The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-15
Rocks ABOUT THE THEATRE.
rur LITERATURE or TIE STAGE
SCANTY ENOUGH.
midget Of the Dsy-Critics VINO write
in water A Sequel Suggested
10 Ibsen's "Ghosts" -"Tno Petu.
lance Of BERTHE" After Clyde Fitch.

h, water "A Sequel SuSg ested
"a Ibsen's "Ghosts" -"Tne Petu-
lance OF BERTHE" After Clyde Fitch.
How transitory is all writing about
,t;rps theatrical Whenever we receive
volume OF collected dramatic criticisms.
s,d If is far too seldom. We realize this fact.
=, seems pity that work Of genuine worth
,hould anguish in the newspaper files OF
dusty Yesterday. Yet few critics seem
ambitious enough to preserve their best
sFort. between covers It Is pity. There
IS Mr.. william Winter, for example. who
has poured out the treasures Of we'll
stored mind. OF an imagination touched by
poe,ic fancy. for many years In the columns
Of a daily paper. Surely the amount that
should be saved bulks largely. Our drs-
matte dean ia a writer OF pure, nervous.
sonorous English; in 1t lnger echoes Of the
fine old strains OF Jeremy Collier and Sir
Thomas Browne. All this apart from the
judgments Of plays he has witnessed 30
tirelessly. Is II all to be lostf
After two decades and more In pro-
,essional harness Mr., Edward A. Dithmar
quietly slips into editorial work, and ex-
cept a few monographs. his criticisms are
written in water. Yet few mon exerted
A deeper influence than he-witness his
famous criticism Of Edwin Booth; and did
he not make Richard Mansfield? It IL the
value Of such varied experience that we
sorroyfully zee wasted. Possibly neither
Of these writer's will ever sift their Thousands
Of columns for the precious residuum.
Recolections are usually delightful, and
while criticism Ia better hot OF the griddle
4, reads well in reprints. The literature OF
the stage is scanty enough. In Mr.. Prices
valuable study, THE Technique OF the
Drama there may be found list OF refer
enee works in several literatures. II is
not a long one and II has not been aug
mented considerably since the appearance
Of Mr.. Prices admirable volume. Very
true, you can't learn play-writing or acting
from books. But there are many events.
many details, many plots. many actors and
actresses about that the student as well
as the critic would like TO see safely housed
within half dosen volumes. Cyclopedias
are coy; Larousse IL not always at hand;
so we are perforce compelled to depend
upon fugitive publications. In France.
merely as a matter OF record. criticisms
are annually published-a custom that
might be emulated elsewhere
]. T. Grein's Dramatic Criticism 1906
1901. started US on this train Of specula-
ton. Tho book is English. 1t records
the opinions formed OF London plays dur
ing the period mentioned, and Is written by
an energetic, honest Dutchman. the in
sugurator OF an independent theatre and
a critic on . London Journal. His writings
are interesting. sturdy In their expression
Of q firmly held opinion. and reveal con-
siderable knowledge Of the Continental
stage. Naturally Mr.. Grein Ia for the New;
he holds q brief for Ibsen, Sudermann
Pinero and the 'moderns.' though he Is
not a bigot Possibly his little book may
not make Q wide appeal, but we are selfish
enough to wish for more Of the sort.
Comprehensive u players and Plays
Of the Last Quarter Century by LOWS
c. stranG. Mr.. Strang b . well-known
dramatic critic In Boston and his two vol
umes are evidently put together. None
the lees are they interesting and valuable.
despite q few slips. This is bookmaking.
but bookmaklns 10 very handy to the man
In . hurry. There arc dates. solid facts,
portraits and records Of performances
with plot analysis and criticisms Of current
plays. Of playwrishts and players.
Mr.. Strang has blocked out his scheme
by devoting one volume to The Theatre OF
Yesterday the other TO The Theatre Of
Today In the drst he considers The
Theatre Then and Now; From Betterton
to Macready; Edwin Forrest and Charlotte
Cushman: The Last Of the Heroic Actors;
Murdoch. Davenport and Barrett; Edwin
Booth: the Juliets Of Century; The Future
Of the Serious Drama; The Development
Of Comedy: Some Notable Comedians;
Gilbert, Owens. Jefferson and Florence;
William Warren. In the second volume
we fnd treated: Robertson and the Eng
lish Drama; Pinero and Henry Arthur Jones;
Six Representative Plays: Play-writing
In America: Bronson Howard and His Con-
,emporaries: -Four American Dramatists:
Causes OF the American Theatre: Clara
Morris and the Sensational Drama: The
Damatised Novel; Sudsrmann and Master
lincs. Henry Irving in Melodrsms; Mrs.
Fiske; HsnriettA Crosmsn ~ Rosoiird.
The illustrations are copious. from the
elder Kean 70 the favorite Of yesterday.
There are copies OF old playbills Mr.
strsng IL an entertaining writer and q
critic Of eclectic tastes His range and
variety may be gathered from his chapter
titles above He devo'es space 10 the
American playwright. He 10 too severe.
however. on Mr.. Clyde Fitch. That drama
tsr hA, done be,tsr work than The Climb
err which has always had Tor w tbs
sstrinsency ~ Henri B~oaue- minus thu
s.tms Mr.. strahs would confer . favor
ufon lazy people " he gave us too COM
psnioh volume. 10 the-e sbou' tbs French
sag He 70 svidsn,ly In sy'apsihy With
49, Gallo school
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