Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-21
The T'heaters
NEW SYMBOL PLAY
AND ITS MEANING

A. Hcko uiIcCtiy LIonl ANOW ASeA w
present THE Servant In the House"
by Charles Ram Kennedy. Fore
warned is forearmed. The play prom
ises to be o most unusual offering, Tor
It violates the established ideas OF life
and, as Mr.. Miller says, scorns all the
conventions of theatricism.
There is not a smile In the piece ana
IL Is filled with symbolism. There is
only one scene and the action Is con-
tinuous, so that the only reason for
dropping the curtain apparently 10 to
give the audience a breathing spen.
The drama places coarse, swearing
Socialist In heroic light. 1t has for
villain one upon whom the estaD-
lished church Is content to look as an
elegant, respected bishop. 1t Is alto
gether a strange play to meet with
such success.
There ia no denying that 1t is sue
cess. "The Servant In the House" has
had an unusual run in New York ana
is playing to crowded houses even now
in the hot weather. In book form,
without being advertised heavily, 1t
'six best sellers in many cities, an
honor seldom accorded printed play.
There must be some reason. Henry
Miller has not expressed his .Gea or
what that reason may be. or II he has
1t has not been generally printed.
Some of the symbolism, It Is true. Is
not difficult. Manson, who Is the
strange leading character. resembles
in name and suggests in makeup
reincarnation of one who once called
himself the Son of Man. Then there
are the drains which run from the
minister's study directly under the pull
pit of the church and which are frlsnt-
fully out of order.
Here is one play, at least. which
does not use two-thirds OF the first act
preparing the audience for the stars
appearing, "center door" In the spot
light Manson is working as the serv-
ant when the curtain rises. HIS part
is small and what he says and does Is
said and done quietly and simply. The
play has him set in order the Wears
house. but he does not work according
to established tradition and precedent.
and his ideas do not seem to uphold
our established systems.
Manson Is not In any way what we
are used to. He confesses In one
place that the clergy severely disap-
proves OF his teachings. Among other
things Mary, the girl Of the house, Is
taught that IL she wishes hard enough
anything will come true. She learns
such fairy tales, that are something on
the order OF Christian Science fairy
tales, and has firm faith in them. II
don't believe there's anything else In
the world, II we only knew" she says.
In the eyes Of this strange man there
are no levels. Or. at least they are
not the levels established by society.
Although the time of the play is pres
ent, he does not see the necessity of
denouncing Socialism. Here Is a SAM
pie of dialogue he has with Robert,
man too coarse even to speak respect
ably:
Robert-rhafs 'ow come to lose my kid.
aftsen az N years ago: was a rottsr then. same
sou might be. wasn't 'arf the man am
now.
fifteen years"
Manson-I didn't laugh
Robert--Do you want to know wot's come
over me since thsn7 work-and work we'll;
that's more than some of them can say. And
/ don't get much money for It. eitheri That
ought 10 mex EN- feel ashamed I'm not tho
diunkard I was--not by 'arfi II I'm bitter,
oo's made me bitterf You cawn't be very
sweet and perlite eighteen bob q week
when ySu get I'll IN tell you sgmmss at. elise; .ss
CORY fool wasl And they know I'll They
can't come playin' the 'anky with U.S. same
this. and Moe Mister working Man that. will
yer be 30 'ighly hobligin as TO and over your
dear little voting paper-you poor, sweet,
urai enemy when yer see i'm! That orter mex
some on 'em sit upl Fifteen years ago me
an my like 'adn't got religioni BY Gewd
we 'av one .nowl Like to ear wot it IL?
Manson-Yes.
Robert-sociaIismi Funny, amt tf
Manson--I don't think It's mine, too.
Naturally one of Manson's kind is
dreamer. He insists even on those
teachings of the Son of Man which
long ago the world decided were Inn
practical and visionary. His church.
too. Is not of this world. AS he tells of
1t the bishop thinks he Is telling of
something tangible, something which
represents good, hard dollars and
cents-an actual. available asset of this
world. Manson says:
II am afraid you may not consider It an
altogether substantial concern. It has to be
in a certain way, under certain condi-
tions Some people never see II at all. You
must understand this Is no dead pile of stones
and unmeaning timber 1t is n living thing.
when you enter 1t you hear sound-a
sound as OF some mighty poem chanted. Listen
long enough, and you will learn that II Is
made UP OF the beating of human hearts, OF
the nameless music Of mems souls-that Is II
You have ears II & you have eyes eyes you win
mystery OF many snaps and shadows. leaping
sheer from floor to dome. The work OF no
ordinary builder!
1.-THE pillars Of II 20 up like the brawny
trunks Of heroes; the sweet human flesh Of
men and women is moulded about its bulwarks
strong, impregnable: the faces of the little
children laugh out from every corner stone;
the terrible spans and arches of It are the
Joined hands of comrades: and up in the
heights and spaces there are inscribed the
world 1t is yet buildlng-building and built
upon. Sometimes the work goes forward in
deep darkness; sometimes in binding light:
now beneath the burden of unutterable an
guish now to the tune of a great laughter and
heroic shoutings like the cry of thunder Some
times. In the silence of the night time, one
may hear the tiny hammerings Of the COM
rades at work up in the dome-the comrades
that have climbed ahead
Robert (slowly)-I think I begin to under
stand you, comride especially that bit abaht
-. (his eyes stray upwards) . the
'ammerns' an the-the Rarches-an'-Humphi
I'm only an log! S'pose there's no drain
'ands wanted In that there church of yours
Manson-Drains are very important ques-
tion there at present.
Robert-Why. I'd be cussin' over every
stinkin pipe l laid.
Manson-I should make that condition,
comrade.
The story of the play depends so
much upon its teachings that its pop
ularity can hardly be due to the simple |
tale 1t tells. The players presenting it
are not famous ones. 1t Is a strange
play to be so popular.
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