The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-22
The ART OF ARTHUR PINERO.
HIS EVOLUTION FROM 1.-TWO Hun
DRIED A YEAR" TO "IRIS.'
Now at the Meridian OF His Powers rs
PiaywriEht-"The second Mrs Tan'
aueray" a Great Piay-stili Greater
Things TO he Expected From HIM.

Piaywrixht-"The second Mrs. TAN
aueray" a Great Piay-Stili Greater
Things to he Expected From HIM.
Mr.. Arthur Pinero's recent lecture on
Robert Louis Stevenson as playwright
has set wagging many tongues. Inc Eng,
nsh dramatist has been severely criticised
for telling unpalatable truths, though ne
was tender to the memory OF the popular
writer Some literary journals founo iaui'
with his arraignment OF the dead man
essays in the drama. all OF which proves
TINT the old Stevenson dolatry is not ex-
tinct His plays read well, say his al
mirers. True, admits Mr.. Pinero. antici-
pating just such an argument, but they 40
not act. And a. Mr. Brander Matthews de-
clares, the stage lis the only true proving
ground OF a dramatists work
Nor Is IL because Of their literary quality
that Mr. Pinero condemns these plays.
II was Stayenson's want OF seriousness
He never took the stage as an serious factor
In art II was an amusing toy, not vital
form ANY one with a facile pen and fancy
oan write for il. And then in collaboration
with Mr. Henley he wrote Beau Austin,
besides several plays on his own account
They do not act. and play is usually meant
TO be acted on a stage before an audience
that is, all but the plays OF Browning
and Swinburne. But your dyed-in-the-
wool critic will not see the Pinero point OF
view. Like Stevenson he has not the
scenic idea"
Mr. Pinero ia a man who knows whereof
he speaks Not signally endowed with
literary gifts, possessing an IMAGINATION
not poetic whatever else il may be, he never
theless stands to-day at the very summit
OF English dramatic art. On the Continent
his name is heard in conjunction with the
names OF Sudermann. dAnnunzio, even
Hauptmann and Ibsen. And he reached
his eminence by hard work, by devotion
TO a dramatic ideal and by sympathetic
observation Of character which in his case
has largely supplied the lack OF poetic
spirit and those brilliant flashes OF intuition
we call genius. Yet The Second Mrs.
Tanaueray is easily the greatest play OF
latter-day British drama. To find its
equal we must cross the Channel. Since
Dumas fs no such profound and exact
notation Of the woman decidssfe has been
made in France. Ibsen is. naturally,
Pinero's master at all points Of the game
except humor oven Ibsen has avoided the
Paula Tdnquerdys. And Mr. Pinero has writ
ten other plays. Luckily he has never
succumbed to the temptation of literature,
Qua literature. His later plays are full of
Ideas-but clothed in dramatic symbols.
For the purely fendenz drama he has not
exhibited a Partially.
From his maiden attempt, Two Hundred
aYear," in 1871 To Iris in 1901, a lifetime has
been traversed, an artist evolved. Pinero
has written in ALL thirty-two original plays.
and adapted Georges Ohnet's THE Iron
master" and Sardou's -Maison Neuve,-
the latter under the title of Mayfair
He has slowly, cautiously. with an infinite
capacity for taking pains. worked his way
from broad farce to the complex of the
modern problem drama An actor for a
period, he knew his ground better than
his material So we see him manipulating
Il through the mazes Of sentimental pieces,
pieces whose intent is purely satirical, and
also In the region Of fantasy. The comedy
OF manners he has made his own. dealing
with conditions of varying social orders
as deftly. as lightly as in his farcical efforts.
He has practised all styles yearly gaining
variety in his dialogue and freedom from
the provincial in his considerable ion Of charac-
ter. Indeed. in the matter of characterize
tion Few living playwrights are less subject
20 the regional spirit, or what Natl ew
Arnold rather loftily called the parochial.
Cosmopolitan in his outlook II Pinero with
out any loss Of native flavor in the delinca-
ton Of his people.
And he has quite a flock Of men and
women To his credit. With the wears his
absorption in the study Of character has
sometimes caused him 10 relax his formal
severit les; he has written loosely and largely
as IL the humanity within the frame OF his
picture needed ampler spaces. There are
formal Projections in The Cav Lord Quer:"
"Iris.' though less well knitted reveals a
broader synth.-sis With all its disAgreeahle
outlook to some purists-upon certain
phases OF life, you feel that the dramatist
has sunk his plumm.t deeper than before,
deeper and truer.
H. THE Money spinner ussOl We catch
the FIRST glimpse ~ his Possibilities The
piece IL rather crude "Imprudence" usSD
followed It, I'll" hAs been u'ililed sino..
THE Squire usSlI Ne have enjoyed
Mr. Kendall waS the fret ECh lSrifg. aud
with her We're som" actors that have hr.n
assacist.d with Mr. Pin.ro'- sucossS--
John Hare NJ kendal. Hrrhert Naring
and othsrs The fret ACT Of The squire
4 capital
B-l~.-n IssS and Iss1 Pin.fp prudu',l
thfss fares. III. N1gi-traf,. The
k.'hoolmi-tT-ss ahd Darby "a A.
NJ fyfe sAys, 'Piu"fu r'-l".i,-i Ih- farce
a. cliafai 80 The fuur. ,f iuir FH,. Il
smpiy s.stuf" had IHrg anuuat~I a.,
Ihgish stage flpis o. ilr lr.r.Da-i
srdr sih uSWir ruulflsr 81 flr rld
a. .ari 49, ~-f" 100 o. alI 200 pui I'r- &c..
p,I-h~i fhnYugh Naf..4. -lIYHi.4ns rI.r
ei.al'.i tea 80 i'.r sii I.Hl iI.'H .r fi,,al
sHuaiiuus Al tH ell. IIl.l o. lad feel a,.lf
ilss fsrt ~ uhsUus nun nrlI 3D. ala.
1s--t,-i aiai be- sss-r iI ilr issbsf iItsaI
T. ttaio-iy ussu hr meade lalu ~
elsrinrl Ifs.Hlr - ti.r ti4rt leo.
sinb sii ssrn siaus hila'.fH 80
49, nar - sHi E.anUiNg sIu o. iaa
tssH hial ul.Hf ~ ussus.fIrH 20 40
fssAH Asaita fsF 90 Me- Nee
Asg biAsl nssisgss Juaf, AHsi.s 49,
bssssff ii.s ihss Jfaf hsys Tafss u.r
4