Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-25
Playwright Discusses Theatrical
Contrasts i'm Europe and America

E<HT HEN the American public ceases
wv to concern itself with how anc
begins to ask why then we
shall have a theater better worthy the
| name and theatrical literature of gen
uine value" This is the opinion Of Elmer
| b. Harris, co-author with Miss Geraldine
! Bonner of "Sham," a new society comedy
which is to have its first production on
any stage at the Los Angeles theater
! Thursday night, with that very capable
actress, Miss Florence Roberts, in its lead
ing role. Explaining his somewhat cryp-
tic remark MIR. Harris continued:
To-day the great majority of Americans
-the big middle class-has set itself Just
one problem; How can get more money,
a new touring car, a new suit Of clothes;
how can / get three weeks vacation this
year instead of twoY
I'm Germany and on the continent gen.
orally society has progressed beyond this
stage. There the opportunities for extra
rewards have passed and the people are
now interested in the problem of why.
They realize these things are not for them
under existing social conditions and they
are demanding to know why not. That
is the next step forward, and as 500 as
exceptional opportunity shall have been
exiled from America we, as nation, will
take 1t.
It Is Different Abroad
1.-THE present difference is made obvious
by the plays which succeed abroad and
which succeed here. It Is becoming daily
less, but 1t still exists In marked degree
In the United States, for instance. the
playwright Is confronted by the CONNER
cial necessity of supplying his pay with
a happy ending. He is, in a way. telling
his story to an audience of children, and
when you tell tals to child you do not
say: And then the big wolf ate UP the
little GIRL because that would make the
child cry, and you do not want to bring
tears to the eyes of childhood; even
though. In the circumstances. the wolf
undoubtedly would do that very thing.
Abroad there is no need for this happy
ending. All the European audience asks
is that the stage story be true to life.
That is because the European audience
is more cultured than the American. Gull
ture is merely training which enables
us to face crises without losing our heads.
Comes then an educated man, a stu
dent. and says: Here is your problem
1t may be problem of sex, of politics, of
the home; varying crises of sociology. At
once the European theatergoer becomes
interested In seeing, if not a solution of
the problem presented, at least a disser-
tation upon It that will make him think.
He views the matter impersona.ly. That
is a characteristic of the we'll informed,
well tempered, cultured mind. In Amer
lea we are too prone to regard the stage
in its personal aspect, as its stories may
apply to ourselves, regardless of the uni
versal principles involved.
Lack in Culture
1.-THE American of today lacks the op-
portunities for culture that are the Eu-
ropeans birthright Abroad, through an
admirable literature, art and architecture,
the continental mind has been abe to
arrive at q point far In advance of the
American. Here, whether in the desert
seeking for wealth, or in the cities. we live
in an inartistic environment. Our liter
ature is forming. So far as the stage is
concerned you can count the big plays on
your fingers. Our great artists are pitt
fully few. Our architecture has been
erected by grating supervisors instead of
by a Napoleon or a kaiser. But we are
progressing. and in this progress I be-
lieve the theater is destined to play
large part.
THE tendency of the modern drama is
away from Hamlet and from Lear
We are learning to control our emotions,
instead of being controlled by them. This