Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-31
SACCHARINE DRAMA;
WHOSE THE BLAME?
ay smLE LAWRENCE

TN washington the otner uay
K. Hackett revived "The Prisoner
l. of Zenda." The version presented
was that made by Edward f. Rose out
in somewhat revised form. Tne re-
vision. too. not only did violence TO
Mr.. Roses work, but to Antnohy
1Ione,s as well. for Mr.. Hackett killed
ofs the dissolute king, thus leaving
ifha princess Flavia free to work ou'
her destiny when Sapts prealctloi,n,
shall he fulfilled and "the EngiishWan
come again to Ruritania. - a.
This ending to the play, wnicn Is
neither Mr.. Hopes nor MI. noSS IT,, .
hut MIR. Hackett's own, naturally elm.
inates the SEQUEL drama, "Rupert OIL
uantzau." since that play Is Duiioeu
,,non Flayia's marriage to the khs.
Hforaover IL is q much weaker enuins
thon the old one, which left the prlh-
oass In contemplation of distasteIui
,,,arr,age toward which she Is lmpeiieo
INV her sense Of duty to her peopie.
MI Hackett's reason for the cnanse
MI s,,;nns He has sacrificed dramatic
strenrth that he may meet the WISHES
20 that considerable class OF Americas
usoatar-poars who demand sugar
.aotad drama and who, when denieu
ttair saccharine sop, carry awayFWitn
them from the playhouse ieeiine
closely akin to resentment. 49,, q.
This habit of "happy enoines
nerhaps the most curious. as !. eer .tasra
T., 20 the silliest of the American stage.
~ than any other one thing 1t mas
ts.o,,.ht American playwrights INTO
S;srenute aboard, particularly on the
In sensational melodrama, the penny
shocker of the popular priced houses
such, endings are tnvariaple. neie'
however. they have a legitlmate rea-
son for being. Plays OF TINS caass a,;ops,v psT
sarhe6 battle of right against wrong,
,,,rtue versus vice. Moreover. tney
orc designed to suit the lntellectuai a
aie e;+ias of persons to whom what is
not obvious is occult. a.
70 tha habit rested here 1t could 90
10 harm and much good, put II ooes
not The contagion has spreau ,l.1s4 an.a :,
;nplv. Our most sklii1ui pay W.
,s,s tecome infected, to the detrlinen.
havS s.. work. the attenuation OF tne
dramas sanity ana 'he
~ their audiences. -. rosnac+s
pa,ng normal men in most respoe.e
oslns oslns,,,yr;ehts themselves decline 10
tne p rasnonsibility for this conoilon
assu at+amnt to lay the blame upon
t,,eatergoers whose preferences 'IS uy
',,es,,e they must respect IL they 1c..,.. Mou
win q hearing for their worh. au;re
thav do not stop to CONSIDER, or nas is
thes hs,dered ignore their own part IN
COZ e,,,,aad of this contagion. IL is an
i, ilo ,s.n,,S sp habit the craving for drama
ocharine solution. 1t is taste
IN &c. acrrired and with difficulty
e,.o,y, sasmy off. The responsibility is not
With the playgoer, who must take ,e sne
,r;ands offered him or go Witnou., pus
s;th the dramatist, VINO mas ulsooyeieo %
that a sugar coatlhg SCI ss;.as,ota 40
cnver deficiencies and 10 ophterale oe-
fects. ry.,l,at+ roalxes no at
st - defend to himself his own
oa,,rsa with regard to this particular
evua.0 .,. a course which is noteworthy
pn,y in that it is Significant OF tne
tin,es, 1t was something more ..,ra tmah
twelve years ago. l peneve, tnaa .nS
prisoner of Zenda' was nrst presen.su tssa
q tbis country on the stage of the
I,,oa,,n, theater in New York city. In
1cos Won see. the demand for sugar
coatad drama had not thoroughly de-
veloped. Since then we nave traveieo
far and Jared worse.
Robert Mantell, one or tne ieW
American actors who is now devotlns
himself to the Interpretation OF SNAKES
pearean characters, comes TO the Md
Son opera house next week, where ne
will present repertoire OF no fewer
than six of the tragedies King Lear,
Macbeth" "The Merchant OF Venice,
Hamlet" "Othello" and King Rich
ard ILL.,.
Mr.. Mantell occupies an enviable po-
sition upon the American stage and
fortunately his devotion to the classics
has brought with 1t its own reward.
His leading woman this season and for
many seasons past is his talented wife.