The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-10-16
1.-THE Shepherd King"

"A revival OF the ROMANTIC uIdiila 40
at hand. 1t is the specific for very
many of the troubles that are worry
ing managers to death and keeping
the public on their nerves. One thing
is very certain-the modern %theater-
goer, north, south, east or west. is a
dissatisfied being, clamoring for m
thing different in his diet. You must find
some way out of the deadlock. Man
ayers are blindly cropping to find what
the public wanted; the public in u
are puzzled. when l step forward
with the romantic drama as the solqI-
Ion of both difficulties, l do SO from
a close knowledge of all sides of the
theatrical question"
These interesting, though disputed
doctrines. are put forward by one of
the well known actors of this CONT
nent, Mr.. Wright Lorimer. who is to
play David in The Shepherd King
at the Keylor Grand next week.
Mr.. Lorimer is essentially an inter
esting man. from the fact of his early
struggles and later successes. He has
served a long apprenticeship in
Shakespearian and Ibsen drama, and
has accomplished a great deal. Mr..
Lorimer talked with perfect freedom
to his listeners and instilled many new
practical ideas, which will undoubted-
~ be full of interest.
Il do not think there are n set
principals beneath the public appetite
for amusement. 1t blows this way or
that, veers suddenly when least ex-
pected. put often follows the same di-
rection for a length and period,
However, | claim that l know what
my public wants and that is romantic
drama. l say this with confidence. be-
cause great success has attended me
in every production. that l have made.
l count not one failure in my whole
life time that is not a serious one. The
public are firing of comic opera. 1t
has made its sweet nauseating,
and the people are abandoning that
form of entertainment.
"The problem play is quite an
other thing. Ibsen. to my mind. is
magnificent. but strikes the public in
the wrong way. 1t ma be a trffe de
the type of ideal drama exemplified in
"The Servant In the House is bound
to have a. long life and attain gre alter
and greater popularity. I am safe IL
that prediction. however. for the great
masses Of p~lrygoers. the tide must
turn to romantic drama. and for a Very
sound reason. The great object with
the majority in going to the t%r1eater,
is to escape from their cares, . hark
lack to some fairy land, to sit in the
presence of kings and princes. to be
liftcd up by sweet sounds and music.
to live for an hour or two in the
dreams Of childhood. The theater
should be antidote for the hard phi
losophy of the average mans life. That
is what, in a large part. brings peo-
pie to q play such as | am giving. In
The Shepherd King they can follow
the actor into a fairy Kingdom: can
speak with him. laugh with him and
let their hearts take a wild flight into
the lam of imagination, oh. YOU can't
serve the theaters better. whether YOU
be a playwright or actor. than by
praying for a revival of romantic
drama"
Next season Mr.. Lorimer hopes to
produce another biblical play on the
book of Daniel. and will actually carr.
out the scene in the den of ions BY
binding the animals with strong cal
cium lights.