The sun., 1904-06-12

have known long time. He brought me
his first piece. He owes II TO me that his
Tho Prodigal Son. was Played To
cap his attack, Beoque prints this state
ment at the end Of the miserable history
Of his efforts to secure footing II 10
almost too good to bs true. Diabolically
clever also IL his imitation Of q sarcey
critiqus on Moliere, for Sarcey was no
friend OF character dramas.
In his preface to "The Ravens" Becque
announces that he IL not thinker, not q
dreamer not a psychologist, not q be-
said, the Becque plays provo nothing. are
not Photographic, are not deformations OF
life, but sincere life itself The author
relates that in composing he had large
apartment on the rue de Matignon-he spent
much time in front OF mirror searching
for the exact gesture, for the exact glance
Of the eye. for the precise intonation. This
fidelity to nature recalls a similar proce-
dure Of Flaubert, who ohanted at the top
Of his formidable VOICE his phrases to see II
they would stand he test Of breathing.
Becque caught the just color OF every
speech, and it is this preoccupation with
essentials OF his art that enabled him to set
on their feet most solidly all bis characters.
They live, they have the breath of life IN
them; when they walk or talk we believe
IN them The peep he permits us to take
into his workshop is OF much value to the
student.
He admired Antoine, naturally, and his
opinion Of Zola have recorded. He
raped Brunetiere sharply over the
knuokles for assuming that criticism con-
serves the tradition Of literature. Vain
words. cries Becque; literature makes itself
despite criticism, 1t IL ever in advance Of
the critics. Only sterile art is the result
Of academies. Curiously enough, Bec9ue
had q consuming admiration for Sardou.
Him he proclaimed the real master, the
man Of imagination. observation, the
characters. This is rather disconcerting
to those who admire In the Becque plays
just those qualities in which Sardou Is de-
fcient. Perhaps the fact that Sardou ab-
solutely forced the production Of Becque's
'L'Enfant Prologue may have acoentu-
ated his praise Of that prestidigitator Of
Marty. Becque entertained a qualified
opinion Of Ibsen and an overwhelming
feeling for Tolstoy as dramatist. The
Russians 'Powers Of Darkness greatly
affected the Frenchman. tBeoque was born
In 1887 and died in loOO.l
And what Is this naturalistic formula
OF Becque's that escaped the notice Of the
jealous Zola and set the pace for nearly
all the younger men9 Is 1t not the absence
Of formula Of the tricks Of construction
handed down by the Scribe
Sardou school? As Is generally the case,
the disciples have gone their master one
better In their disdain Of solid workman
ship The taint OF the artificial, OF the
sawdust, is missing in Becque's MASTER
pieces; yet with all their large rhythms,
aot-ends and freedom from
the ciche. there is no raggedness in detail;
indeed, close study reveals the presence OF
delicate, intricate mechanism, 80 shielded
by the art Of the dramatist as to illude US
into believing that we are in the presence
Of unreasoned reality. Setting aside his
pessimism. his harsh handling Of character,
his want Of sympathy-a true objectivity-
Becque is a. much q heotermensch as Sar-
dou. He saw the mad futility Of ths liter
lry men who invaded the theatre full Of
arrogant belief in their formulas, In their
newer conventions that would have
gupplanted older ones. A practical play
wright, our author had no patience with
those who attempted to dispense with the
lrame Of the footlights. who would turn tho
playhouse into . literary farm throu gh
which would gambol all sorts Of incom-
pstents masquerading - original dramatic
thinkers.
Beoque's major quality is his gift Of
ifelike characterization. Character with
him Il Of prime importance. He did not
tear down the structure Of the drama,
merely removed much Of tho scalioldlnR
which time had allowed to disagure It's
facade. While ZolA and the rest were
ievising methods for doing away with
The formal drama, Becque sat reading
Moliere MoHAre is his real master-Mo-
iere and lRe as Augustin Filon truth
,ully says. In his endeavor to put before
Us his people in q simple, direct way he
did smash several conventions. He usu-
lilly lands bis audience in the middle Of
The action, emitting the old-fashioned
exposition act, careful preparation and
sometimes development, as We know it
in the we'll regulated drama. But search
'or hia reasons and they are not long con-
,ealed. Logical he Is, though 1t Is not
he cruel logic Of Paul Hervieu, his most
artistic descendant The
ogic Of Becque's events must retire be-
lore the logic Of his characters. that Ia all.
then, Is his chief concern. He
,ares little for literary style. He Is not .
,tylist, though he has style-the stark.
Individual style Of Henry Becque.
Complications. catastrophe, dSnouement.
III these are attenuated In the Becque
plays. Atmosphere supplies the e1posi-
ion, character painting, action. The i'm
Of the dramatist Is profound.
Il he had projected himself or his views
upon tho scene, then we would have been
back with Dumas and his preachments.
Faguet was right when he wrote that we
ire returning to the Moliere comedy Of
character. Movsm ent in the accepted
,enss there q but little. Treatment and
have bssn whitfield away to
! mere profile, 20 that IN the Antoine roper
sory tho aneodots bluntly expressed and
Jumped on tho boards . slice Of real life
without oomment-without skill one 10
empted to add.
Bscqus was nearer the fountain head OF
,lassio form than H0ryieu, Donpay. De