The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29
The DRAMA And THE DOGS.
THE COMMERCIAL MANAGER As
ARTIST AND As MERCHANT.
The Low Estate OF the Drama In America
Its Causes ami Possible Remedies
a Proposition FOR an Artistic Theatre
MIR. Frohman and the Playwrlghts.


a Proposition FOR an Artistic Theatre
MIR. Frohman and the Piaywrlghts.
About this time prepare for squallsl Not
the nautical squat, which IL respectable
thing in it's way. but the nursery squat when
il different. Given the least opening and
the breach between Life and the managers is
wide az a church door-and on all hands is
raised the world-old cry that the drama has
gone TO the dogs The Managers Make Art
Commercial yawps the infant 'reformer
who however limited his liabilities. Ia strong
on capitalization. And he screams ana
kicks in his trunde bed at the idea that
they should think Of making n Dollar out
Of the Drama
Bcyond question we are in a bad way.
No one knows this better than the members
Of what Mr.. Huneker once called the cham
pang--whose profession it II TO know the
best art Of all countries. and whose business
condemns them nightly TO drag together
the weary hall and chain of sorvtude along
Broadway from chamber Of horrors to
chamber of horrors in the land which, Of
all great modern nations. If theatrically
tbo most barbarous But all this infant
pulling this singing Of cant phrases. lands
hcttered until we face it soberly, seeing
facts az they are.
Have the syndicate managers ever pre-
tended to be anything else than business
men? Not they-or if they have, the pre-
tence may he easily traced TO the ire
sponsible zeal of the press agent. They are
merchants like any other merchants, and
are as iealously watchful OF the balance
of profit and loss Is it reasonable to. eT-
pect them TO be otherwise? Do we repro
bate the magazines because they print
historical novels and refuse to print his
torical monographs? Do we abomnate
the publishers because they are of mind
10 prefer G. F. X. James TO Henry OF the
,ame surname? Do we look askance at
the picture dealers because they refuse
TO maintain a museum Of art? The COM
mercial managers have at least this virtue
denied their critics. chat they are above
cant.
The valid indictment against them is
not that they are merchants. but that they
are bad merchants. On the purely finan-
cial side, II is true, they have shown ability
To unite the producing and the booking
interests in both low priced and high priced
theatres throughout this broad land Is a
work Of large Imagination and vast com
mand Of detail. To keep them united in
spite Of tho internal dissensions that are
known TO be rife is probably work of great
self control. To n very considerable extent
this pooling of financial issues has been OF
benefit TO the drama. Actors are better
paid and find more regular employment.
Productions are more fully staged and re-
hearsed Playwrights are better rewarded,
and. when they have won their spurs, find
n reader market. II is where the element
of art enters into the financial situation that
the wisdom of the managers breaks down
that they have in fact shown incredible
stupidity The exclusion of Mrs. Fiske
and David Belasco, to mention two salient
examples. is as great loss TO them as it is
TO the public. for one is the most intelligent
as the other is the most popular producing
manager in the country.
OF the folly of the syndicate in the treat
ment Of critics, the present case Is only the
most notorious-and not the most fragrant
example. Any ordinary dealer in prod
uct TO which the i'll report OF a day may
moan ruin would hesitate before trying
10 bully the prsss. The mAnagers-or, to
he precise, a single frm-have repeatedly
and be 1t said. vainly, tried to modify
and even silence criticism by use OF its
advertisements. There is scarcely man
in the chain gang who has not been ha-
rassad. even insulted. in his office. A
corner grocer might have foreseen the
result Hath not critic eyes? Hath
not q critic hands, organs, dimensions
affections, passiopsY II you prick him
does he not bleed? If you tickle him, does
he not laugh? And II you wrong him
he may fail, perhaps, in spite Of the lest OF
intentions. to preserve an attitude OF iu-
dicial detachment, TO rest serene in an
Olympian calmi
OF even greater moment from the point
OF view Of mere business is the failure Of
the managers in developing American pay
wrights The cry that they are Hostile 70
native art is OF course nonsense-the whin-
ing of the rejected dramatist. A good play
is worth 10 them upwards of SlO0 O0O-anc
that is a sum calculated to lay the fiercest
prejudicel II has been claimed for
Charles Frohman that he has produced
more original native dramas Of merit thar
any other American. True enough II
might even DO said that he has produced
more than all the much Wanted managers
of the past. for what did Wallack, Palmer
DAILY ever do for the native playwright?
Even more than the managers Of to-day
these heroes of old battened on the drama
Of other countries The question is not.
however, OF recognizing the American play.
wright-any one can do that when he ha.
once made good. The test of commercial
ability is the power Of developing him ii
the first instance, and after that of encourag
ing his good work and discouraging hi,
bad-the editorial instinct in a word.
This is question on which the apologize
OF the syndicate are silent No wonder
They would have to explain why Mr.. Charlie
Frohman left it to others to help MIR. Aguus
tus Thomas and Mr.. Clyde Fitch win thei
spurs why he rejected. to name few
salient instances, Arizona and The Ear
OF Pawtucket.' Nathan Hale and -Th
Climbers" and acoepted-hut let u draw
the tender veil Of oblivion over the failures
of our playwrghts and Managers
The fact Is that Mr.. Frohman il not
producer of plays, bcrt a reproducer. rh
names Of Carton and Pinero hoRted The
Rich Mrs Repton- and "'rhe Wife W1thou
Smile upon our boards for "A few bar
performances. oven in the face OF thei
failure In Ioudon. but Wild hor4e4 Coul