New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-14
WHAT IS .MEL0DRAMA?
Theatrical Managers Give Defini.
lions and Distinctions.


changed.
william A. Brady a producer of melo-
drama. said the other day that melodrama
"is anything done in big way with broad
strokes" That probably expressed MI
Bradv's idea of il. but one would have TO
supplv many connotations in order 10 derive
a clear definition.
Henry w. Savage. Just as he was about
20 embark on HIS semi-annual trip TO ku-
rope. said:
.The word melodrama, as applied to the
class of attractions that il popularity desS-
mates. is as we all know. misnomer.
Technically. il means a stage production
with music. although its popular meaning
i, a play characterized by highly sensa-
tional or mechanical effects. The use of
tho wcrd i'm its modern application came
into nopular vogue If / remember rightly,
during the early days Of tho London Drury
Lane Theatre productions and since that
reriod every big stage production with me
cbanical effects have been classed as melo-
dramas j might cite as examples snch
plavs as Paul Kauvar "rhe Ticket of
Leave Man The Celebrated Case, The
Great Ruby The Great Diamond Robbery,
Two ORPHANS Sins Of Society," etc. Each
and every one Of these plays become IA
NOUS as a mslodrama largely on account OF
its mechanical stage effects or sensational
dramatic incidents. The best modern eX-
annie Of the play classified as melodrama
is Madame Y for. although there are no
intricate mechanical effects employed IN
its action vet the tense and absorbing
dramatic climax 20 the courtroom Scene ad-
rnits according TO the ideas Of some critics.
Of the term melodrama. on the other
hand. 'Everywoman. my big dramatic spec
tscle now PLAYING AT the Herald Square
Theatre. has perhaps some Of the so-called
melodramatic phases yet at the same time
Il j. 10 my mind the most difficult Of any
modern play to- classify. II has been
termed q morality. a spectacle. "A drama
and even an opera. and. while II possesses
an element of all these phases. none of
them conveys an adequate idea of its true
classification. For this reason we have
employed tn unique descriptive phrase an
categorical spectacle. 90
Mare Klaw. Of the firm Of Klaw & En-
LANCER vi D in conjunction with Joseph
Brooks. O., the most elaborate money
making ~ odrama ever produced on the
American ,tagC-"Bcn-H said
The original idea OF melodrama was. of
course. - drama with musical accompani-
ment. % Is very difficult to give a COM
lTohcnsive definition of melodrama as it is
understood to-day. II generally conveys to
the mind Of the theatrcgocr Of to-day
play f stridcnt action requiring varied
pictorial environment. with little regard for
time or space exaggerated types of char
aCter and change Of pictorial display with
each change Of scenc--thc word scene here
hcins used merely as meaning progressive
step IN the action or development of the
play"
Lee Shubert was asked the distinction
between melodrJma and drama. lie re-
Piled
1T IS extremely difficult to fix any posi-
tive dividing line between drama and meio-
drama, as the words are now customarily
used. In "a general way it may he SAID
that i'm melodrama the main object of the
writer is TO develop sensational situations
even If the motives supposed to impel the
characters are somewhat vague or made
quate: in drama, on the contrary. a more
convincing realism IS demanded. the mo-
tves in all instances being explicit, reason
able and sufficient TO warrant the actions
of such people as are introduced into the
play, no matter how passive OF how ex-
IRENE that action may be- That is to say
the most violent stage murder would not
necessarily be melodrama. provided that the
preparatory incidents made the crime
plausible and 10 a degree inevitable. On
the other hand, that same murder would
be melOdramatic If thrust into the story Of
the play at the expense Of reason.
Three examples may serve to define the
case. The Lights o. London is old-fash-
toned melodrama. pure and simple. with
the motives serving only as excuses for
spectacular incidents The Deep Purple.
which has enjoyed a great success this
season and is still running at Maxine FL
liott's Theatre. is modern high-grade melo-
Drama. with the incidents OF main interest.
bat with the motives well planned and OF
importance. Clyde Fftch's last play. The
city in spite OF its sensational Incidents
should be classed as serious drama In
this instance, even the shooting episode
impresses one as an unavoidable and fate
full development Of the underlying condi-
tons and the main purpose Of the play is
not the exploitation Of this scene for its
own dramatic value. but the intellectual
defence Of the modern city as the supreme
testing ground for human beings"
Henry y. Harris looked at the subject
from facetious point OF view He said:
1T depends altogether on the author. the
manager, the actor and the theatre. A
play written by Pinero would be drama.
the same play-if that were possible-bear-
ing owen Daviss name would be melo-
drama. Produced at the Belasco Theatre
IL would be called drama: at the Grand
Opera House ii would be melodrama. Act
ed by Forbes-Robertson IL would be drama ;
by Corse Payton 1t would be melodrama. q"
Daniel Frohman, by reason OF his scbol-
arly interest in the theatre. is perhaps as
well qualified as any manager TO express
the distinction between drama and melo-
drama. He said
"Melodrama is abnormal dramatic emo
ton expressed Electrically. and drama is
normal emotion expressed naturally
Drama is tense; melodrama is intense
Drama appeals 10 the emotions through
the head. Meiodrama appeals to the head
through the emotions. In both cases the
primitive feelings and universal emotions Of
mankind are appealed TO, and 10 be popular
vice must be inevitably vanquished. The
conflict between virtue and vice in some
form or other I'm all its countless varia-
tons, is the foundation OF both. Lovers
OF melodrama in its simple phases gradu-
ally tire of the strain on their sympathies.
and by a slight intellectual development
graduate 10 the ranks OF drama lovers. In
nelodrama the physical action OF the play
forms a large factor: I'm drama II is the
psychological quality that makes its strong
est appeal. Good. high class melodramas
are always popular: the common kind soon
pass away. Among the former are such as