The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
Mrs Fiske and Realism.

Mrs. Fiske and Realism.
II is a novel and sn unpleasant situa-
ton to have TO look back at the engage
ment OF Mrs. Fiske at the Belasco The
ater apoIogeticaIly. It is dificult-re-
membering the past-to find oneself Try
ing to find excuses for 3 player who.
through long years Of great devotion TO
her art, who through brave struggles
against competition on the commercial
side. and through earnest and honest en-
deavor toward the highest, has won FOR
herself a unique place in the regard OF
the public. And YET the remembrance
OF Salvation Nell" that dramatic hor-
rOr which she brought for our inspection.
seems 20 have undone 50 much that was
lovely and fine in her career.
There has been. 50 far as We can learn.
but one excuse offered for this new play
by Edward Sheldon. and that is on the
score Of its realism. It's alleged truth TO
life as it IS. So far as this goes. Il Is an
excuse. but not. We believe. a sufficient
one The Theater Magazine, n comment
Ing on this play. says.
Are the incidents seen in the barroom ard II ths
sTeaways Of the sluns TOO z7oss for audiencass We
think not The intent is not TO entertain rs with
the dissgreeabis Ct 10 make Is acquainted Ti-h
vice for on aHuSemsut Il is al incidental 70 me
pity and Sympathy which i Should evoke.
With this dictum We must disagree.
We think that the reproduction Of the
scenes from the Bowery barroom. the
introduction OF drunkards and psnders
and harlots are too gross for audiences. p.
Not because they are not real. not be-
cause they are not transcripts from life
as Il IS, but because they are unneces-
sary- They are shown 20 Us in all their
.nakedness and horror without sufficient
justification,
The whole aim OF The play-If IL has an
AIMS 10 show the regeneration Of a
woman Of the slums through the efforts
Of The Salvation Army. There Is moth
ing rev in this There Is no one in tEis
day and age who IS not cognizaut Of the
fact that the Salvation Army. carrying
practical religion-the religion that feeds
the sinner. as wei as prays with him
Is n vital force for the good IN a com
munity. Nor can It be held 10 be novel
that no sinner is 50 vile but thar regen-
Grafton IS possible
As a writer in The Beumar said about
this play:
Nothing Necessary 70 tTing srm lire befcre IRE
audience has been overlooked or emitted. and n1t
one iteE q The AMAZING Ealeidoscopc whole is ont
q piacs or Cu5 Of drauinz- Here you sce il as %
Is neither exaggerated as 70 voice nor srotheoszeI
as 20 virtue; tbs festeriug. writhinz f11l-smeUuz
sEauning- abiding place q the submerged tenth.
vita It's azsaes Of im Or pathetic humo-. is feeble
and shallow gayeties. its poverty ard want i-s
brutality ard crime
That IS true-the above Is a fair de-
scription Of what you see. But the cues
ton arises. To What end? As far as II
goes this Is realism: but Il could. we
knew. go further. Why should we stop
at this point. Il realism is good2 Il
could go further, we know though why
the private intimacies OF our fellox-be-
ings should be considered interesting. we
cannot see.
At every exhibition OF paintings YOU
viii see some pictures that are marveis
Of technical skill, wonders Of light and
shade and proportion. but which are
ruled out in the award Of prizes because
the subjects are horrible. distssteful. IN
necessary. In painting we have come 70
recognize that art should be an end 70
beauty. should be above sordidness and
grossness and brutality; and what IS
true OF one art should be true Of another
The art OF the stage does nor need 10
descend into a chamber OF horrors There
can be few more dramatic things than
a surgical operation. yet no one would
agree 10 put a reproduction OF clinic
on the stage.
There Is no lesson. no moral IN SALIVA
ton Nell that could not as well have
bAen taught OF inculcated better in an
other way. The fact that the stage pic-
ture is true TO life is not enough Jusuhes-
ton for the horror that Mrs. Fiske makes
her audiences undergo. That the play IS
splendidly acted goes without saying
when you know that Mrs. Fiske and HoI-
brook Blinn have the two principal roles;
but good acting Is not sufficient 10 justify
the play, There is absolutely no real
excuse for Salvation Nell" no excuse
for any one seeing #, save out OF prurient
curiosity. and one can only regret that
the talent Of Mrs. Fiske, which rises 50
close to real genius. should have been
wasted in such an endeavor.