New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-24
THE PLAYG0ER
augustus ThOmGs's Ne7r Play
-Drdmatists and Stage
Illusions.


written THE Harvest Moon he would
have done even better than his creator.
He would have carried out mis- own ideas
He would have prevailed with the man.
ager and the producer as Mr.. Thomas
did not. Mr.. Thomas makes NJ. Vavin tell
how plays are produced in P1ris, why
they succeed, why their ant couvinces. He
talks of color schemes. rehearsal, direc-
ton; but all the while he contradicts Mr..
Thomas and Mr. Thomass producer. The
third act of THE Harvest Moon lacks
Just what Mr.. Thomas says. or implies, it
poEsesses-the color scheme and the touch
Of the master hand. the hand OF the pro-
ducer who knows how. Moreover, the
play is diffuse. IL could well be short
ened half an hour. Its defect is the third
act, which Mr. Thomas. doubtless. thought
it's best act. VI. Vavin would not think
so. But then. NJ. Vavin is rot producing
his own play; he is merely appearing IN
Mr.. Thomas's comedy.
II now seems the business Of many play
wrights to destroy the illusions OF the
stage They the playwrights) like TO tell
the public that the theatre Is either i'm
moral or immoral and they rejoice in ex-
hibiting its machinery and in letting it
creak Mr.. Thomas yields to the too COM
mon habit The story of his play is
about a voung actress and two dramatists.
The young actress is thought 20 be in
some risk from the unprofessional but Gus
tomary attentions of her leading man, the
best leading man I'm America, who makes
an his ingenues love him, and, generally.
rot wisely hut too well. Long has it been
the habit Of theatre people to assure an
eager world that stage lovers are really
Indifferent TO each other, when they do
not actually despise each other; that their
real loves are off the stage, not on it,
Any one can believe this who likes. The
present occasion is merely taken TO point
cut q tradition that actors have wished TO
keep alive in the public mind Now comes
one Of the leading dramatists of the day
with quite a different sort of story. The
leading man he writes about is a despoier
cr incenues The leading dramatist must
know His experience of stage life has
been long query: Is he doing the stage
anv good by holding the mirror up TO this
part OF its nature? Perhaps he thinks the
public should have no illusions Then
why the theatre? But this opens UP TOO
great a question.
II may he that Mr. Thomas did not
think any one would take seriously the pict-
ire he draws of the leading man in Hol-
corab's play. In that case then. he for
got mis- own theme. the power Of sugges-
ton. the suggestion that the playwright
sends out from the stage. Vavin would
not have forgotten it, Vavin. one is in
rlined TO think is dramstist more skill
fuI than The dramatist who imagined him.
Navin. for instance would not have
:. forced that line about rival theatrical
M syndicsze s which keep the actors discon-
WI tented bv tempting them with offers al
critical moments. True enough. But what
OF it in The play? The public cares not
pins fee about the quarrels or even the
loves. Of managers. 1t is no more in
terested m the presenter of a play than il
is in the publisher of book. or the jani-
tor OF an Office building. The plays the
thing" And the actor
About that business Of rehearsing play
in the public view: Navin, in The Har-
vest Moon superintends rehearsal. He
would not have shown this mechanism 10
the public in a play of mis- own. But Mr..
Thomas pulls il in so that the public may
get a notion about rehearsals. a painter
might as well admit the public to see him
hold his palette and mix his colors; or q
sculptor exhibit himself in the act of shap-
ing his clay. To what end is all this.
Mr. Thomas is at pains 10 create an illu
sion. and then, with greater pains, he
sispGs II while the public looks on. This
is Cohanistic, not artistic. 1t may be seer
any night in 1.-THE Man Who Owns Broad
way" Besides, the mimic rehearsal in
The Harvest Moon is not very well done
and It halts the progress of the play. That
indeed. is the effect of the third act. II
is a diversion. What Mr. Thomas seeks 10
90 10 it is a very fine thing. But he is not
backed UP by one of the actors the youth
who plays Holcomb; and the producer
color scheme, the effect of color upon the
emotions. is good. but never was a good
idea more lamely carried out Vavin tells
how he would do it in Paris. Why. then
does not Mr.. Thomas do II in New York
The producer again.
But II audiences are TO be shown all the
inside OF stage life-and between the va
rious theatres some such notion seems TO
be prevelent-Why not elaborate the idea
which George AIDE used in a scene in
Peggy from Paris" and give an entire
play as IL looks from the stage and not
from the auditorium? Put in everything
from the acceptance of the manuscript and
the signing Of contracts TO the walking of
the ghost; turn the scenery back side fore
most, leave nothing to the imagination. not
shred on which an illusion can be spun.
Such a play would make money. Blu
afterward--?
Nj Thomas's new play at the Garrick has
great merit, despite the defects just men
toned. OF course, some persons will not
like it at all Some did not like THE
Nitching Hour" Rarely does any one like
what he does not understand The human
mind receives what il is prepared to re-
ceive- Some eyes are color blind: some
ears tone deaf; some spectators sitting at
the play leave their thoughts behind them
ana take only their emotions 10 The theatre.
II Is announcement TO carry thought about
The less there is Of A. the more il gets
IN the May. Nj. Thomas prefers 10 write
for public which thinks as well as feels.
II this new play We're not 50 good nobod,
would care hat il is not better II needs
compression II j. worth COMPRISING. And
n needs 10 nave some or its thoughts
made realities by the author. some actors.
and the directing mind assuming that
inere is one. The play has depth. insight
NOBILITY This means thai IL is a play with
a purpose. And the purpose Take The
last Inc NaYin speaks IL: In our plavs
my son. let Us help them 10 look up. upt'
George Nash plays Nsvin fine part
Ar- Nash IL admirable. lie almost reaches
the height on which the author would place
MIN But Mr. Nash must GET there. if he
arrives ~ oil. by his own efforts. inner as
well as GGser AZ