The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
THE YEAR IN THE THEATRE.
A FAILURE OF DRAMATISTS, BUT
THE PUBLIC HAS MADE GOOD.
A Deficiency OF Pl1Ss-A Triumph or
Serious DrRma-Shaw and Barrie as q
Test OF 20 1ular Taste-The New Thea
tre-Mrs. Charles de Hay as Galatea.

Of the programme book and consider what
may nave been the meaning Of the theatrical
season now ending. Two things, l think,
are evident: There has been a general
failure on the part of the playwrights to
maintain, to say nothing of raising, the
level of their output; and at the same time
there have been evidences Of a marked adj
vance in intelligence and atholic receptive
ness on the part of American audiences.
This may sound as if Broadway were lifting
itself by the boots.rars. And that IL just
about the case. OF all the arts the drama
10 most clos aly identified with its public and
dependent upon it for inspiration. A poet
In a garrett may pour forth his soul for all
time with a few cents worth OF ink and
paper; a painter at the expense Of 30 much
color and canvas; but the work OF the
dramatist does not exist until it is given con-
crete form in actors and scenery, and Is
presented for many in the open playhouse.
And this, in a country where the theatre ID
organized on a purely commercial BASIS
10 a contamination not easily attained. The
source of the drama is in the popular con-
ciousness, and the author does rot rise above
the source.
The standard opponents of the English
drama, Pinero and Jones, have given US
nothing. The young and promising Hubert
Henry Davies has also been silent. From
Fl. V. Esmond we have had an early work.
sGrierson's Way" which, though interest
ing, proved unsatisfactory alike to the
critical and the popular mind. r. c.. Carton
has given us one play, the ~farcical MIR.
Hopkinson," which. though above his recent
=, ,or nroorkohla for fha mott n
of Dallas Wexford than for its intrinsic
qualities. We Rave made the acquaintance
Of one new English playwright, Alfred
Sutro, and both of his plays revealed talents
of q varied and very considerable scope,
but neither Of them proved consistent
or sustained. THE Walls of Jericho"
was a curiously undigested lump OF Satire
comedy of manner and crudely parsonical
melodrama: and The Fascinating MIR.
Vanderveldt" was a slender comedy of
manners that eventuated in conventional
and inexpensive moralizing. In short, we
nave not mad one real I nglish drama even
remotely approaching "The Second Mrs.
Tanuueray" or Iris" not one comedy that
deserves to be mentioned in the same breath
with "The Liars" or (peace TO its ashes)
embarrassing Julia" Shaw and Barrie,
on the other hand. have been very much in
evidence; but of them later.
The output Of the American PLAYWRIGHT
has been larger, but scarcely more hopeful.
William Gillette's "Clarice" was half-heart-
edly received both in London and in Boston.
and has not vet reached Broadway. George
AIDE preached two admirable comedy
ideas, both of which were imI aired-ruined
in fact-by a cheap and conventional I'M
reality in their Theatre development. "The
Bad Samaritan" was stillborn, and aJust
Out of College has not reached more than
the semblance of life. Augustus Thomas
put out two star vehicles, both remarkable
for acute observation, embodied in laugh
able %-lines," but both lacking any real
grasp Upon character or genuine comic
and dramatic force. For Gillette, AIDE and
Thomas the season has been actually or
virtually a failure. John Luther Longs
Dolce" an ~enio-able one act comedy,
was put on for three performances.
Richard Harding Davis gave us The
Galloper," q fresh and successful farce,
but inferior in all respects to The Dictator.
In Her Great Match" Clyde Fitch re-
handled various long stalled materials with
a very high order of graceful and romantic
ina ination, and for once achieved a whole
composition Of simple, well ordered and
consistent development; but though the
piece deserved and achieved success, it
nowhere reached-or attempted-the level
OF the best elements in such pla-s as The
Climbers and "The Girl with the Green
Eyes"
There he's been the usual number OF
pieces from new laywrights-"The Title
Mart" from Winston Churchill; "Gallops,"
from David Gray; The Prince Chap, from
Edward Peple, and THE Little Father
OF the Wilderness" from Austin Strong
and Lloyd Osoorne-the two latter of which
show promise, but lone Of which takes a
high rank, even in the American drama,
1t is a curious fact, and one which !
think is wholly creditable to popular taste,
th-t the great successes Of the &c son have
been plays dealing with strongly dramatic
material. "The Girl From the Golden
West" of which David Belasco claims
authorship, is a mere ~rehandling of scenes
and situe lions long TANNER cn~Fet
orders of melodrama, and, aside from the
skill of manipulation with which it is put
together, the ability Of the actors and the
beauty of the 8 age decorators and man.
agement is of no real interes but Milton
Royle's "Squaw Man" handles a new char
acter and a new situation with cor siderable
freshness and authentic ity Of feeling.
In 4The Lion and the Mouse Charles
Klein has given us, if not the most s!dlful, at
least the most vital and interesting Ameri-
can play of the season. There is much,
especially in the first act, which is unreal
and inept, and the general framework
creaks at the joints; but the characters are
taken from the life about us in its most in
teresting development. and the play as a
whole has the true dramatic ~impetus-the
drive of character and r~assion in inevitable
conflict. Several American plavwrights,
and notably Mr.. Thomas and Mr.. Fitch,
have achieved far more accurate and keenly
observed studies of character and emo
ton; but none of them, as far as | remember,
has ever gwen us 50 vital and moving a
theme so vigorously treated. For what it
is, and most of all for what it promises,
1.-THE Lion and the Mouse" is by far the most
interesting play Of the season. In the best
sense of that much abused word it is serious
drama, and its success is in proportion TO it's
merit. More than any American play of
recent years it has shown that Broadway
has a mind and a heart above the realm Of
farce and musical comedy.
1t may be added that the one English plav
with any real preten e of seriousness, "lhe