New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-12
Mr.. SHAW.
His Qualities as They Appear in
John Bulls Other Island"

Mr. Arnold DaIv's presentation at the Garrick
Theatre Of John Bulls Other Island" will have
answered useful purpose II it serves, as il ought
to serve to put Mr. Bernard Shaw's qualities
dramatist in clearer light. For some time the
American public has been asked to regard him
with approval as an entertainer really qualified
to entertain and, incidentally, man with some
thing to say. The crackle OF his quips has filed
the air and attention has thereby been diverted
from the essentials of hts work IS II thoushtruI
work as We are commanded TO believe. and does it
disclose the artist well as the paTnphletser' or
is it kind OF intellectual humhuggery with moth
ing in It of lasting charm and vaIuet Inc per
Torrance OF John Bulls Other Island makes 1t
the easier answer these questions for 1t places
the essence OF Mr. Shaw before with all posi-
bic sympathy and care. Every one IN MI lazy
company is very much in earnest Inc play IS
well mounted and in fact. pains are spared TO
do justice to a difficult task,
The heart Of the difficulty lies in Mr. Sha"
character. lie IS vivid, clever Irishmsn' scorn-
full of much in our modern social system. ana
eager to aTnuse himself with making guesses at
the correction OF what he considers evils IN
fortunately he has mistaken his sense Of discon-
tent with things they for a philosophical
conception Of what things ought to be, and he
writes plays. 50 called. to prove thesis after
another. Intentions OF this sort nearly always
fatal TO art. When they bear good fruit it IS be-
cause the dramatst with a sociological bee in MS
bonnet has the wit 10 be q dramatist first and
that In his zeal to reform the world through the
medium Of the stage he did not go to school with
a playwright like. say. the younger Dumas The
mere scaffoldpg Of such drama as The Wife OF
Claude would have at least taught him how to
line his flats" But. instead OF Dumas he has
read Schopenhauer, Netzsche and Ibsen. and in tho
congenial task OF warming over their ideas ne mas
forgotten TO learn his craft. John Bulls Other
Island" DEMONSTRATES this up 70 the hilt. 1t aims
at throwing light on the Irish question: but. Wills
GT7avy has OrCf7+r 70 RI IN he
has neglected to keep in mind the sxtgencies OF
dramatic form He tells us what we seem to have
heard before. that half the responsibility for Ire
lands woes lies upon the shoulders Of the i'm
practicable Irishman. the other half upon the
shoulders Of the ard-headed, unimaginative Eng
nshman, but where the old story might have been
made interesting through fresh dramatic action
It has been rendered dull through episodical
treatment. accompanied by foods Of talk.
The first act is practically RH talk. and seems
less an act in a play than leading article getting
itself thrashed out between couple Of Journalists
Mr. DAILY as Larry Doyle illustrates adequately.
with no special brilhancy, the point OF view OF
sef-expatriated freshman. conscious of his coun-
try's defects and limitations, and only made the
more impatient and dissatisfied by his clear Vision
Broadbent the typical British PhiIistine, played
with perhaps shade too broad touch OF com
edy by Mr.. Mitchell shoulders all problems aslae
as things bound TO yield TO common sense ms
contrast is dror and would be remembered agree
the Bit between his teeth and harangues US through
his characters until the fall Of the curtain comes
as a glad release from boredom The spectator IA
uncomfortably conscious, too, as the "oros CEASE
10 echo that there was little in them either wise
or Ufttv This first act is indeed. complete re1u-
+atfo, oF the hvpothesis that Mr.. Shaw IS brill
tantIy daring commentator on the subjects Win
which he chooses to occupy himself. he Is siIo,
glib as an auctoneer. and just as that Individual
can persuada the right audience that broken
foot her
frfgerato-, at pinch and is therefore a bargain
so Mr. Shaw seems able to convince many people
that he has something profitable TO add to their
stock of mundane philosophy The olstnle1eSled oo-
server can only look on and marvel
The trouble with Mr. Shaw IS tnat' ike tiie
FAMILIAR +yynA who has been educated beyond MS
intellect" he has glimpses into the incongruItieS
of existing conditions without any OF the sympathy
which would help him to understand their true
meaning or any Of the creative power which
would help him to suggest rational ideas for their
abatement or modification No intelligent creature
could ask him TO solve the Irish question IN Jonn
Bulls Other Island but at least he ought TO re-
veal some new ideas IT. and this he sgnally
fails to do The second act does nothing TO tulhI
the hopes suddenly reused by the closing sentences
+ Of the first. The hillside exhibited IN beau
tiful scene IS unquestionably romantic, ana the
heroine Nora Reilly. is charmingly impersou-
ated by Miss Herne that we are prepared Tor posi-
-fvelv inspiring developments, but again II Is nade
nIafn that Mr. Shaw has gone to Ireland only for
HIS background in order unburden himself Of
moro talk MY way Of joking" says one Of the
characters an unfrOCked priest, lis 10 tell the
trIIth-that is the funniest joke I know Mr.
Shaw brings Broadbent and Nora together, nomi-
pav TO keep going the fraI love story imbedded in
the piece. but actually 10 get them to show once
more the difference between The English and the
Irish teInperament-that IS the funniest thing ne
knows how 10 do TO tell truths that we all know.
This scene on the hillside IS curi0usly indicative
of Mr. Shaw's greatest and most astonishing need
We say astonishing for Irshman without
grain of poetry IN him seems positively unnatural
The author OF John Bulls Other Island is moth
ing 81 not writer OF fantasies, but If may judge
from his work ne has graspeG the meaning Of
+he word. play like this might have been carried
off with the tricksy spirit of Heine. with an
tina g;ratiye humor like Gilbert's Mr.. Shaw spells
Il bv knowing nothing about the half shade. about
atmosphere. about the subtle, poetic twist which
will make even nonsense adorable. As humorist
he IS as hard as nails; he knows enough about the
Irish landscape 10 Tnaks one OF his characters
talk Of if in appreciativs vein. but he bathes his
play as in electric light. In John Bulls Other
island" we have his character a dramatist
stripped to the bone There is no philosophy IN Il.
coherent or fragrnentary; there is wit or humor
that will bear the test of repetition and there IS
no art The world is terrorized by its clever men.
they see others laugh at what the others say is
critics like Mr.. WaINey, who will discuss his
sis and Of psrtsans so devoted to consider dis