The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-26
IS OUR PLAY OF 'Y6R
FAILURE or DRAMAS or THE
REV OLUTIOA.

once upon the Fourth Of July a patriotic
Ars:EC5,F visited a London music hall
Shere a human encyclopedia was answer
me questions such al "In what year did
Milosh 0renevertch knock Kara George
On the head and start the feud 10 Servia2'
OF How many pins laid in a row would
u take 10 reach from London to PARISH
and the American asked, What great event
took place on the Fourth OF Julyl'
The human encyclopedia walked we'll
down to the footlights angrily. That
walnut no great event, said he, that we're
q bloomin' houtragel-
Why ia it that this 'bloomin' houtrage,'
which Ia a towering point in American
history, which has been productive OF
more irecraokers, burned fingers and
torvid perorations than any other event In
our career az a nation, has never had ade-
quate representation on our stage-it nor
any event OF our war for independence?
Why Is it that the New Theatre, when it
opens on Central Park West with some
body a. director, will find no American
historical drama Of our early and surely
dramatic days worthy Of a place in its
repertoire? Why have all the plays about
The Revolution. from the first years after
that struggle down TO Edward Vroom's
Dhe Luck Of Macgregor' at the Garden
Theatre last week, been comparative fail
vres?
why have they been iailures'' say you.
'Why, because they have been such bad
pIays.' Granted: but that really explains
Nothing, any more than the managerial
tradition that the public doesn't want
such plays" explains anything, being a
statement not Of cause but effect, the
effect Of bad dramas. To answer the
question one must find out why our war
Tor independence has not inspired good
plays, why it has not produced a drama
10 satisfy the historical sense, to rouse
patriotic enthusiasm and to meet also the
requirements Of the dramatic ionn. Surely
there is at least one big play in the Revo-
luton. There must be, since none has
ever come out! Has II remained there
through accident or necessity?
The attempts to coaI it forth have been
a. the sands on the shore. They began
almost a. soOn as the war was over. Last
WIN var n NlluVH5 NllhN lHtl are hNlll
going on. But who remembers them'
Let us name a few in this city: There was
Bunker Hill" produced at the Anthony
Street Theatre August 20, 1914, with Mr.,
Doyle as Gen. putnam. At the Park
Theatre in 1923 Green Mountain Boys
vas tried in February, THE Battle OF
+ lexington in July. There was The
Battle Of %Brandywine' at the Chatham
Theatre in 1855, The same year came
'Nev York Patriots, or the Battle Of Sara
toga,' at Banum's, with Continental
uniforms and a considerable outlay in
scenery Edward Eddy used to play
Long Tom Coffin in a Paul Jones drama in
The '70s. In 1887 the late David Lloyd
produced a charming play Of old New York
In Revolutionary wal time, called The
Dominie's Daughter at WallAok's. The
scene was laid around Beekman street.
Kyrle Bellew was the star. Failure was
the fate. Then later we saw Victor Mapes's
attempt in Capt. Darlington to dramatize
George Warrington. james A, Herne wrote
The Minute Men In the 800. Clyde Fitch,
who broke through into success with
Nathan Hale. failed dismally with Major
Andre After the opening night Of the
latter piece, by the way, somebody said
10 the manager: "You might have known
better. Spy plays always fail But how
vas / to know It was a spy play when l
accepted itH' he answered. Even theatrical
managers can't know everything.
This little list represents but a 1.-THE Of
the attempts to make a play out Of the
Revolution. Yet not one OF the dramas
remains in the repertoire Of the American
theatre. not one Of them has risen above
the moment TO be dramatic literature. to
perpetuate dramatically the historical
background Of our national life. That
background IL reoeding further and further
into the mists Of the past. To H. G. Wells,
ap Englshman. it seemed already as remote
e the Wars Of the Roses. To us, though
tradition still fingers on in New England
and hatred OF the English is inoulcated
With every game Of lead soldiers on the
garden paths, it is growing sometimes
almost as remote. and the Fourth Of July
decorations have q curious favor OF an
tiquity. In the early days Of the last century,
when memory Of the struggle was still
Ireah and the nation was still trying its
young limbs with the tingle OF novelty In
every leap and blow. grateful for its release.
there were no American dramatists with
the technical skill to write any sort Of
drama. And now, when our dramatists
have acquired or are acquiring the tech
nlcal skill, the present is too full Of problems.
The future too engrossing, the past too
remote, for them to be interested In the
Revolution. We are at once too old and
not old enough as a nation to make copy
Of our past. Perhaps that is the real reason
Why the historical drama OF 177o does not
get written.
AN American student Of the French Revo-
luton, possibly our new Ambassador 70
Germany, has computed that II a man. be-
ginning in youth, should read ten hours a
day till he wa 20 he could Just get through
the mass OF material at present In print
about that struggle, Much Of this ma
tShal was not written by F%renchmen, but
the French have contributed their share.
no little Of It in the form Of drama. Sardou
in his later years turns back 10 this fruitful
held. And these dramas have been no less
popular in England and America than in
France, no less popular than "The Only
Way the French Revolution seen through
Dickens's sentimental spectaoles. This does
not mean that we Americans are moro inter-
eSted In the events Of 'eS than those Of 70.
even II they were more packed with blood
and fury, full Of a more concentrated and
tumultuous rebellion. 1t simply means
that the historic sense Is more developed