The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-27
Robert Blossoms Plea For an
American Play.
Thinks the Dramatist Uses Too
Many Drums and Muskets-
ALWAYS WAR DRAMAS.
Presence of Commendable Ex-
ample of Americanism Needed.
Cannot Fail to Produce Helpful
Influences.
ALWAYS WAR DRAMAS.

A very sensible plea for a sensible
American drama is made by Robert
Edeson, who glories in his American
citizenship and the American heroes he
portrays on the stage
IF you ask an American playwright
to build a drama for you he straight
way gives you the roll of drums and
the sound of muskets.' says Edeson.
He selects one of the three war Pc
RODS in our history. the revolution or
rs, the civil war Of 81, or the CUBAN
campaign of 1898. He seems to think
there is nothing in our national lie
worth exploiting except our marks
manship. He apparently Overlooks the
fact that successful war plays have
been few and far between
ssWny haul in the American flag
upon all occasions wrap it about your
hero and make an appeal to cheap pa
triotisn? Real Americans q, II do
that sort of thing Personally l dislike
utilizing the red, white and blue as 8
bid for the gallery Augustus Thomas
wished to write in an American flag in
the third act OF Soldiers of Fortune,
but neither my manager. Henry B.
Harris nor I would sanction it.
The love of armed conflict is not the
most salient trait of our Americanism;
therefore, why use II perpet ualIy as
the theme OF plays designed for pop
ular appeal? Of course. love and strife
must be the dominant notes in any
love drama destined to endure, but
strife need not necessarily apply only
to deeds OF warfare It can signify as
appropriately the struggles encOunt-
cred IN all walks Of life today The
pitting Of brain against brain in poll
tics, commerce, or science forms the
background Of the drama of real life
today.
The American wins laurels as an
engineer in advancing civilization by
overcoming natures obstacles: as d.
rector Of vast combinations OF capital;
as a developer OF scientific discoveries;
as a constructor OF colossal public
works; as a factor IN local and ma
tional government. Surely with these
fields ready for exploration and ex-
plOitation the dramatist need not re-
vert to his beloved trio of war periods.
1T seems to me that our play
wrights who bemoan the lack OF color
the absence of the picturesque in our
environment and the want of the sub
timely heroic and thrilling adventur-
GUS in modern existence, might find all
these essentials-if they be essentials
to the writing Of gripping drama of
today-in the faraway chimes where
our consuls safeguard their nations
honor and integrity. There they would
find color 'picturesqueness 'heroics,'
and adventure
The little episode that brought
Bowen, our minister to Venezuela, to
the fore would surely dramatize as
well as the exploit Of some revolution
airy hero. A year or so ago not a soul
of US knew who he was or where he
was stationed The opportunity came
and the man was there to meet it.
Isn't that the task invariably assigned
Dy the dramattSt to his herO2 Does he
not usually cOntrive an opportunity so
that his principal male parsonage may
meet 1t and cope with it successfully?
His play has been fashioned for Just
that purpose-to illustrate the sur
mounting Of obstacles. the achievement
of desired ends. I haven't heard of
Bowen as the central figure of a play
I trust I never shall, as it would
cheaper the service he rendered his
country Nevertheless 1t SENS that
he might serve as model for the dra-
matlst whose muse is silent if it has
not something approaching war to
sing of.
when you mention the stock ex-
cnan8e to the playwright he invariably
viii say II has been done to death. and
TOO often utilized for comic purposes to
admit Of It's being employed for serious
ones They overlook the fact that their
three wars, their never falling source Of
inspiration, also have been utilized for
comic purposes. Their crushing arelI-
ment IN reference to the stock ex-
change drama is that the business man
VINO goes to the theater in search of
IoeS NOT care 10 witness a
resume Of his days labors. There is
probably some truth in this but nv ex-
per1ence is that the pIaygoer demands
emily that he be entertained, taken out
or himself as 1t were, and if it be pic
tured truthfully and vitality he really
welcomes a play that deals with per-
sonages and happenings akin to him and
his phase OF life.
II we must have a savoring of the
military IN our plays, why not one of
west Point or Annapolis life, or army
post life? Augustus Thomas fo1nd tbs
latter field a fertile one in Arizona.
ana Richard Harding Davis not onlv
mas found 1t productive of material for
fiction, but also for his comedy of Ran
6ome's Folly