New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-20
THE DRAMATIC DRIFT.
A rnpNcHMANs VIEW OF THE ENGLISH
STAGE.
THE ENGLISH STAGE. Being an Account T,o ui
the Victorian Drama. BY Augus'iRR rsder;cl
Translated from the French py ~, Arthur
Whvfe with an Introduction by Henry Ar'""
Yones 1orno m aao Dodd Mead & Co.

Jones. 12nfo PIP 800 Dodo meau N W.
Since the stage is O powerful institution en-
tering into the general experience ana "ioe'S
and deeply affecting the public mind II Is man
ifestIy. desirable that society should possess III
tellipent views as to its province, us cohui'''"
and its tendency NJ. Flon's book wnich Gun
.ains a discursive and desuitory' 'houe"
sprightly commentary on theatrical aiians ~
London during the last sixty years Is "ii''o.
IN conscientious and amlapie spni' 90"
.nrouv because Of its condensation and Its
point, II may prove helpful TO tnose ie"o
who wish to clarity and adjust their impress
sions Of the contemporary theatre It's thir.eeh
chapters were originally puphsheu !"
we des Deux Mondes"
NJ. Filon says that he has resioeo iohe ~
rng,ana-meaning. apparently. three or four
vears-and he intimates that he has hao spe-
c,a, onportunities" Of becoming intimately &C
ouointed with theatrical matters IN Lonooh'
Those special opportunities have enabled him.
40 he thinks to discover that there was no
English drama thirty years ago. but that there
&c an English drama now. By means OF those
snecial opportunities. furthermore, ne mas ae
certaaned that Edmund Kean's only lntlha'e
was the brandy bottle; that Macreaoy as eA-
hibited in Madame Tussauds waxworKs' hao
elit-like mouth" and that he was the nrs' ENG
lish actor who detained verses lns'eao Vi
chanting them; that 'Virgnius. The Rent
day" and BLACK Eyed Susan are bad plays;
that Bulwer was "a dandy" ana mis- DOCKS
mere windy bladders"; that "Richeleu Is only
q little less contemplate than Tho Lazy Oh
Lyons: that Tom Taylor represented pains
taking and prolific medocrity"; that Dion Bou-
c,cault had neither culture nor critical FAC
u,tv." but was able to plant photographic
- rcro -hrain
The Colleen Bawn'"; that "Belphegor" was "a
r,ons.rous emotional drama: that Henry J. BY
ron "helped to depreoiats the moral tone OF the
,nootro nv lowering the standard Of decency In
regard to female costume that W. S. Gilbert
ube ablest dramatist in England) is "a freak;
that Mr.. Wills "tor a moment gave rise to
homes" but eventually disappointed Mr.. Will
lam Archer, and thus miserably persisted; and
that Shakespeare and Ibsen are great masters
whose lessons" have descended like mantle
upon Henry Arthur Jones. Many more OF NJ
F,,on's interesting discoveries might be indi-
cated but these suffice to show that this oo-
servant Frenchman has not lived In London TOT
nothing.
Two of his discoveries seem especially TO have
Impressed this gertleman-one OF them pelhe
the tremendous Potentially OF MI WiliaIn
Archer whose use Of the pronoun has beaten
every. record and the other being the fact that
Mr.. Henry Arthur Jones is passing through
crisis" and is behind a cloud. MI Jones'
however says NJ. Filon. has already piayeu
a great part in the resuscitation OF the drama
and he is the most English Of all the living
English dramatists the one who expresses most
sincerely and most brilliantly the mind OF his
generation and OF his race" MY business
SAYS Mr. Jones. in his introduction. is to thank
NJ. Filon for bringing us before the notice OF the
French public and to define his position In re-
lation to the recent dramatic movement in our
country. have rarely had a more welcome
task"
In the domain Of theatrical history, as may Se
surmised. " Filon usefully commw'oa-
e but his chapters Sc We as thread upon
a.ch % would be possible to hang many illunni-
mating embellishments In criticism. when re-
stricted to traits. be is at once more respectable
and more felicitous.-particularly when discuss
ing the pecuarities OF Henry Irving the plays
Of Tennyson. and the literary and dramatic art
Of Mt. Grundy. Mr. Jones and Mr.. Pinero The
account of Marie Wilton is mat and genial: the
characterization of John Hare Is excellent: and
the tribute TO Mr. James Mortimer shows the
hearty spirit of true comrade. Accurate
knowledge of the condition Of the English drama.
early part Of tho nineteenth century must be
sought in other pages than those Of NJ. Filon,
but Of recent theatrical proceedings In the Brit
ish capital this writer affords q lively and. In
some respects, a suggestive superficial study
The main point Of his book Is the assertion,-in
which he is interpreted and sustained by Mr.
Jones-that only within the last ten years has
there been any manifestation Of "a national
drama" in England: that the movement toward
a national drama has been mainly impellec by
Mr.. Grundy. Mr.. Jones. and Mr. Pinero; that
English society Is passing through "a conflict
between laws and manners; that England Is to
be renovated by the democracy; and that the
drama is destined to play a part. as yet inde-
terminate in this renovation. NJ. Filon espe-
cially admires Mr.. Pineros play OF THE Second
Mrs Tanqueray" Such piece" he excaims.
"enlarges the province Of the theatre" 1t does;
II makes the theatre inclusive Of the brotheL
Paula" says NJ. Fion, "is a courtesan. but
with an elegance Of manners which imparts to
her an air of poetry" lone Of the most serious
questions Of the time" adds NJ Filon. us the
emancipation Of woman and her revolt, justified
in some respects. against marriage" BY means
Of such plays and such heroines, It Is intimated,
the Philistines will be put to flight and England,
renovated by the democracy" will become
worthy Of the sublime privilege OF appreciating
Mr. Ibsen who Is really an Englishman, who
writes az Shakespeare would write III he were
now living" and whose greatness is that he
"cauterizes ulcers" without regard to age, sex.
or condition OF servitude.
NJ Filon states his case with less force than
pungency, but Mr.. Jones states 1t for him with
a cosent frankness that is all his own. Mr.
ZONES is delighted to see NJ Filon stripping
the spangies from Buiwer Lytton"; delighted
also 10 perceive that at least to NJ. Filon, there
has come an adequate vision Of the Great Move
ment Outside OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of that lost
ana hopeless general public who can never get
but one idea and never more than one side
of that idea, into it's head at time. may sup
pose that certain recent writer's for the London
-. h.x,ino %ni,ed 70 make q remuneratye SEN