New-York tribune., 1908-11-22
COMEDY-NEW AND OLD
BY Percy fitzgerald.

8 II material -.
vulgar and superficial suppose but of mental cor
hcts. mental struggles. which may. indeed gfvs
such results : powerful material events b-f q,
themselves become the substantial support ss.
leading IDEAS OK the whole In real Hfs there a..
stories OF absorbing and overwhelming inferes. Al
vavs going on about US, but they are 1nr1auz~,
able because spread over long perfod-5ecspa.
encumbered with the padding - common dead
level life Still. making al deductions. ther. +,
something I'm life. in what Is hiring and In VIA.
genuinely attaches Itself and beI0ngs.t9 ifa t5a.
always will interest and even absorb Hence tn.
public Is weary OF trials Hence privs-.
history has always strange charm Of its own az
IL reflection OF life. and which 70 10 Ina,
when It gets into print Hence hOusen-aids flsse,
at. the keyhole tc what master and risss" ara
saying. Hence the truth OF what Walpoi- has satr
JustIy-if any were 20 set DOWN honestly ana
faithfully all that he has seen. thought Observed
the result would be a most interesting book-4l7
whatever hands,. adds the lively letter writer Fo-
this is the whole secret OF interest-the candgr r.
the manner. OF the revelation. Once Ter an--ta-i,
overlay what is being told. and becomes go r1g5
deceit. In short. mans mind "a kinedona i--
not merely 'to me. but TO all others t f,lrnTsba.
variety inexhaustble It is not in coIors lights
groupings. gorgeous and fantastic scenerr dresses
handsome faces and figures dances, flowers levels
puns and poor songs that true interest or anus
ment be sought and found These are 80.
mere inanimate stocks and stones OF Ere. aad n
time-after the few seconds surprise Is over-u-9-
ducs about much entertainment a days pleas
uring to museum does to the country bJrnptf,
even to persons OF far higher training and "a
hnement.
A quarrel takes place IN the street. a erors
gathers at once We hear two persons discus.i,-
something IN railway carriage naturally -
course, and not talking for Us; Il becomes u,o-a
interesting than the book or newspaper we ara
reading A shrewd. obseryant member OF 4 family
travels abroad: his little adventures. trfaing bu,
told well, Inger the memory far more than tha
pretentioIs OF official tourists. We ourselves
may have figured IN some little rsscoatrs an I'M
or in coach. or boat; have come IN contact with
some characters" call them; and We tu-a
back TO these with surprising relish and longing
They are dramatic. more or less They are bits Os
Bfe.
Now play exhibits in a small space what Is an
extract from human life Some concessions must
be made to the limitations OF time and the skill ot
the writer Is shown IN leaving out. with as Httl,
violence may be, the dead-Ievel. uonorOnOus bts
during which nothing can be done Hence thers
will always be rather unnatural gathering to-
gether OF incidents IN play, which viii requirs
from the spectator certain allowance. This IL
common TO all plays; bur It is more comsdy-that
art now much lost TO Is the rich red OF Old
stained glass-with its principles OF entertaining
that have 20 consider.
Human action Is always inter estug. and 4 rfvets
the attention Human character also attracts: and
the two mainly constitute the interest OF convsr-
tional comedy. In fact, that much-hackneyed hold
ing up the mirror to Nature Is the true secret:
but it must be TO EGturs; for sort OF holding u
Is always attempted but II Is something artificial
accidental The mirror Is held up to gaudy
dresses. to painted faces 20 antics OF all Sorts to
twitches OF expression positive rinning through
horse collar; but not to Nature. It VIII be SAID
the skilfuI scene painters OF tine do least
deserve this credit. that they reflect ths most e1-
Quisits hills. wales and woods. the old ruins oe
ebbeys and castles; but this is outside the dramatic
art. and belongs to the panorama The houses On
fire. coal Pits machinery rooms. steamers and ra1-
way trains do not deserve recognition The truth
is. really good comedy. with gCOd Judges present.
would be amusing the old Thespian cart,
without scene curtain or footIghts, It would "a
at the finest theatre
For character to interest several thlnEs ara
necessary. Character must be genuine and spo1-
taneous-a quality rarely found IN even the at
temptS az character OF rnode-n pieces, whiG1
are done with a certain heavy labortoUsnesa and
to order, It were. just q workman would
make chair. But the real mistake grozs out a
the corruption that has spread the modsrn
drama. which appeals almost exclusively TO ths
eye and instead OF the mind: for Character
is now made up out Of external accidents strangs-
colored hair, false forehead. couically cut coatA
pard-colored trousers: also out OF tricks of slo-
cution. Of strange sounds. and Jerks of manner.
These are fudIcrous when seen rwica and
such are, no doubt grotesqUe enough n this vayi
but II should be noted why
IN real life such oddities OF manner and even
OF dress are but the grotss1ue effects OF causs
yet more grotesQue-of mlnd and habit os
thought OF which these are but faint rokens-aa
expression Of something within To take an IN
stance: You may have seen. n coffee roon.
the Oldest freQuenter-a little shrunken. shr1vsIIed
old man. with q high-coIlarsd coat OF a pattsr1
forty years old. hat singularIy tall which. with
his ancient and corresponding gloves. he puts on
the rail always precisely IN sans spot This
being Is al rusty-soul. body and cIothes talks. IN
chirping way. OF ffty years ago. a though t
were yesterday. His mind goes back. do hs
clothes; SO there Is perfect correspondence From
the old hat being always IN the one spot, II nay
be sugured that he VIII grow testy should another
take It Here then Is correspondence between
the inward character and its external side Bus
could We fancy rational. u1odernized cd gentle
man, whose ideas were IN exact accordancs with
the tone OF the day, but who wears a dress thEs
eccentric, there would be an utter discordance-
there weuld bs neither interest nor "fun%-ths
dress would be unmeanins. So. too with bis man
ner and tricks OF voics and expression Thsss
should be the result OF some odd tone OF mind
and should reveal IT. Just hesttations and STAN
merings show uncertainty OF mind and tEtch-
irgs aid "pluckings'' at q wig, and those queer
movements OF figure and limbs. those strange tonss
OF voice. which go to make up the modern notion
thought and feeling.
Yet, giving the utmost license, how limited al
this is. as mere garnur OF expression: and sS ~
look down the line OF funny men IN posses
sion Of the stage, what little variety N their
tricks. and how hard TO call 20 mind anything nors
than what we have Just been mentioning!
AS there ars but eight notes IN octave. 50 20
can sound in a very short time the du- zones OF
dress caricature, making faces and voice IneSs
are what make Up character parts'-stranss
beings. formed on no human model. wearing clothes
seen In no known street. talking as no human being
ever talked and these the creatures that hgu-s
In the pieces where anything comic IS required
On far oinerent principles the old comedies
written They are amazing for their likeness TO
ire; for their now and spirit and character ne
1Vra Gfn Wha-r