The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-11-06
ON AMERICAN DRAMA
ENGLISH DRAMATIST SPEAKS AT
 LAMPSON HALL

LAMtSON AAH Thinks American National Play Should
 be Taken from American Lie and
 American Characters--POetic Drama
 the Highest Type but Impossible Under Modern COnditiOns--American
 Life Tempting Sphere for American
 Writer.
 The auditorium of Lampson lyceum was filled to standing room only last evening with an audience eager to hear the well-known English playwright, Henry Arthur Jones on the American Drama" MT. Jones said in substance:
 Drama must be literature to De per manent. That which is not true litera- ture cannot endure. Much Of the mod ern drama tends to the exaltatlon of scenery, character, not true to life and extrayagant plots. There is the drama of scenery, and the drama dear to the heart of the matinee girl, types of drama that depart from the true drama and cannot endure. Yet even in the highest drama of Shakespeare we have some elements of comedy and by7play thrown in as sops to the audience, and eve in the musical comedythere are some touches of humor and true pathos. The highest type of drama Is the po- etic drama. But at the present day the poetic drama is practically hopeless. You cannot have poetic drama until you infuse @ little more poetry into your life. For the drama is repre- sentative of life, and as long as the present high degree of commercialism prevails we cannot look for poetic drama.
 In Elizabethan times the age was po- etic. It came in midway between the Renassaisance and the Reformation It was an age of poetic ideals. But to- day I would discourage any one who thought of attempting to write a poetic drama. I wish some would could prove 1 to methat I am mistaken in my 1udg- ment of the hopeIessness of poetic dra- ma.
 The American colloquial language is better adapted in some ways I think | than the English colIoquial language for | the drama The American language is more racy. It Is most fitting for the American national drama. The Ameri- cans of the present day are ideal per sonages to study for characters for the American drama. Your drawing room, streets, tram cars, prairies are the only possible recruiting ground for the American drama. It seems to me that America is the most tempting sphere | for the American dramatist. Mir. Jones spoke against importing foreign plays, and strongly urged the writing of yplays from study of our own life. He spoke also of the more rapid advancement of the United States and lpredicted a national American language | that would be considerably different | from that of England.
 I After the lecture MT. Jones was guest of honor at dinner given for him at the Graduates club. At the table be- sides MT. Jones were Pres, Hadley, Pro- | lessor Henry A. Beers, Professor w. l.. ICTOSS, 1TOleSSOT OudTllOU M. 1GWlS, rofessor Edward B. Reed, Professor c. s. Baldwin, Professor Bernadotte Per rin, Professor William Lyon Phelps, c. E.. Eliot of Clinton and MT. Leslie, sec retary to MT Jones.
 After the dinner MT. Jones and his f host, Professor Phelps, and others were the occupants of a box at the perform ance of Jeanne D'Arc at the Hyperion, through the courtesy of the author of the play, Percy Mackaye, son of Steel | Maekaye.
 Afte the play MT. Jones and Percy Mackaye were given an informal re- ception at the Graduates club by Pro- l lessor Phelps.
 Oneof MT Jones best known plays is Mrs Danes Defense, which is being presented this week here at the Bijou lMr. Jones returns to New York this afternoon, leaving at o'clock, and will
 sail for England on Saturday.
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