Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28
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In the February number Of that bright and
militant little monthly publication, The
Iehmaelite, appears a thoughtful and very
timely essay Concerning the Romantic
Play" from the pen Of Otis skinner. AS
The Ishmaelite has not the large circulation
hereabout to which its merits undeniably
entitle II, and as Mr.. Skinner has a host OF
friends and admirers in Omaha who might
otherwise be deprived Of the pleasure oil
reading his words on a subject concerning
which he is exceptionally well qualified to
speak, the essay is here reprinted. Mr:
SINNERS latest engagement here turnlsneu
proof of the correctness Of his theories SO
fas as he himself is concerned; Tor his play,
"a Soldier of Fortune" being the only one
OF his repertory which he himself would
classify as romantic" not only attracted the
largest audience OF the week, but furnished
by far the most satisfactory entertain
ment.
"Tbe term romantic drama says Mr..
Skinner, has of late been applied to the
particular kind of play that contains moving
incidents, quarrels, the clash OF swords, the
swagger of braves, the plotting of villains
and the rescuing OF fair maidens by gallant
men. This il the idea conveyed as soon as
the word romantic Is applied to a play.
Although the spirit Of romance may permeate
the many other kinds OF plays, they must
be pdrcelej of as emotional, sensational,
classic, comic, tragic, melodramatic, domes-
tic, etc. The drama OF incident, just now
swinging into vogue, demanded a name. how
ever. and herce this monopoly of terming,
which is palpably unjust to many plays
of a somewhat different character.
"a curious evidence of the mutability OF
public Taste is shown in the demand for
bloodshed and adventure in the novels and
plays OF today; but 1t is only a repetition
OF conditions that have persistently appeared
in stage literature from time to time. The
play-going public Is as eager for novelty as
a man Of fashion Is for a new mode OF
clothes. Some time ago 1t was farce com
edy' that claimed popular support. This
kind OF entertainment was apparently in
vented by Charles Hoyt, who discovered that
plays could exist without plots, provided
they were furnished with a sufficient number
OF pretty girls, choruses, jokes and special
ties. Before this, melodrama of a pro-
nounced English character, full of explo-
sions, realistic effects and bad characters,
prevailed. This class of play has sue
ceeded the drama of intrigue taken from
French sources, of which The Two Or
phans' Is a memorable example; and this
fashion had in turn been preceded by the
emotional French drama which had to do
with infractions Of the seventh command
ment. Then there were the English social
comedies Of Robertson and Byron. The list
is not by any means complete, for there are
numerous minor classifications, such as the
New England farm play, the American war
drama, as well as the social problem play,
which recent dramatic literature owes to
1bsen. Sudermann, Pinero and others. In
all these examples Of different literature, 1t
has been the play that possessed the great
est amount of romance that has been most
successful. Hardly a notable example can
be found in the records. of plays devoid of
romance, that have pleased the public and
won mems hearts.
THE last of my classifcations. the social
problem play, rose a few years ago in de-
fiance of the apparently well-established law
Of the romantic in stage writing. The adj
vocates of this new cult. said: We are
tired of the old, exaggerated, false theory
that the drama has for years been based
upon, of its c~ast-iron rules and OF its false
conception of life. Why not represent life as
1t really Is? Why not reproduce the strug-
giles, envies, ambitions and desolations Of
everyday existence? They are the real
tragedies: they hold the mirror up to
nature This theory seemed reasonable,
and Ibsen was hailed as the Messiah of
the drama.
1T has been some years since the coming
of Ibsen. In the meantime his works have
been exploited, discussed, admired, rejected,
made subjects of paeans of praise and vol
leys of damnation. But in spite of all this
notoriety of the pioneer realist and that of
his followers, Sudermann, Hauptmann and
Pinero, their plays have never had real
and lasting popularity. / think that the
reason Is not hard to find. 1t lies in the
fact that when we go to the theatre we want
to be taken out of ourselves and trans
ported to an ideal and wonderful world, and
the most potent agents TO tnlS emu are
idealism and romance. These are what
make the stage world a paradoxlcal reality
to US; we crave illusion, not liberalism; the
closer to tho lines of idealism this illusion
Is brought the keener is the delight to the
refined mind. 1t is illusion that gives popu-
lar acceptance to the wild eXtravagances OF
farce and burlesque, and Illusion that en-
genders belief in even the stale devices OF
cheap melodrama.
This has been the tombstone to the sym
pathies of audiences and not bald liberalism
and photographic realities. We do not want
when we go to the theatre, to find conditions
that thrust us back into the world from
which we came. 1t Is neither enlightening
elevating nor wholesome to find disease
lunacy, starvation, groveling passions or dis
torted emotions made the leading subjects o
plays. 1t Is the normal we crave-the norma
with its easy. natural attributes-and 1t 1
the normal that rises by quick ascent to TIN
ideal. To the normal mind the ideal worl,
is as real as the world or sewers, hospital
and morgues. Thoughts are real things AM
1t Is the realm OF thoughr, poetry and 70
nance that we recognize as true in gu
pursuit OF pure enjoyment at the theatre.
''The more we struggle against this some