New-York tribune., 1908-02-16
THE DECADENT DRAMA.

Within the last ten years many PLAYS OF an
obnoxious character have come stage cut
OF Germany, and although. IS German scholars
have signified. there is q reaction against them
in that country. the bulk OF that sort OF per
nciOus stuff continues be augmented with
fresh supplies OF nastness. either openly and
pudently vile nlasqueradins under the speciouS
pretence Of moral didacticis-n- The following re-
marks that subject were recently published IN
THE London Express and they are worthy Of
careful consideraJon,-since New York has IOGs
been literally provided with theatrical muck and
is presently TO be furnished with more OF it. Tbs
article is signed F. s:
Within the last eight or ten years = curious
wave OF modernism has engul1ed the German
greater or less degree. the average morals OF the
day. then Germany must be indeed II 2 parLous
AS is generally known. many German theatres
70 offer varied repertory Of drama comedy and
@ dsrfe dcted &C; 3y s{ocA coLnpaIy aided How ana
known now as Caste. or guests: ..
But IT Is not on these theatres thar TIE ongs
Rauber2 Goethe C'FaUst'O. Lessins t-Natlan
steady regularity. eked out BY occasional sgdeF-
@Gp rba1 @ and Meyer FoEsJeT
ut II Is the smaller and privately owned tas.L5ss
sible are Berlin. Leipzig Munica and HarnbI-s-
In each OF these places there are TWO OF th-ee
theatres which thrive, night by night. month oy
month. and year Uy year. on the production et
the lowest InteIiigence1 ana fRsvinE tfs sans re-
latlon 70 the real drama that the Wretched. tor
One of the plays which has been performed with
great sue: success ssh, IN many theatres IS 5,cll1s
Is isi il1pIdently termed Fine Kin1srtras55-z1 :
treats OF prison. a compliment wIts and a black
guard husband. who is nor found out. our is com
piimented for his coErags. and devotion TIE same
another example of lubricity and moral Dirt
a comedy. 'Zimmerherren'' t''Lodsers'0. vas
forbidden by the police. but has been published
C'Single FOlk'0 has the merit OF bllas a clever
4 So i0D Of
ana although the subject would rightly insure -
pFonloit.on oy our censor, II is, IN certain sense
Arthur Schnitzler is another playwright whose
Work IS much appreciated. and some u liS P.15s
distinctly Original: but Der Rui des Leosns,
Ctne Can OF Life'C lacks al tnsrirtt.3a 80 -
OF ul-resulated and unrest-ained passion, with
These plays sell in Germany by tle thous2hI
They printed and published almost soon lS
acted sometimes. indeed. before p-eseutaJonl aIi
when the observer sees that "F'rihIing 5 Erwachea
has gone into its fifteenth edition. cad otheE g'~5
becomes alive to their Dernicious influence dHi''
outside the mere traffic OF the boards ,t
IL these plays had any literary m-rit s$S 1L$ b77j-
nality OF conception. any evidence Or a GeEtI H.; IS
erf-,aIfeN Sc,,.t .~,,,,- . 49, -x-+srre But
they have not They are impuden'ly n'4A91' -
In a great measure this appaIingly rotten stare
of what may be termed the domestic drdlha
German society-a state of which something ~
been learned by The foreiSn Pu9e State q
sem-hysteric fiux-a sort Of moral Heufcsls. ~ W.,
ene @ & WiSsTu ptit oi f b iy and Z
these draniatistS to be believed teif snt
times. -.
1t must not be imagined that this picture @ taf
towns the state-aided theatres That Z n3t 3ss &
ease But IL is. nevertheless sign 9 oF I4e ~ ths
low moral eob 81 certain sections CT ne ss5nat
there are not wanting those who aver tha. tnsss
despicable plays are. In their way. ~OrAs W