Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-19

--AS the day Of the ''stariess' NAV I
dawncd? Are " now to have
a drama that depends on the
|FyFFEU1 inherent interest 1t possesses
IkHg4I aside from the opportunity Il
~ affords some uniquely gifted
person 70 exploit his or her peculiar talent?
Is the play really to be the thing Certain
indications are noted that almost seem to
give affirmative answers to each Of these
queries. II lie Just barely possible that the
time Is near at hand when the manager
will present a drama enacted by a capable
company OF actors. and not a star sup
ported by an Indifferent collection Of per
sons In a composition that gives the star
a chance to exhibit some Individual accom-
piishment. -Four plays loom big among the
many presented in New York last season.
zach OF the quartet Is success, writ I'm
The largest letters, and neither has a role
that could even be twisted into a star"
part. In one an effort was made to writ
one part for a star, and an actor was EN-
ployed to interpret that role who might
be said TO look a little bigger on the bills
than any OF the others in the company;
but, when the time to present the play
came, the public had a chance to Judge.
and, with a strange perversity, the produc-
ton developed that the real interest IN the
action conferred around another character.
and the star" part was brought down to
no moro than ordinary Importance. The
play was saved by reason OF the fact that
1t had neither star nor part for a star. In
the other three examples actors Of intelli-
gence are required, but the dramas are so
constructed that the uniform and symmetri-
cal development Of each part IL essential
TO the success Of the whole. In this thought
lies much Of comfort for those who have
wished only good for the stage and have
seen In the logical growth OF the star"
system only evil. 1t Is a sign that intelli-
gence L. again swaying the minds OF the
patrons Of the theater, thus assuring that
to a greater extent than for many seasons
the managers will undertake to appeal TO
the intellect rather than to the surface
emotions of their patrons.
.
Augustus Thomas may ave thought Of
a star when he began to write "The
Witching Hour" but the development Of
the drama outgrew the idea, and the star
part vanished long before the play was
finished, The fact that what he had in
tended for a subsidiary character now
holds the chief claim on the interest of
the audience is accepted as proof that
the natural order Of things Is in a large
measure opposed to the one-sided method
of building plays for stars. Another of
the quartet IL The Servant in the
House." which Mr.. Kennedy built as q
logical and sequential procession OF Incl
dents from the conception OF the idea to
the fulfillment OF its purpose. Tn proper
portrayal Of either OF the characters in
this remarkable allegory-for it is more
of an allsgory than a drama-calls for
Intelligent effort Of the highest order or
the part of the player. and it was for.
~tunately produced by a company of ex'
ceptional ability. The effect of a per.
fectly balanced organization working In
TO the end that the play should
be given In it's best light was never more
forcibly shown Mr.. Walters had no stal
in mind when he wrote Paid in Full,
and thought only of illuminating the ides
that. possessed him. He developed his
characters and rounded off his play a
a whale, rather than a medium for som'
one person. 1t was rejected by a lonl
list OF producing managers, obsessed wit
the star idea, but finally fell into tn
hands of one holder than the rest, WHIT
thought he saw in It possibilities. TIL,
possibilities consisted in the opportunit!
It offered for a company composed o
quality. and it's success has more thai
justified the experiment "The Thief" tn
last Of the quartet, Is the only one tina
Atfmde any r~eaBOnADle opportunity 10
the exaltinS OF one character above an
other along the lines of the proceedin
that results In star" Importance, and thl
was seized upon to exploit the personalit
of an actress whose chief claim to prom
thence il the fact that she is wife I
bne OF the men who control the drama /
America In this statement nothing
contained that denies the actress the abb
tty she does possess. yet even that Nigh
without a candle go dark to bed" TIL
play itself is one that properly presente
by a competent company would even gal
in force, and thus is an argument agains
the effort to give prominence to tn
actress rather than 30 the play.
The argument, then. il for q drama tn
will permit Of the formation OF capab
and clever companies of artists. who sns
be as nearly as possible matched In abilit
and whose talents shall be used to gi'
life and meaning to the thought contain,
In the drama, rather than to exploit u
personal achievement OF some one
another of the company. A we'll balanc,
company in fact as we'll as name. II
actor pre-eminent need not be banishe
In very truth could not be banished. f