The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1907-01-31


New York.-"The New York Idea"
has been q much-discussed play. Peo-
pie have wanted to know why Mr..
Langdon Mitchell, leveling his satire
at divorce. was at pains to describe
It as a New York idea.
II chose New York for my title be-
cause New York is the greatest Of
American cities and reflects American
life," Mr.. Mitchell explained: The
play might have been called The
Chicago Idea or The Philadelphia
Idea just as well, I suppose. The
most explicit. title would probably be
The American Idea.'"
I'm other words" remarked the re-
porter, you used the words New
York to mean America, just as we say
Paris when we mean France, or
speak of London when we think of
England?"
Precisely"
Why do you assume the attitude
you do on the divorce question:"
The author settled back in his chair
as If to weigh his words. Mr.. Mitch
ell is anything but a fippant young
man OF the town. His urbane manner
and an almost ~imperceptible impress
sion Of reserve at once recall his ia
Their, DR.. S. Weir Mitchell, the noted
physician, and himself a famous au-
thor.
Mrs. Fiske suggested several years
ago." he said, gravely, that l write
a play with divorce as the theme"
Would not such a play be serious?"
IF there were children in a drama
Of divorce it would be a great tragedy.
/ decided, however, that my play
should be a comedy"
Acting, l suppose, IN the principle
that ridicule is the most dangerous of
weapons" suggested a representative
of the New York Times.
mo. There is a great drama in the
| divorce question, If treated as a seri-
Gus problem. / should like to write
such a play. Ny decision was reached,
however, to make my play a
comedy"
1T has been suggested that your
methods resemble those Of Bernard
Shaw. Did you have his work in
mind?"
ANY resemblance to Mr.. Shaw's
plays in The New York Idea is quite
unconscious, / assure you," Mr.. Mitch
ell replied. 81 know Mr.. Shaw, having
met him in London while | was liv-
ing there. He was very kind to me
when my first play was produced in
England. l have been a student
of his plays, though. ! can almost
say | have not seen performances of
them. OF course, / make a round of
the theaters every season, but | go
away into the country to write my
plays"
Life as the Author Sees II.
Then your criticisms of modern
conditions merely reflect life as you
see it?"
Marriages based on affection, 10y
atty, and a sense of duty are not
affected by the satire and rebuke in
my play. Nearly all married people
have quarrels. Where the husband
and wife have a sense of loyalty and
obligation they pass an unpleasant
day or so and Their are good friends
again. With people like Cynthia and
John Karslake, on the other hand, a
idivorce is the first thing that sug.
gests itself-the easy, the usual end
fof a quarrel in married life.
who is to blame for such a condi-
'tion? The law makes marriage a civil
contract; divorces are easy to OBJ
tain. The church may place a ban on
divorce. Why does not that keep
husband and wife out of the divorce
court? Can 1t be that the people | am
.criticising have ceased to be guided
ny the church,"
MRS. Parsons recently suggested
marriages on probation" suggested
the reporter. rs such a system pos
sible?"
when we come right down To IT,"
Mr.. Mitchell replied. do not some
marriages amount to precisely that?
The real trouble and the blame.
continued Mr.. Mitchell. lies deeper
than the foolish husbands and wives
I have sought to typify In MI. and
Mrs.. Karslake. The people l really
aim 1t are the fathers and mothers
Of such husbands and wives, Why
90 they not teach their Children that