The Washington times., 1903-12-06

the novels Of Thaokeray. Baizac, or
George sand.
Why is Il that rip Van Wrinkle. can.
not be killed, and that people 20 10 see
| IL whether the principal role be enacted
/ by the lovable and esteemed Joseph .Ief-
ferson OF the play be presented By III
! endowed actors OF the 10. .. 39-cent va.
riety7 Beyond doubt. IN my mind. It is
the poetry OF Washington Irvinrss en-.
chanting legend OF the Catskills whlch
endures. and not the cheap acting YER
sion OF that play IN which village
drunkard is made a hero.
Shakespeare First a Poet.
shakespeare's plays are the works Of
master dramatist. it is true; indeed.
the great German critic, SchleEel, saws
that Much Ado About Nothing is the
most perfectly constructed play for
stage purposes extant, but the vital
quality OF the bard's dramas Is their
poetry. IL L were asked, What is
poetry?" I think I would reply, As
You Like It IS the incarnation Of DO
etry; the nearer writing comes to that
composition the nearer IL win be DO
etry; the further removed. the less Do-
etical it viii be-"
This quality IN Shakespeare's works
IS what has made them last three hun
cred years. and explains why today, Il
properly presented. they command the
patrol age OF people who love the thea
ter. His contemporaries Ben Jonson.
Marlowe. Beaumont and Fletcher, Peels.
Green. Nash, and the rest, wrote good
plays but they are not seen today.
50 in France the dramatic composition
OF the great poets CorneiIle. Racine. and
Moiere are stiu played. notwithstand-
ing the very avalanche OF writing in
tended for the stage, which has its
fountain there Many brilliant French
men devote themselves to dramatic com
position Their plays blossom forth. are
hailed with enthusiasm, meet temporary
extravagant success. and then are for
gotten. to be replaced with other cur
rent Efforts. But the great actors stfll
look to the master pieces OF the classic
period IN French dramatic composition
as the mediums through which 90 arrive
at distinction
Good Plays Not New Plays.
The simple fact Is that for the last fifty
years OF more no great writer has d.
rected his talents toward dramatic
forms Of expression, and hence the IN
cessant demand for new vehicles. There
was a time. covering the interval OF two
hundred years between Betterton and
same pieces over and over again and
retained their public to the last minute
But such pieces
Every great actor OF today would
doubtless prefer 70 create a few con
spicuOus roles and continue to present
them. but the author who could furnish
these desirable roles are not IN the land
OF the living. 7. myself. would wei
come one or two plays OF permanent
value. rather than undergo the expense.
uncertainty, anxiety. and other nerve
smashing experiences attendant on a
yearly production of some novelty, and
I believe Mr.. Mansfield. Alr. Sotheru.
Mr. Drew. 8Ir. Gillette. and other lead
ing American actors. as wei as the fore
most artists on the English stage. would
welcome this state Of affairs. Not stag
nation: 1 do not mean TO say it is de-
sirabie 10 have a limited number Il
plays and take no chances whatever
on new manuscripts rendered. but il
would be better for actors to have some
pieces like those written by the former
great dramatists as their refuge ana
shield. than the present condition II
having TO rush year after year for
plays which are at best expedlent.