The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-13

To the casual observer of the theatri-
cal season just closing, it looks very
much as if at the present time no play
would be accepted on this side of the
water without the label Made in Eng
land or possibly Made in France"
Two or three American dramatists, it is
true. have won moderate success with
single plays, but at least one of these.
Paul Kester, had to get his play pro-
duced in England before it had a chance
here.
This is condition of things which it
is not well to encourage, but the ques-
ton is how it can successfully be dis
couraged. 1t is certainly not well for
the art of America to be SO permanently
under the domination of that Of another
country that nothing original can have
chance here. A similar state Of af-
fairs existed during the Second Empire,
when French clothes, French furniture
and French novels had so great an in
fiuence over American civilization that
the influence has never quite been
shaken off. II was a favorite trick
of certain would-be cosmopolitans dur
ing that period to compliment some es-
pecially superior bit of decoration in an
American house by remarl1ing that it
was really quite ike Paris" 1t never
seemed to occur to these expatriated
Americans that to be truly cosmopoIi-
tan one must not be devoid of apprecia-
ton for ones own country. 1t is not a
sign of highly cultivated taste to 60
wild over the charm of peasant life in
Brittany or Tuscany. the patience and
beauty of sordid lives on Russian
farms, and be totally blind TO the same
qualities as they exist in the MISSISSIPPI
pi Valley. One does not gain much by
falling so in love with the Alps as to
be unable to see beauty in the Yosemite.
and ii is not proof Of progress to re-
ject American plays. the work of Amer
lean playwrights, and flock TO see Eng
lish burlesques or French farces.
There is one thing and only enc,
which during the present season has
tended TO the production of plays of
American life. and this, though 1t is
not very good thing in itself. is so
much better than the thing which ii
EtuEltEdNAS ildt II DC tdl4e1 EDOu-
1t is the dramatization of popular nov
els. Most of the books thus dramatized
have been American, and more than
one OF them has given the character
actor chance for telling bits of work.
which are always popular. and are rea-
son enough in themselves for the sue
cess of the play. There is always an
audience for the play which depicts the
man whom we see every day walking
down the street or the queer character
whom we remember seeing in the coun-
try town of ou- childhood. There is
also public for the play which carries
Some favor of historical interest and
the dramatized novels have belonged TO
these two classes.
The principles OF art are somewhat
different from those of commercialism,
and II IL a mistake TO try TO mix the
two 10 any great extent. The use Of
French silks and wallpapers. or Of Eng
lish tweeds and Sheffield knives, or OF
japanese fans. does not hurt this coun-
try; ii is best that specialization in
manufacture should be carried as far
as ii can be. and IL the workmen of this
country can learn TO make as good cloth
and silk and paper as those of any other
country. so much the better. But when
French or English ideals dominate our