The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-13
OF THE THEATERS
THE DRAMA IN GERMANY AND
AMERICA-A CONTRAST.
A Sketch of Maurice Maeterlinck's
Latest Play, Monna
other Notes of the Stage.

John Corbin, dramatic critic for the New
York Times. writes concerning the drama
in America, in the current Forum, as fol-
lows:
THE theatrical situation In Germany is
geographically the same as in America;
that is to say, there are many widely sep
arated cities, each one the seat of vigorous
civic spirit. The commercial basis of the
German theater, however. is the direct OPP
posite Of that in America. The origin OF
the theater was not in the great mass or
the pubic, but in the more intelligent por-
ton of ii associated with the royal courts
OF Germany. In Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna.
Berlin, and many other capitals there are
theaters which, like the Theater Francois,
are supported in part by the national treas
ury. These theaters are what we should
call local stock companies OF the highest
character; and for more than a century
they have given frequent productions Of the
best dramas in the literature of the world.
ancient ana modern. Modelled upon these,
in the leading commercial cities, stock
company theaters have been founded which
depend for support on the municipality
and even on private subscription.
No sooner has a play proved successful
in one German city than it is rehearsed and
put on the boards IN all; thus becoming a
part of the repertOry Of twenty or thirty
different companies at once. 1t also does
away at a stroke with such organization
Of booking as it is at the root of the COM
mercial evil Of the American theater. 1t
also does away with the long run. which
Is the root of our artistic evil, for the rules
OF the theaters generally require hat even
the most successful pieces shall not be
played more than four times a week, in or
der that the rest Of the time may be taken
up with REVEALS of the classics and with
productions OF new plays. The actors are
thus benefited by constant variety. In
spite OF this, however, a play is in the end
given as often as there is a public to wit
ness 1t; runs of one and two hundred per-
formances being perhaps as frequent as in
America. 1t is true that in any particular
city the returns to the authors and the
managers come in more slowly, but this
is more than balanced by the fact that the
plays run simultaneously in all the lead
ing cities. In many other ways this system
Is superior 10 ours. The author has a score
OF managers to whom to offer a new play.
The actor, when his abilities warrant,
travels as a guest from this theater to
that, availing himself Of the local company
and of it's stock scenery. The public is
constantly able to see the best old plays
and at the same time every novelty of the
season Even the mercantile classes share
IN the general profit, for a large floating
public of well-to-dO people is attracted by
the great educational advantages which a
repretOry theater offers.
AS for America, or at least English
speaking America, no one who knows the
conservative power of established organi-
zatlon, even of the worst, will look for any
early duplication of this system. AS far
as the German-speaking public is con-
cerned, the system is 20 be seen in full
operation: there are vigorous and success
full reDertory theaters in New York. Phila-
delphia, Chicago, and Milwaukee. and
every season great German actors. such as
Possdrt, SOrma, Odilon, Bonn. and SOnnen-
thai, make the tour of all these theaters
as guests. But it will be many years, it
ample is initiated by the English-speaking
public"