The Washington times., 1903-03-22
IGH FANATIC history shows that
the early drama evolved its
technique before it's indi-

highest dramatic individuality, man
ifest in Shakespeare. so transformed the
n material at hand as TO make the sources |
mere appondages of genius. But today, |
with the plots furnished in a novel the !
playwright does little more than trans
late the story into action He writes
for an audience thoroughly familiar
with the development OF the story as a
story, and with individual conception OF
what the characters should be. Even
ing dress alone changes the reading
public into a theater-going people"
This paragraph OF high sounding
phrases and epigrams is presented by
a writer in a magazine OF current issue
as a development of the thought that
1.-THE popular novel of today is the
drama Of tomorrow" 1t is followed by
several interviews, with Miss MarIowe
Mr.. Hackett. and Otis Skinner. intended
TO indicate the obvious truth that books
do not always make good plays. Il
might seem at a glance that such an
article had no justification, especially
as the dramatized novel is now thought
10 be in the twilight OF its career. But
If the two esteemed actors first indi-
Gated gave voice to the bafierdash with
which they arc credited the more writ
ing about the stage from all points
OF view the better.
"A successful dramatization." says
Miss Marlowe, lis. II seems to me. to be
achieved rather by catching the spirit
of the story OF the novel to be presented
Q on the stage and translating that spirit
into an acting play than by a slavish
following of mere plot and incident
Too much is usually sacrificed to draw
seemed 10 attract the reading public in
the novel and to weld these into some
semblance of dramatic form. The result
has been too often to miss altogether
the character and charm of the story.
and by detach'nE the situations from
their environment 10 make of them mere
bald unrelated incidents. without sig
nifcance or real Conference
Mr.. Hackett devotes himself TO ex-
pressing this same thought, which is
probably what the author of the article
desired.
The dramatist should not be limiteI
by the authors viewpoint" says the
Pride Of Jennico." He is given a GER
tain number of details and he has the
NIpoS|unity to show his individuality in
the handling of Incidents"
Bromg these e0Gerptsat IL Is manifest
q. that neither Miss Marlowe nor MI
Hackett. in however many book plays
thcy1s;ave appeared, hos yet, dtsrpvered
the essential difference between a novel
and drama.
. Both author and playwright have for
their purpose the delineation OF life. the
expression OF the impulses which &C
tuate It and the establishment of an
ideal which will elevate it. But this
result is. by design at least 10 be
achieved by different means. The novel
list must perfOrce express everything in
words. The dramatist. on the contrary,
expresses nothing In words which can
be told in action.
So IL is that a book which abounds
in atmosphere-such as the Kentucky
Cardinal" OF James Lane Allen--is for
all practical purposes insusceptible Of
dramatization. There is nothing in it
TO be told by expressions Of the face.
waves of the hand. impressive pastures,
or significant silences. a work like
THE Three Guardsmen.' however. lends
itself more readily 10 use on the stage.
There the author has attempted little
more than to recount series OF adven-
lures all dependent for their interest
not on their atmosphere or spirit" as
Miss Marlowe calls it. but on the action
which the novelist pictures for his
readers. Books Of this class make
plays. They are rarely good plays; but
they are plays; and those who have
found much interest in the book are
presumably sufficiently interested to see
the characters embodied and given
power Of speech and motion.
Some thought Of this sort moved
Otis Skinner to say in this same arti-
Gle:
''No matter what the critics say
about Shakespeare's art, his trade was
that OF a playwright first Of all. What
we look for in the drama Is action:
beautiful thought is TO be desired, but
II is of secondary Importance. In my
production Of Francesca da Rinini' I
selected Boxers version in preference
to stephen Phillips. for the reason
that the latter is a poet like Tennyson,
and has not. to me. grasped the essen
tails OF dramatic art. The technique of
the drama is what one wants at the
outset"
The technique OF the drama What we
look for in the drama is action! There
is no reference here TO the quality and
character and charm OF the story
which have so strong a hold on Miss
Marlowe's attention Indeed. the only
excuse for dramatizing any book is that
g presents series OF incidents filled
with action. and Miss Marlowe could
hardly have been more wrong If she had
tried. Atmosphere can be better re-
produced on the stage in plays writer
directly for the stage than it can ever
be drained through the sieve of an his
torical novel.
The truth OF the matter is. that few
book plays are worth presenting From
RIP Van Wrinkle" down. the effort Of
actor and manager has been not to con
tribute 10 the drama but to rofract Tho