New-York tribune., 1909-09-12
ENGLISH DRAMA
Plays Of a NeJc ScasoH-Sha5'A
WeI0drama.
London. August 2s

u will ever be grateful 20 those seeking tG
entertain 1t. Yet when the chill breath Of Sep
tember blows the froth OF fashion back to town
the theatres are competing for public favor
vigorously as ever. Scores OF plays may have
been failures during the previous winter, and
business may have been so bad during the
spring that an early closing may have been nee
essary in June. but before the end Of August
there are rehearsals IN all the theatres and
preparations making for onrush OF fresh
works. II may be the most improbable busi-
ness Of the day. but dozens OF managers are al
ways ready TO take new risks in the lottery with
a hundred blanks for every prize. There is
never any lack OF entertainment. whether the
times are hard OF flush. and actors and box
offices are invariably prepared to sacrifice their
interests for the amusement OF the tickle public.
There is no approach to agreement among
managers respecting the requirements OF public
taste. Mr- FrOhnan. who has better fortune
than his English rivals in filing his theatres.
starts of with two adaptations from the French
stage. Miss Lena AshweH will be seen at thu
Globe as Jacquelins F1oriot IN NJ Bisson'N'
Madame k and at the Duke OF Yorks Mr.;
Gerald du Iaurier will have the leading part iuc
'Arsene Lupin.'' with Miss Alexandra Carlisl=
and strong company behind him At the ST..
Janes's Theatre Sir Arthur Pinero. in "Nfti-
/ Channel, reverts 70 intensely serious drama OF
the Tanqueray and Ehosmith type. and vhifs
Mr.. George Alexander has not found in IL suss~
/ able part for his own talents IL is likely 20 bs
one OF the notable events OF the season king
Lear win be the first Of the so-calIsd repsrtoryr
works at the Hsymarket. under Mr. Hsrher4
Trench's management. and veterans VII COM
pare IL with Sir Henry Irvfng.s famous produc<l
tion. At Drury Lane there viii be sporting nsIo-'
drama, and at the Adelphi elaborate srTaugs-j
ments are making for '"Ths Great Divide" WITH
Miss Mathison back from America Mr.. Bourchis-s
/ reverts at the Garrick to comedy with q serious
purpose. Making Gentleman and tts open-~i
ing attraction at His Afatesty%s Is "Falss Gods'F
with incidental music by II. saint-SagnS Thss
| season Is beginning with fewer farces than ara
usually seen in tho autumn. The managers aro
pumping for more earnest drama than has been
witnessed during recent years. and less is heard
! about the public craving for thOughtless amuse-
| ment. Mr.. Ricketts, has designed the Costumes
| for King Lear" and Mr., German viii provid-
the music for Sir William GiIbert's fairy opera
Mr.. Bernard shaw's prohibited play has eenl
| produced IN Dublin without signs Of public. dis
approval Several trivial changes have BEEN
made in the text out OF defersnce 10 the taste OF
the Lord Lieutenant. such as the withdrawal or
| the words Immoral" and Dearly beloveds
| brethren" but in the main II Is the play which
1 Mr.. Redford refused to sanction few mOnthsi
ago when It was rehearsed for the Afternoon
Theatre. The text Of "BlancO Posnet' explains
the censor's motives and justifes his action.
What the author describes as "a sermon I'm
| crude melodrama'' contains passages irrev-
erent in form as 20 be blasDhemous- There ara
not many Objectionable lines. and these could
be easily rewritten. but Mr.. Shaw is less anx-
iOus to have hts plays produced than he Is to-
advertise them as strong meat which exciteS
official qualms. His theme Is the conventional
one that there are CLEANS of good IN the worst
natures and that there Is an approach TO re-
lfgion when there is a blind cropping after ths
truth that human actions ordered and
directed by higher power. Dickens made this
plain when he told the story OF Sidney Carton.
Bret Harts enlarged upon the theme IN Mig
gles." "The Outcasts Of Poker Flat 'Ten-
nessee's Pardner'' and other sketches OF rough
mining camps, wherein Mr.. Shaw has pitched
Judge Lynch's cOurt- They were content with
showing that there was something Of the divine
in the most wretched Outcast that enabled him
| to work out his own salvation. Mr.. shaw can
not emphasize the same wholesome truth with
out needessIy offensive bits of dialogue like this
between the horse thief and his hypOcritical
brother:
| Elder DanieIs-Oh, thank God! selling drink
paws me- And thank God that He sent me that
/ At as a Warning that my drinking time was past
and gone, and that He needed me for another
service s.,.
/ BlanCO-Iake
with you yet. He always has trick UP HIS
sleeve. -,
! the Ruler of the Universe-the great and Al
mighty God? Speak more respectful Bisnco'
| ''iI J3IancoNReverent, Who taught YOU your rev
/ erent cant? Not your Bible! 1t says He conletn
/ like a thief in the night-ayes Ike a & mel IA =
horse thief! And it's time That nat b,I9or Row no
/ caught me and put my neck INTO the ,x nsleer-
| with a little judiciOus play with blue peneu
passages like this could have been amended 20
| the eensor's satisfaction. but the barrenness or
the Mot and the lack Of originality in the treat
n,ent would have been revealed. The TIMER hso
lent the coveted horse to a woman, whose enlio
t was choking with Group and could be saved oniS
b,, a rapid ride for a doctor. This fact Ia kepe
~, -.sarrye while Judge Lynch is holding court In
/ = harm and a woman Of bad character Ia per-
turine herself. but when It comes out IL creates
/ = rsvuIsion OF feeling In hts favor and saves his
/ neck from the halter. What does Blanco Posnes
oct ont Of his experience when he faces his con-
eresation and tries 10 preach a sermonE Moth
ing except q Tecoil against sentiment a reehnS
/ that instead Of being consistently bad no Is a
/ fraud and a failure. and that there's none or US
real good or real bad" That is conclusion 80
! fsebIe that it is not strange that the perjured
witness refuses his offer Of marriage with tna
/ exclamation. You're like a child with a new
tov YOU and your bit OF human kindness
] When the blasphennous expressions are SKINNED
/ off nothing is left and probably that Is why
! such a pother has been made Of the esnsoTs
.'wanton conduct in rejecting the play Tor ths
/ English stage.
/ Drury Lane this autumn will have race
horse as the central figure OF melodrama- The
fortunes OF the hero are to hang upon the ar
rival of the racer in prime condition for rOnp-
ing home an easy winner and the wiles OF the
stage villain will be concentrated upon the de-
,,,o,ton ~ the animal while Il is in transit on