyes. If that be work OF
true art what then. is a work of false art?
II that be moral, what be immoral? the
immortality Of a lie exceeds all others.
There Is another limitation upon the response
hilitv Of the public. The London public is in
measure, an unframed pubic. 1t judges play
too often not by certain fixed laws or principles
Of dramatic art, which are immutaDle put oS
the success of its appeal TO prejudice or caprice,
or bv the success with which 1T steers clear OF
preiudice 1t judges impulsively 1t requires TO
be interested; sometimes IL only asks to be de-
ceived The playwright may play almost any
trick II he be not dull If he have story 10 TELL
81 ne can appeal to certain sympathies wnlch lie
on the surface; sometimes even II he ana 'he
stage carpenter enter into partnerships some
times If he be the fashion; sometimes II the ACTOR
or the actress be the fashion.
How are you going to hold such an audience as
that primarily responsible for a dramatic I'M
morality? You must not be TOO gross. that Is
the chief condition Of success. Yet, when Things
have come TO a certain point. you may even be
gross. witness THE Masqueraders." a public
which accepted and applauded that play mas
forfeited no small part Of It's claim to critical
opinion upon immortality. The prohigacy OF II Is
open and shameless. whether you treat IL as d
question Of morals or a question or art IL haS
neither the one nor the other. The french pup
lie is not squeamish in morals. properly So
called An author runs little risk VINO leaves
morals out OF account But ne VIII be Drought
70 stern and sudden reckoning II ne WOa'es
the accepted canons Of dramatic art on the
stage The French audience knows what they
are Tho English audience does not. and it is
because they do not exist here that Inc puD'c -
not accountable for not enforcing stTlcter CEN
sorship upon bad plays. Its education IL yet 10
come
No doubt in the long run public opinion VIII
be brought to bear on public offenders 90 no'
mean public opinion in its coarser FORMS the Lon
don County Council for instance. or that eminent
Councillor known to fame. as the McDougal' or
the hardly less eminent Mr. Parkinson. Inc
public in the long run will no more tolerate faul
Pry than they will tolerate the indecency "hich
he alleges for the most part falsely as an excuse
for his existence. The press Is more accurate
guide Public opinion observes the Times