The San Francisco call., 1908-08-02
PFNC1 MACKAYE
ON -A11ERlCAN DRAMA
AHTHVE LEW Ii
IN a MONOLO GVH
By Walter Anthony

7" HERE are plenty of examples to
prove that genius is hereditary
there are a sufhciency OF ex-
i smples to prove that it is not
Strauss, for instance. in his
wsltzes is the elimination OF Ions
line Of musical ancestry which he could
cot possibly have selected with more
wisdom. then there is Bach. the son
Of musicians. you know, and Dumas
who passed his son. Alexander fils, the
talent TO write Camille On the
ether hand there is Wagner, who got
is genius heaven only knows where
and there is Beriioz. whose father was
e fne country doctor, bdt no musician
while poor Ioliere. Frances finest Wit
was tina son Of a tradesnap- The au-
thor of Les Femmes Savantes" liter
ally had TO fight his way TO the foot
lights
Percy MacKaye, at present IN San
Francisco, watching through his gold
trimmed glasses the rehearsals OF his
latest play. Mater stands betWixt
and between all genealogical theories
<r- he is the son Of Steele Mackaye,
suthor Of Hazel kirke' and Faul
Ksurar.- and is himself a playwright
with a culver full OF manuscript, but
he has vet 10 write his first successtui
plav We are hoping II viii be Mater
Not that Percy Mackaye is a young
failure He is a great promise just
turned So. He has succeeded in writ
ing at least one play. "Sappho and
Phaon"-which. he told me- was a
weeks success IN Providence-that
caused more critical comment and COM
melton than any dramatic Offering OF
recent years. When II went 10 New
York il was turned down emphaticaliy,
ts45f MacKaye and his manager-on that
occasion Harrison Grey Flske-consote
themselves with the thought thai
Provtdence-Cohan' hated town-AoFso
he play and that New York had struck
bgr6 times before the poetic drama was
put IN front Of It
At any rate" said percy MacKaye
% me the other day. Il believe that the
west will still have an opportunity oi
seeing -Sappho and Phaon, for MI
Ffske declares he IS not satisfied with
tHe New York failure Of my blank
verse drama. Apparently" he added
win :. serious smile, the only persons
who were satisfied with the failure
-vsre the New York critics who con-
oemned the piece.
Thst Percy MacKaye viii yet write
g play that the public and the critics
wiz approve I have, personally, nc
doubt. that he stands for young Amer
gSa on the stage is also equally certain
beliefs: he can argue about play as
well as write one. and he believes ir
che future OF the nation. artistically,
mean. no matter who Is elected presi-
dent
NacKzye believes that the future OF
the nations drama viii be a develop
rnent Intellectual. esthetic and emo
fzonal. he declares that there is nc
such thing as a good play unappre-
oisted. and swallows his medicine like
q man. He accepts the dic1um of the
public and is willing TO abide by its de-
. rsfsions This is heroic and promising
he hides no resentment against the
buyers OF tickets because his "Sappho
and Phaon" was not a success in New
Youk. but declares that the dramatisi
OF America who would succeed must
not fancy his good work is above the
heads OF his audience. IF my play
fails" he said TO me. 1t VIII be because
i have not projected my ideas clearly
over the rim OF the foQtlights-"
MacKaye's notions about the mora
value OF the stage are vigorous. He
maintains that q good play viii teach
good lesson. not because, necessarily
IL is a good play. but quite incidentally
Truth is moral" he said, therefore z
truthful play-which is TO say a good
- play-wiIl be z moral influence In the
land without reference 70 the intent oi
the author TO make II so.
Ancient drama was one with ths
races affairs. The theater was. in &
sense. a sacred institution Today. IL
America, the theater is reverting 70 the
.xnasses who are fiocking TO hear trutf
v Nexpounded by playwright and player
we have forgotten that the theater',
origin was next dobr 10 q temple, bu
we are turning 10 the playhouse. jus
the same, for q INSTALLATION OF th'
complex truths OF modern life. I am {
great believer IN the educational ad
vsntages OF the theater, and / believ'
that rich men should spend some o.
their money endowing playhouses a:
well as universities"
would z play be more likely 70 sue.
ceed II II were subsidized2' I asked
Would the people 90 tossee an alleged
good play that they didn't nkez
That isn't the point. said he
Theatrical enuseuents concern th'
public's happiness They are bound u
IN the existence Of the people. Educa.
tion and public happiness are synony'
nous terms: the influence of the thea.
ter IS a colossal one and a nationa
taste Is being formed Shall this tast'
he left TO the mercies OF the commercia
instincts Of theatrical managers and
theatrical promoters or shall ii be fos-
tered and developed under the supervi
sion OF those best qualified to under.