The Washington herald., 1909-05-23
Are We Snobs +?

The swan song Of the American play
wright. as such. has been sung Mr..
George Jean Nathan is the sweet singer
whose doleful melody runs through the
pages Of the Bohemian Magazine It is
not -pIaywriAts fault. according 10
Mr. Nathan. but the public's- We are
a nation of snobs. ard force our leading
producers 10 rely almost entirely on
foreign authors Even in plays BY
American authors the foreign touch was
seldom absent during the past season
The truth must out. We arc theat-
ricaI suburb and Europe knows it yell
even If We. its dog. do not" And again:
eve want American material: We say
50. and We fight to prove we mean what
We say. But We are liars The lugubrious
conclusion Of Mr.. Nathan's premises, OBJ
servations. and charges is that Ameri-
can playwrights must turn their atten-
ton 10 foreign themes in order TO achieve
the success which they deserve.
II is not our purpose 20 belittle the at
taInments OF American writer's for the
stage. Considering that we are q strip
ling among the nations. but lately firmly
planted on our feet after a struggle Tor
existence. itself. wherein the peoples
time had need to be diverted from the
arts 10 The sterner realities Of life, we
have every reason TO take pride~in our
native drama and TO anticipate for ii a
splendid future. AT the same time it is
possible. without losing in patriotism or
laying ourselves open TO the charge Of
snobhishness. TO look things squarely in
he face and acknowledge the superiority
Of d drama which is the product OF an
older civilization and a more mature
culture than our own.
II. therefore. as Mr. Nathan asserts. the
American playgoing public prefers foreign
plays. il Is not because they. are foreign,
but because they are better II is scarce
u creditable that the public Is giving
most OF lis patronage 10 plays from over
the seas and Withholding that patronage
from American plays equally or more
merit0rious. IN the hypothesis OF Amer
lean sno5bishness, such q practice would
be. perhaps. conceivable. but 10 call the
American people snobbiSh is ridiculous
An Insignificant number Of Americans in
New York excite the risibilities OF the rest
Of Us By bOwing the sUppliant knee 10 all
that Is foreign. and, particularly. that is
English; but they do not support the stage.
even IN New York We are assured by
Walter Pritchard Eaton. formerly dra-
matte editor Of the New York sun. in an
article in Success. that there are between
l0ao93 and 30o030 transients in New York
every Gay; that these visitors 90 20 the
theater every night, and without them
half The New York theaters would close
ness. the fault that IS usually imputed 70
Us IS tire blatancy Of our patriotism. We
sometimes offend because our national
ear IS trife too exqUisiteIy aJtuned &c
the raucoUs note Of our nstional bird
The truth IS. We are all after our
moneys worth. whether We are purchas-
Ing d play OF any other commodity, and
If We can't get 3 worth Of drama from
2 native playwright. We are willing 10
Invest in the wares Of a hated foreigner
But when an American author makes his
appeal with the striking realism Of The
Easiest Way" or the hOmely humOr and
pathcs Of The Chorus Lady C5oth es-
sentialIy American plays in setting and
treatment, he need have no fear that
audiences will be lacking 10 hear hIm.
And the nationwide success Of such plays
as these Is sufficient proof that a true
and convincing Amertcanism In the
drama IS one Of the most effective means
of gripping and holding public interest
Mr.. Nathan's theory has carried him
into extremes. He places himself in an
unenviable position when he complains,
with sarcasm worthy CT e better cause
that the New Theater. instead Of encour-
aging American playwrigFJs. plans 10
expend a great deal OF rs energies in ex.
plotting the works Of a recently discov-
cred dramatist by tbe name Of William
Shakespeare EIr. Nathan evidently is
determined rot 10 be snobbish; but does
be not make an unfortunate show OF his
patriotism when he -akes exception 70
Shakespeare because he IS not American2