New-York tribune., 1905-12-27
as TO THE SERIOUS" DRAMA.

Various persons associated with the theatre have
recently disclosed their feelings and opinions as
to the state Of the drama" in England and
America and curious opinions some Of them are.
Mr.. Henry Arthur Jones, for example who some
time ago, fntimated, I'm print (to quote his
words), that he Sweating to put life into the
serious drama seems still to be in a state of
perspiration as TO that tremendous subject for
he now en1its wall Of laborious anguish. because
Of what he terms the failure OF serious drama In
England. Another British dramatist Mr. Carton,
resents the fu1putation that any such catastrophe
has occurred, on the ground that Mr.. A. ".
Pineros serious plays, all about Mrs, Tanqueray.
Mrs Ebbsmith, Mrs. Iris, Lord Quex etc, are
financial successes Mr.. Jones is distressed fur
thermore, because the play of 'Monna Wanna
prohibited in London by the public censor.
According to Mr.. Jones, no drama rightly be
considered Serious unless It deals, physiologicay
and photographically. with "the passions and ac-
tons of men," and portrays those passions and
actions to provide 'ts vision OF the workings
Of the human heart and the plays that Mr.
Jones indicates specifically representative in
this direction such as show "the human heart
tmpulsive Of its possesSor toward sexual pursuits
and consequent difficulties. Mr.. Carton. on the
other hand, appears inclined to the view of the
serious drama as exempIifed by Mr. Pinero who
rejoices in the explicitly erotc view of this great
subject and exalts the relation OF the hlackguard
and the den1irep; though Mr.. Carton also inti-
mates that the play Of Leah Klcshna" is to be
prob n IF Mr.. Jones Zone OF the best of mod
ern dramatic authors) and Mr.. Carton would cease
sqUabbling about the Serious drama and devote
themselves TO the creation Of healthfuI dramatic
works. whether serious comic the English speak
ing stage would derive more benefit from their
labors than possibly ensue from their verbose
and tedious interchange Of views TO the CON
stituent materials and possible emoluInents of
dramatic literature
Mr. Jones declares that his crusade Is not against
the public desire to be amused in the theatre
but against the public desire to be amused by
musical comedy, burlesque, horsepIay and ''tom-
foolery"; by what is sensual. instead of by
what is Intellectual: and he appears to think
that the intellectual element is found only. or
largely, in the works of Mr.. MaeterIInck Mr.. Ib-
sen, Mr. Sudermann and other pundts Of the same
advanced order Wherein those writers are 'Ein-
tellectual" Mr.. Jones does not say. But his view
will probably, commend itself to all the 'faddistst'
of the day, who seeking emancipation from the
trammels of decency and common sense.
It is sad to find that such a leader as Mrs. Fiske
seems inclined to throw the weight her great in
fuence in favor of these Jones doctrines This emf
nent actress, speaking at Harvard University,
Gently informed the Harvard Ethical Society that
we are beginning to be true. and, In being true.
we are beginning to find world of beauty hidden
heretofore glorious world opened to US by the
new dramas of Ibsen and his followers and dis
cipes" One of those glorious dramas by Mr.. Ibsen,
a play called Ghosts has for it's theme the opera
ton of a loathsone, hereditary physical taint,
and consequent odious moral degeneracy; 1T begins
in disease and it terminates in murder-this crime
being committed by mother, who kills her
with a dose OF morphine. Another Of those edify
ing treatises, 'Hedda Gabler,'' is prolix exposi
ton OF the moral results of oviducal ament-treach
cry. cruelty, malignity and suicide. These plays
appear to be sufficiently Serious but 1t is difficult
10 understand how they open world of beauty
to theatrical vision But Mrs Fiske has devoted
much study TO the subject, and perhaps has found
reason to her earlier decision. made known
over her signature. time TO the
effect that the influence of Ibsen the
temporary drama has been ''baneful,'' and
that, by his example. well by his work, he
has almost banished beauty, nobility and poetry
from the stage" As TO Mr. Jones's lament about
the failure of this sort of Serious Drama" (some-
times known the Drama of Ideas'D,-if it be
true that the British public really prefers tom
foolery'' rather than the keen high, lasting in-
teIlectual amusement afforded by the best things
the drama can offer''-as exemplihed by Tanque-
ray, Iris "Monna Wanna" Candida" and Mrs.
Warrens Profession the works of Mr. Ibsen, Mr..
Maeterlinck Mr Shaw. and their inlitators and dis
ciples,-why, then Lord be thanked for their good
amends" W. w.