The San Francisco call., 1908-08-02


Give the people what they want; the
judicious observer of modern tbeatri-
calism says, Give them what they
need
One OF the most auspicious facts
concerning the theater in America" he
continued. is the fact that Hamlet is
still appreciated. Hamlet is a play in
which the imagination is excited. To
appreciate its beauties implies an i'm
agination and Ideals. Yet. do you know
it. Hamlet is one of the best invest
ments in which producer can put his
capital? The people never tire of ii.
No matter how often it is played, there
is still q demand for it, even If the
companies appearing in the melancholy
tragedy are not always composed of
the finest actors.
One thing about an American au-
diencs, it wants the author to do his
best; and 1t appreciates the measure of
his excellence. 1t will not stand for
subterfuge and poor work. I'm speak
ing now OF the serious works The
public expects that q playwright will
give the best he's got. If the note OF
insincerity is struck, woe TO the au-
thor.
@One of the finest critiques I have
ever had OF one of my plays was that
given me by washerwoman who used
10 do our homework. She saw the
play and told me her impressions. You
would be astonished 10 know what I
learned from her ilIiterate but intel
ligent discussion of my faults.
Daniel Frohn1an said of the New
York theater going public that II was
composed OF the typewritists, the shop
girls. the clerks and the department
store employees. These were the peo-
pie who supplied the real incentive to
fC11 1rrf.-
tions, the sensations and the specta-
cles were supported by the transient
tourists No. sir. the American aver
age in the audience is high. and no
playwright who affects to write down
10 the masses viii succeed.
We who write for the stage must
have Imagination, a plot and human
sympathy. When we succeed in fusing
this trilogy of elements we will get
instant recognition from the masses
When we fail we may think we have
written an unappreciated masterpiece
but the chances are that we have not"
If Percy MacKaye does not make a
success in the field of play writing it
viii not be from lack OF inherited
tendencies. One OF his first recollec-
tions IS Of the Madison Square theater,
where. as a child, he watched the re-
hearsals OF his fathers play, Hazel
Kirke-" Steele MacKaye played Dun
stan in that memorable production
about IS years ago. The boy has
something OF che visionary about him.
as his father had Perhaps that is
why he has written so much In blank
verse. However. in Mater" he has
what he calls a modern play Of mod
ern life. II is colloquial, but ii is
also whimsical When I suggested
that his viewpoint was not unlike
that Of Barrie in his "Alice Sit by the
Fire" MacKaye was visibly pleased.
Il had. not thought OF that" he
said, 'but It pleases me to think you
may be right. At any rate 1 do not
think you will find. anything like pla-
giarism in Mater I believe I have
struck a bit of truth at differenn angle
than that by which other playwrights
have approached the verities. How
ever, you viii see for yourself"
Among the plays that Percy MacKaye
has already written is The Canter-
bury Pilgrims" Tt illustrates his
rather daring muse as well as anything
else he has done. He lays his plot in
the year 1887, and the story has to do
with Chaucer's adventure with the
wife of Bath and his romantic affection
for the prioress. The plays career
illustrates young Mackaye's usual ex-
perience with his dramas. In the first
place the literary excellence of the
\ piece cannot be gainsaid. It is con-
ceived on high plane Of poetic
thought. Il wrote It," said NacKaye.
for E II. Sothern, who from the first
has been my friend and encourager
1t was rehearsed by him and would
have been produced but for the star
system which prevails in this country.
The role OF Chaucer, the poet. was not
sudacientiy apart and beyond the rest
OF the characters In the play. It did
not give Sothern the chance to shine
as audiences expected him to do He
would have given the role a splendid
! Interpretation, but the piece was
sheived awaiting the time when the
atrical conditions IN this country will
permit the production of piece which
does not star Justly favorite player
After The Canterbury Pilgrims
came 'Fenris. the WOLF which was also
written for sothern. II is = poetic
! drama widely read. but as yet not pro-
duced on the stage
Sothern produced MacKaye's Jeanne
dare in Philadelphia, where Il had g
tentative success. II Jared better in
New. York and Boston. and London
gave II warm welcome. That was
IN 1905.
Still another prose play besides Ma
ter" Is 70 MacKayes credit. II is called
| The Scarecrow." and II the drst IN