The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-14
The American stnEc.

Charles Henry Meltzer. the dramatic
critic and translator Of Hauptmann, is of
the opinion that the drama in America has
been degenera;ins fer the last ten years,
though he is not at all unhopeful that a
reaction may take place, and that the
American playwright has dazzling future
in spite of present tendencies and indca
tons. He condemns the moneymaking
propensities OF both managers and play
wrights and says that this is land striv-
ing after Municipalities rather than ideal
tiles.
1t may occur to the mind of the impartial
critic that, il the American stage is de-
generating. the same is true of the English,
since some of the worst plays this season
has seen have come to us direct from Lon
DON" But is it. On the whole, true that our
stage is in a lower condition than 1t was
twenty-five years ago? We have more thea
tres, more actors. and more money in the
business than ever before; that is certain;
and, although Booth. Barrett, Florence, and
their comrades have passed away, we have
a few great actors even today. and Shake
speare still appears from time to time,
staged and costumed with a sumptuous-
ness that was never before known. May
1t not be true that the meretricious and
inartistic plays and extravaganzas which
are making carloads of money today are
simply supplying newly-created demand
and do not take the place OF better plays
at all? The class of people attracted by
these Shows" as they are appropriately
called. did not exist in this country fifty
years ago. The people who. in former
yeare, went 10 see good. clean, bright comic
opera, dainty and witty society dramas,
and Shakespearean tragedy, go to see the
ally, no difficulty In finding them And as
has been remarked by competent critics,
the clean play even in this day and gen.
Grafton which is SO vigorously abused
makes just as much money as that which
is Fundamentally more. Three or four
Of the record-breaking plays OF the last
five years have been irreprOachable il
character, while the companies which pro-
duced them did work as artistic as any
thing which could have been found on the
American stage in, the fifties, and the seem
cry and costumes were certainly an I'M
provement on those of that bygone era.
There was trash on the stage even in the
days of our grandfathers, and great actors
lent themselves to its Interpretation. When
Edwin Forrest played "Metamora"-a part
which he detested-the public insisted on
having it and crowded to see it, and it
was one of the tremendous successes of its
time. Compare "Metamora," with its clap
trap effects, its cheap sentiment and bonn
bastic unreality, with such delicate and
exquisite bits of realism as THE Little
Minister"
Altogether, it is probably true of the
American drama of the present that the
good is as good as the best, and the bad
is worse than the worst of previous gem
erations. There is certainly great wealth
of material for the dramatist in the history
and social conditions of this country. and
American actors will be forthcoming in
time to interpret every great play that an
American playwright may construct. But
ii takes time to grow literature Just |
as it docs to raise a forest