The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-26
French Drama.
Leading Russian Critic Is Sc
we're on the Modern Theat-
TiCal Output of Paris.


Sympathy and mutual appreciation are
supposed TO distinguish the intellectual
relations between the Russians and the
French Gallo literature and art are
nowhere more popular than in -the edu-
Gated circles Of Russia. 4 scathing re-
view of the contemporary French drama
by a writer Of the leading St. Peters
burg paper, the "Novoyc Vremya." Is
an unusual thing. which will unpieas-
antly surprise the French. especially as
they are all OF the firm opinion that.
decadent and inane ana trivial as the
drama is everywhere else. in Paris It
f0urishes and remains artistic, siguih-
cant. and vital
The writer surveys the theatrical SitU-
alton Of the world at large. and con-
cluGes that Germany alone has reason
for self-gratulstion with reference 10
the drama. There. he says, there are
strong. individual playwrights the latest
addition to the galaxy being Arthur
Sehnitzler. Besides, in Germany they
understand and value Ibsen. the por-
trsitlst reslst, and psychologist who,
81 unduly occupied with social pathology,
never fails 10 stir and impress the audi
ter. Love OF the IbscE drama IS a sign
telliggnt attitude toward thc stage.
Trance Processes to admire Ibsta's s6iU,
: but she fights shy OF him. preleTrils
liEat and airy, superficial and sentiment
tai tIcatmont OF more or less general
ideas. Sardou IS "a mechanic, not an
artist a dramatic carpenter who has
~ Inspiration and 90 messaSc- while the
younger men, with less technique. arc
content 20 play with the fringe Of the
SO cial themes they affect TO trcJt Eng
land and Russia have no drama worth
mentioning. nothing that can expect 20
survive the day Which sees its birth.
The detailed review of this seasons
plays I'm Paris leads Up 70 the following
summary:
THE French theater. Notwithstanding
its glitter and the finish OF its work
on the interpretative side. is asleep IN
literary sense. 1t furnishes no true
type. In it's reflection of contemporary
life il is Journalistic. The world-writers.
like Shakespeare. Goethe. Schiller,
Calderon. are foreign TO it. Antique
tragedy is produced by il in new style.
and. for example. Oedipus. as given by
Mounet-Sully, suggests rather Victor
Hugo thar SOphOcles. Racine and
Coroneille are superanuuated, and even
schoolboys do not attend their plays.
it is stiu pretended that Hugo IS inter
esting but the truth is that for toe
stage he is heavy and awkward. Only
his brilliant verse saves him
I'VE are reduced to the contemporary
drama. It should be recognized as an
important circumstance that nowhere
are the artists and the playwrights 30
dependent on one another and so closely
united as in Paris. Pretty children are
80 ]. I.
Bernhardt. Rostand would be half 'Prin-
cess half .Aiglon;' without Coquelin, he
would have scored no phenomenal sue
cess in 'Cyrano;' without Rejane, Sar-
dou's Pamela would have heen a very
ordinary piece.
"Oi late there has been 4 whole cycle
Of semi-fcuineton plays which touch
upon live social problems, such IS:
Shall mothers nurse their infants? ties
Rempiacantes), decadence Of the no
bility Russian nihilism, inherited dis
ease. etc. These plays may be OF some
worth. but they are too ephemeral, the
impress Of the day is upon them.
Universal, profound. truly human
questions. capable OF inducing deep
thought upon the tangled relations of
life and of arousing genuine emotion,
the modern French theater does not
raise"
The critic analyses the most popular
recent successes. and says of cacn of
them that IL is either banal, or ma
chine-made or merely neat and SUPER
dcialy elegant, or sensational in q
Journalistic sense. All he praises Is the
French method Of interpreting and act
ing plays Here. he says, the French
arc in truth masters, and have a deli
cacy, a refinement a grace and natural
ness which cannot be found either in
Germany or Russia. This, however. he
holds. Is not true Of the Theater Fraa-
Gals which is tradition-ridden and anti
Quatcd and fOssilzed. II is true OF the
younger theaters and younger actors.
and especially Of the Antoine Theator.
which has re-created the art of acting
and OF staging plays Dramatic criti-
cism. on the other hand, this Russian
writer is unable to find in France What
passes for It, he says. IS terribly shall
low and Observation-Disclosures made
FOR The Literary Digest"