Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-10

your views and opinions in a womsn's case
with the tolerance OF chivalrous benevo-
rious moral that ambition which would
sacrifice honor and stoOp to perhdy must
eng IN cereal. olsgraee ana repentance
West impress US most tenderly with the
lesson of the refining and uplifting power
Of simple love? Do not you in front feel
your pulses quicken under the enchant-
ment Of the process that reveals the pure
soul Of the girl ana the publication of the
teaches that the lowly may rise through
the effort Of moral impulse? Are not
the whole four acts like a chapter out Of
the history of our country, and at the same
time leaf out Of the book Of human ma
These plays are ali based upon the prini-
tive passions. They may be called come
uleS OF manners or plays of character, yet
s sner true value rests on serious ethical
Of the stage magician.
ever walk out Of a theater Without ex-
Perlencing the indehnable satisfaction that
~ deTiyed from the exercise of iall the ra-
and mind should be gently stimulated as
Wen as the eyes and ears should be graft
beudoIr not hoy 1y t ne feeble worries OF the
which belong to the men and women in
Whom nature has implanted, as In virgin
evil ~ eVOU S-AN
Olga Nethersole is an actrese who be-
heves In her work, and who has most
earnestly striven to teach a lesson. She
mas more often shown what not to do
rather than a positive teaching, but her
sincerity is beyond question. Her opinion
Is briefly expressed, thus:
The question is of the utmost interest 10
me; 10 my mind the serious drama is the
highest form of dramatic art and I have
always always heid that the purpose Of the serious
md fhnW
Hate mankind. Those dramatic authors who
are numbered among and accepted by the
piays desl,n w[i @ifb OF serious Plays-i e.
me greatest dramatists of the time and
Iney VIII I'VE and go down to posterity by
reason OF their great and noble purpose. 1
consider that no subject is too serious or
vital TO discuss upon the stage provided
HAS is treated ;t seriously and consider that
good TO the community at large
Henrietta Crosman has a right to sneak
with authority on the topic. She SAYS:
don't think there is any rule for the
wIluns OF plays. There may be hard and
Iast rules of construction that will make
Technically correct play, but it does not
t heJe5SaIy follow that a play that is
noVlce may write a great success and a
great playwright may make a failure An
an6 . a person may pick a great success
manager may pick a failure for produc-
uon. How can we make rules for such
cases as these? Where the great public is
the judge, they alone can tell what tbe,,
like or Will like, and the taste in PLAYS NAV
change as does the cut of your coat
%
HIS opponents hardly credit Marc Klaw
with any knowledge or thought Of the
drama beyond the box Office, vet he verv
clearly expresses a forcible thought. He
says:
II does not seem to me that there should
w q possibility of a division of Sentiment
I'll Ini .ne question OF serious purposes in plays,
S Siiess you are catering purely and simply
Ior entertainment only as in the case ~
WIG tarces and musical comedies There
purpose object or motive in every se rIo u
ana plays without it are rarely successful
Lawrence D'orsay Is true % "rha IT,,
Of Pawtucket" and others of his crest;ons
Tor he objects to thought in connection
with the theater. His word is this:
Ethical purpose in the drama is nm ~
tShent thlng, the sine qua non, in fact IL
me Stage is 70 have "a mission other than
the purpose should not be SO deem that
Ine AUDIENCES cannot discover them, nor so
else pSi Ptr thai they can discover nothing
tne surest and most lasting money-ms ltins.
tTlh OF amusement, and may be instruc.
wen 70 'ne pure as to the blase.
David Warfield has clear notions on tbe
question, together with a proper regard
Tor his own Importance, as this expression
indicates:
dies aS my SnI mind; all plays. apart from come
1tI,, pure ana simple, should contain
ethical purpose" for what is n S rasin
without moral, lesson or sermon az. n
not " enti EeT Will But if the player does
merely fails TO convey to his nearer tho
adutnor purpose, then your ethical theme
loses much of its value. AS the author aiJs
tne ACTOR so must the actor aid the autbor
Grace George modestly set forth her
views as follows:
with my limited stage experience basi-
tate 70 write on the subject in 0uestton
DeneVe that a drama Should have a.
Sea aIoHs purpose, but we should always re-
ntsniOsI that the men and women who
write Tor the stage these dass must nv ne
one thought In mind-the box office TbeS,
WIS plea please the public, who are tickle and
VINO seem to prefer the light and frivoions
sort OF entertainment Ai"'i"uS
NV, we OF the stage and those who provide
preserve ant nave small opportunity to
lettereo, 10 great extent for unIess We
&c csai,n IN sueh plays that draw popular ac-
ieLa' anu please our masters, the theat-
real 'syndlcates," we can look foru,ar
20 httle In the future. Dramas of serioi,s
thebtricsi are voa rated FAR below par in the
be- ~ shouiu
'uheS IA racket admits his own con.
Neuon OF the essential ethical element IN
the Drama but presents the further fact
that many others do not think as he does
He writes:
phere can hardly be two opinions n sear,s
" me, on the question of the eTnediancr
anu Naiue OF serious ethical theme IN Z
, drama among those who regard the fhea 70,
80 something better than mere diversion'
pellSNe that IL ought 10 have a mission . M
could pe-whether it is or not-a bower For
SUI IN every way, model Of correct
speech, teacher of lofty morals ana n,
noDie principles. 1t is most unfortunate 20,
arr mat the popular success of a piax bss
Ia'Siy anything 70 do with its artistic wort
~ serious purpose. The chronicIer M
1neatIlsal ahRirs cannot account Tor tht
success success OF a good play on the ground oi
serious purpose and human Interest," mi
ms argument may be the very next instsn NJ
Dened by an equally great success aWardef
play devoid of either There is iIsfic.
~ the iact, however that no plav eve,
mas lasting success without an under
iylhs seriousness and the possession OF IN,
! human interest VI 'ii
IN an age so overWorked as ours no On,
; can justly complainant view of the iihera
support the theater ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ~,
great public asks to be diverted first of All
BUT All who believe seriously in the theafe
ISefet IL, ana none more profoundly thaI
the actors, very few of whom are V-ithon
5 drama OF serious purpose In their pocket
, Nhlch they dream of one day being allie I,
2 produce, and there have been of late mani
examples 10 prove that the actor whei
moved an, 10 follow his own Judgment, take