New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-03
THE PLAYG0ER
NGrets on the Stage and in
the House.

Serxe The theatre which Is theirs they may
resort 70 extreme measures Meanwhile II
= hsrd for many thousands of them 10
grind under the heavy thought that the
eighty OF ninety millions between PassaIna-
s.sa56,- Bay ana tie Golden Gate deserve
al tney get in their theatre Still. there
mast "a something in il. since they pay for
what they get. and pay literally. They are
,sa, as a nation. bereft Of hope
md then there is Mr.. Sophus Michaelis.
who saws that American plays are naive
lie means no offence. and none is taken
1;r,f there are foreign plays that are naive
200. And so there must be naive drama
tstS abroad. And you VIII notice always
s..ar the foreign dramatists who are naive
;elze themselves seriously, very seriously IN
cd. hut .ne maize American audiences do
.s- take themselves so II you choose 10
l-i-zle over this there is nothing TO prevent.
~aYxe. OF course they are naive, so many
- our dear American plays AND L take II
shat many managers cease not from thank
s-..- fate destiny and such odd fish that tbs
50 For the naive play fourishes when IL Is
,o4 ft,i. and the reason. though il needs no
ghost come from the box Office 10 reveal
il Is that vast percentages of our audi
s-ces. by and large. are naive. too Inc
worthy dramatist from afar did not men
10, ibis but there must have been a
r-s51k1e IN his eve when he faced the inter
,;--Ver. How could naive plays enrich their
,1.aLers and managers were there not
naive public 30 supply the pleasant dollar
~. s-s-aa-s laws the dramas patrons give
And they that live 20 please must Please 10 i'e
That is as true now as in old time
Nave, Why. our audiences are as naive d
Mr. Foreign Dramatist's play
Ie; A play be had enough-bad as art.
not necessarily as 10 morals-aho
VII succeed beyond the widest dreams
The half bad Will not run; mere meoiocrity
vii PASS Il by a hundred lengths DOWN
right badness will achieve victories ana SUI
mans. II YOU would have your play sue
sesa make il very good, mediocre or GOWN
,5-b- had. Do not make great play. for
- on do only a corporals guard VIII recos
ME t. and since there so few great actors
OF the worlds stage your lines and IDEAS
-,:lr be in peril OF their lives At all costs
r. naive. for The naive public has neither
beginning nor end
1-o, can hear the naive Of the earth shout
now. What about TIE great old plays?
Nell. what about them? You support them
>o,De-ines. when you think you are I'M
loving YOUR mind. And nafvely you con-
.de~ them greatly acted Shakespeare. say
stirred the house, but the house thinks IL
WIS Tragedian Jones, who, after Gil, is no
-s-a7i,n hr,r = rost1re maker and repeater
,f.vyords Jones is no more like II tnan
sixteen candle power lamp is like the Nv
e-z Of The FURNISHED sun but he draws
and lie naive talk about him, not ABOUT iie
magician who woye his part and MS PA!
ION observation and airy dreams The
audience is by training seasoned 10 the
,,,,,,lacanf. commonplace naIvete OF Jones
Ta- II
,.arativeiy young in playgoing; II has seen
r,.hin- better than this: its standards have
een set bv Jones. who marks for II the
t7r1hegt reach in dramatic art
Nca5v.- Or course there are naive audi
.-.es Wnv take the trouble 70 deny III
Recently an indignant patriot rushed TO an
fnkv defence Of his countryrnen against liie
horrid charge But by the act he proved
only his own touching naIvete he seemed
) 20 think that the foreign gentleman tWho
s. thar case was Mr.. walkleyD had accused
-, .--est American Public or some hideous
o~-ence But 10 be naive is not TO be crlinl-
,.as nor even unpatriotic- The nalNe are
unlikely 10 be traitors, as the herolc de-
fender seemed to think our alien irieho I'M
-,fied To be naive is to be. say, ike the
Needing defender himself IL Is quite IN
,,..~essary 10 be guilty, innocent or ignorant
:
- 1.sfrs Behold what they praise. ana
- ,b-iils them. lis CHEEKY If not
blessed state
.o entirely worthy freouenter Of thea
,,az Vas heard the other evening praisin-
- a-tress because the lady "weeps real
rrzrsr And so YOU have a naive actress
= well a. a naive spectator II the latter
I'D known more Of the case he would nave
r.dsd HAT The lady sheds real tears not
orl- in her strongly applauded scene put
rr.-au there Is no one 20 applaud, when she
a. ia me wings after her scene the way
:. her dressing room, in her dressing Tooln
a.; oa the way home. She sobs and signs
and -he salty drops "bedim her eyes after
I'll IL over. y hen the audience is in the sub
W. o. eating lobster. And the naive OF
-nl- Tffe assure YOU that she must be re-
r,-.rlz- bic emotional actress because her
tears sIe genuine Wei. then. SIZE VIII MOI
- IN emotional actress very long if she
does nos terra the stop on the fountains o.
-,.r grief. s'so VIII 90 into a decline and
dc or g. her Art perishing in the mean
sine Fer al these real tears" mean lac.
r. scfc-,.ar-roi and IL an actress have not
se.f-crr-:lsnd now may she expect long 10
. commend tlc emotions Of tie public? The
Z admired .sdy Is making huge drafts upon
fe~ xlalits. she is not acting, but acted
,,r..u SHa is not depicting. not simu-
ls-inC cr'otic-l. but undergoing its assaults
After each performance she leaves the
r'.eerrr exhausted 10y the effort 90 keep
sGrsi i7 the food Of her Own tears
There Sc 2 naive ocestion which J. often
Z - .r,es-ed 10 PLAYERS: DO YOU I've yo1r
7,z-rg~ Is fhcio "a actor ~ actress II
r.f.~;. rei,ute to whom IN Guain; simplicity
-lHe interrogation has not been putt The
. ,,sie-:fo,e: ne~er sees the stunidity q; IL
I F5ou can the actor az Macbeth live his
3 s....t--~ Re caunot aSpiTe 20 kingdoms. nor
sre q ct,- Inurse.iHg or subsidizins murder.
Tic io1e-y heroine 81 the melocrama can
rs- live her part She cannot be be
F., traxed married. divorced. stolen or starved
isa f,r,ler a. make q gallery's hoida.. Bot
.-er-- hour or two some naive person VIII.
For F,r-irtt or IN the shadows az afternoon
- ask even The WrOnged ingeaUe, Do
VOL live yols- pau@'' How ,Cng woulG -.
- Is Marshall be able 10 plar Hammock
Ia -@Tli. CIV" IL he Lived his ia-;" and
GIVE himself ovar 20 the sincere drugs Of
=i. sr,oshecarr instead Of 10 the ina ginary
5~.lsss OF tie drsrnatist2 DO you live your
5,arlg- ask the naive lwhO seldom under
<-qnd the uses Of iangGage). when they
r,eet the new Juliet, the lady Of "A Dolls
Ff,ssIse-- .lr Itse in3fersonatOrs OF Raffies and
AtseBe Lupin. DID tie in. 2ers0nator o.
i9.tn.leie 20 bea-,i1g "a order 10 live her
does EFr II f.. Warner crack