New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-31
POPULAR DISSERTATIONS.
A CRY FOR AMERICAN PLAYS.

A CRY FOR AMERICAN PLAYS.
INCIDENTALLY CRY FOR Mr.. KIPLING. WHO IS
NOT AN AMERICAN. TO COME TO THE RESCUE
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Two plays that have come to attention dur
ing the last year bring with them the vital fresh
ness OF truly great work. so that we Immediately
call their authors dramatsts rather than play
wrights I refer. OF course. 10 Rostand's "Cyrano
de Bergerac" and 10 Sudermann's The Three
Heron Feathers" There Is about these two plays
nothing SLOPPY. suggesting the imputation Of hack
work. and nothing malarial or irresponsible in
their spirit The spirit OF both is sane. healthy and
noble. and the technique OF both shows SUCH free
Knowledge Of stage limitations as 10 give them
fluent presentation.
Blu, the one OF these dramatists is Frenchman
and the other is a German. one would have liked
10 feel local pride as we'll more cosmopolitan
enthusiasm. for two such dramas. Are none OF
our American playwrights capable OF producing
work OF similar grade? Much Of our ordinary
theatrical writing shows a sufficient knowledge OF
stage technique. We certainly have actors worth
writing for What lacks? Have our playwrights
nothing to saw or Is there no market for good
work?
II would certainly he strange II the former were
the trouble Our times surely times tuii OF
high spirit and OF vivid. suggestive charac'er-a
storehouse for the dramatst 10 draw FROM what
ever the period into which he write his play. WIN
such problems moral social political. personal all
around US with a life and atmosphere surcnarge'
with more than Elizabethan dramatic capaohues'
It would truly seem II all dramatist needeu'
besides good knowledge Of his trade. were Hes"'
spiritual intelligence and fine, noble consec'auoi
10 his art resolute to do his best and only his best
But Il NAV be that our plsywrlghts find no mar
ket for their sincere their best work. II seems no'
improbable that the managers. some OF them At
any rate have allowed themselves to become -
intent upon their toll for the gIitterng coin that
they are quite careful 70 the quality OF Inc
commodity which they give in return. Truly II :
as possible and serious for manager 10 Pros.l-
tute his business to low ends as for a playwright
or an actor 10 prostitute his art All alike ana
equally are sacred and as inevitable loss follows
one as another OF them. II Is very much 70 be re-
GREETED that We do not feel high harmony be-
tween good art and financial considerations in the
Offices Of all our prominent theatrical managers
None the less there is such a thing for our play
wrights as winning their way through unfa vorable
MANAGERS even were there Mr.. DAILY among US
TO assure us that the theatre has not all got
into insensible hands. Careful study OF popular
taste exquisite mastery Of stage requirements ana
keen appreciation Of the actors for whom the play
is written should produce such result IN me naaus
Of man Of account that any manager "ouId nIiu
il 10 his interest 10 put on work OF sucn mastery
As said before there are many American actors
who offer a fine opportunity TO playwright Wlshing
write a special play-Mr. Drew, Mr.. Mansneld,
Miss Mis- SG ReSan A' Miss MarIowe Miss ADAMS Mrs
F.ske Mir Mansfield will be kept quite busy for
some time atisfying the public with enough per-
formances Of "CyranO." but the excellence OF
"Cyrano" might well form an incentive TO play
wright 70 write n play for Mr. Mansfed. able IN
nobility Of character and In every way TO take us
place with the great importation. one also re
members his Beau Brumme' and other plays III
his repertory as being distinctly worth while
Another instance take Miss Marlowe She be
longs properly In Shakespearian roles but she coud
not plav Shakespeare all the time; she would need
other work The "Vaeska's' and "Colinette's she
now PLAYS poor affairs at best; they neither
bring out her real abilities. nor are they worth
N be quite unaware that in her they have the
finest actress for the younger Shakespearian cnaI-
acters now the stage, and prefer TO keep het IN
modern work here is an especially tne opportunity
all ready mutey Offering itself 70 true dranatist
But where is our dramatist2 Is there no one OF
the calibre Of Rudyard Kipng In that line OF work
or no our present playwrlSnts no
would deliberately step up and take the courage
and hard work TO make himself OF that callore
Would that Mr.. Kipling would try writing ior tne
stage, There is probably no one who woulo care
n predict anything but success II he undertook me
new limitations A play written by Mr. Ripping
and acted by Mr.. Drew or Miss Marlowe, let us
saw would not be uncertain OF taking rank near Il
NAV written by NJ Rostand and acted by NJ
Codue1ln or by Mr.. Mansfield, and would add a
third-in the language Of Shakespeare-to the oIhet
two NJ Rostands "Cyrano de Bergerac ana Herr
Sudermann's Three Heron Featners. 1-,1c,r
New-York May 25 1899