The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-17
SCENERY AND IMAGINATION
SOME THINGS THAT STAGE PAINT
CANNOT REPRESENT.

I'm Christian Pilgrim Reduces Bunyan's
Great Book to the Level OT a COney
ialand Creation" SHOW An lmperti-
nent. III Judged Attempt at impOssIbihty
II was not many weeks & that THE
SUN had occasion to comment on the DIM
GUILTY Of representing the religious emotions
in the drama. especially OF representing
those subtle, personal emotions, those
perhaps morbid doubts and brOodings and
visions. which constitute the preparation
for the great spiritual adventure OF con-
version. as well as he emotions OF CONVEX
aion itself. The failure Of MIR. JOnes's play.
-The Evangelist" afforded the occasion.
Last Monday Miss CrOsman appeared IN a
stage version OF Bunyan's Pilgrims
Progress" and the same remarks are again
in order. Bunyan's Christian In fact may
he taken as the classic example Of the man
who seeks salvation through conversion.
conversion, that is, in the narrower sense
OF Protestant Christianity. Conversion "de-
notes the process, gradual or sudden. by
which a self hitherto divided and con-
sciousIy wrong. inferior and unhappy
becomes unified and consciously right.
superior and happy in consequence OF its
Rrmer hold upon religious realities
Especially to the NonconformistB OF
Bunyan's day, among whom our Puritan
ancestors are counted. this meant first a
passionate attention to self. a ~brOoding.
melancholy. almost sickly conscience, and
then a great release through belief in the
Cross, through a concentration Of the atten-
ton on the life to come. To most Of us
to-day this does not seem the healthy
minded view OF the universe; and to many
Of us both the preliminary despair OF soul.
conviction of sin, horror at the w~ickedness
Of this world and the subsequent exaltation
Of faith and the remuneration Of this world
are almost incomprehensible. Yet once
they were facts OF common experience, and
even to-day they are far less uncommon
than those Of us suppose who live in the
white light that beats upon Broadway.
And they are the facts which give to "The
Pilgrims Progress" its real significance
In the history Of the faith and fear Of the
English nation.
With that truth held fast in mind the utter
futility OF the present stage version OF
Bunyanis book becomes doubly apparent.
The simple fact that The Christian Pilgrim
9 a bore is. of course. sum Client to con-
denim it. Indeed. the most ardent workers
for the cause OF religion should be the first
70 rejoice in the failure Of a play that makes
solemn things merely dull and turns the
heart of the dOubter to the other road
in instructive repulsion. The mass Of
the -theRtregoing public will ask no other
excuse to stay away h the plea Of duh
ness. and they are quite right. But there
are other excuses to be urged. and first
of them is this failure of the stage version
TO make the story a gripping reality. to
make of ChTistiGn other than a lay figure.
TO recreate the homely. heart singing.
emotional appeal of Bunyan's book. Failing
in that. it failed absolutely to justify itself.
IL tempered with a religious and literary
masterpiece. and achieved only a kind Of
paint and ~pasteboard b~lasphemy. IL may
nave pleased Miss Gresham by placing
her in the centre of the stage for long
periods. where she could repeat, in a monot-
Onous rising and falling infection Tor
rather infiction) the ringing speeches
of Christian, though in all conscience her
Christian was far enough away from the
rugged racy. if soul tortured fellow Of
Bunyan. IL may have pleased her man
ayers by affording them a chance to dis
play lavish If wholly unsuitable scenery.
nj giving them an opportunity to appear
as patrons OF Art with a big A.. But to all
who love the Christian religion. OF what
eve sect; to all who revere English ltera-
ture and enter with unshod feet at the
portals Of B~unyan's masterpiece. to all
who hold the various arts of music and
drama n fiction in proper appreciation
and respect for their differences, this stage
version Of "The Pilgrims Progress" is an
i'll timed. misiudged. ineffective. pre-
sumptuous thing. There is no use trying
to excuse it on the ground that it meant
well. " that il tried to do something fine"
IL did not try to do something fine, but
something presumptuous and silly. 1t ought
never have been put on the stage.
$50 hot, my little mani" as Emerson used
10 say. Yes. so hot! For you cannot love
the drama unless you love other art forms
as well. You cannot estimate the worth
of a play unless you are in love with life.
You cannot respect a playwright unless you
respect his brother craftsmen. And when
you see a great passage Of original litera-
ture such as the description Of the fight be-
tween ApOLlyOn and Christian reduced TO
the weak a~bsurhity Of a stage duel with tin
swords. your shame for the stage is in pro-
portion to your love for great literature.
Or when your childish mind has pOndered
with awe in the dark of your little chamber
over those words Of the Psalmist, Yea.
though l walk through the Valley Of the
Shadow Of Death. | will fear no evil; and
your youth time has seen you stand at the
ope grave Of him who gave you life and the
Shadow Of Death was very heavy upon you
and the evil well niGh'impossible not to fear;
and your adult years have Hound you still
bordering that Shadow that looms ever
larger across your path. filing the mind
with a great. dim. solemn, terrible imagry.
simplifying even the imagry of Bunyan with
wordless pictures Of you own; when this
has taken place within you, 10 see the Valley
of the Shadow OF Death depicted on the
stage Of a Broadway theatre by crudely
painted p%asteboard and gauze curtains is
more than ridiculous is painful, il is tor
ture. And you marvel at the mind which
could rave conceived such a thing, ever
while you suffer.
II is no answer that stage versions OF
THE Pilgrims Progress" have been played
In other lands and tongues. IL in no