New-York tribune., 1911-12-17
LONDON NOTES
Censor and RenaiSSanGe-Scot.
tiSh and WeSGex Players.


| eifts. That is the decree OF Br.l,h
/ Phlistinism. and q, is enforced Rigorous.
/ ly by victims Of the censorship Of plsy,
: ACter protractcd agitation against coYr,
supervision OF the drama. Mr. Brook.
/ field is appointed as Mr. Rcdford's %.
/ adjutor in the oxaminai Jon of plays and
/ there is presumption that the Office IN
/ ST. James's Palace is TO Doe conduc;sd
/ under the supervision Of committee n,
! authors and actors. As Mr. Broo..
field has been prominent as acto,
! playwright and dramatic critic. and IA
also an accomplished man of the world
and a wit. ono would naturally expec,
/ his appointment TO be welcomed by oil
/ Interested in the welfare of the stage.
I The Lord Chamberlain looked Tor corn.
/ pimeEts. and he receives scofiing ard
abuse. Mr. Shaw condemns tho an.
( pcintment with hamboyant satire: Mr.
/ Barker scornfully reads passages from
/ Mr. Broolied's old-fashioncd essays On
drama between the acts OF MIR. Law.
renee Housman's interdicted pIav
Pains and Penalties; an audience O,
! cynical Sunday plsyeoers adopts a res.
olUtion OF caustic ccnsuro. and Mr
Rohelr Harcourt brings mp the suojec,
I'm Parliament with destructive criticism
The Lord Chamberlain concessions 10
the literary class are rejected as delhi.
crate atfronts 60 dramatic authors and
rlaygocrs with taste for strong meat
There are two objections 10 the trans.
lation of Mr.. Brookfeld to the Office q
Examiner Of Plays. one is the fact that
hc is the author Of an adaptation OF =
French farce. Dear Old Charlie" which
oJeht 10 have been censored. and the
other IS the statement that he has re.
Gently expressed in THE National Re.
view his lack Of sympathy with IN,
tendencies uf group of writer's who
{. ko p serious view Of their responsi.
! b,litics As the pioneers Of the "renais.
sance OF the stage" The first ground
of criticism may he passed over lightly
| Dear old Charlie is no worse than
scores of other unwhoesome and vulgar
farces which Mr.. Redford has licensed
Stress was laid upon il when the Selec.
Committee was examining Vitneeses 70.
specting the censorship not because the
objcctors were purists. but because they
wanted to contrast Mr. Redfords
lcnioncy in approving a coarse and
thoughtless farce with his rigor IN pro.
hibiting Mr. Bsrkers Waste" snd Nr
Garnetts Breaking Point" Mr Brook.
field as an adapter or questionable
French farCes can probably be depended
upon to reform and 10 become
squeamsh Puritan i'm supervising thil
class Of literature for the English stage
= ! certainly the services ~ moro
Sstrenuous moralist than Mr. Rodford are
urgently required. His reputation rs a
playwright does not offend his acri.
monious critics. It is his confession that
he does not consider the new school ot
Renaissance writer's either mora.
dramatic or intellectual that proyokes
their rancorous ire.
Inc lamentations Of the pioneers ot
the Renaissance would be more efec.
tive If the censored plays. when privately
produced, were not disappointing in
every respect. What a hubbub was
raised over the rejection Of Mr. Barkers
waste and how dun. sordid and un-
pleasant it was when produced for A
coterie Of "intelectuals". What pay
goer IN his sober senses AT the Savoy on
Sunday night could have regretted the
| prohibition Of Mr.. Housman's play with
Its unnecessary and morbid revival Of
a royal scandal So much Of the work
Of the new school is 1ppant in style,
boring in interminable discussion Of ex'
traneous subjects and tainted in ma
teria. that Mr.. Brookheld's prejudice
against it will recommend him 70 the
majority Of playgoers. IT he has Al
arowed preference for RobertsCh'
comedies. Pinero's earlier work and the
best of the Sardou dramas over the
nauseating sex problems, foul bur
! lesques on ill-assorted marriages and
turgid dissertations on the right Of un'
happy wives 10 desert degenerate hus'
! bands and To find consolation ELSEWHERE
which are the stock i'm trade Of the neS
dramatists. there is no just ground i1
public apprehension over his appoint
ment as associate censor. Like Mr.. Red
ford, he will probably take a cQnser~'
! tive view Of his functions and his oNa
facility as a playwright will he usei~
when suggestions are offered FOR alterS
| tons OF plays Of questionable taste, JN
two censors will have. moreover, an ad'
visory board to assist them I'm contTo'
versal cases.
! Mr.. Cyril Maude. having dscovere
the Scottish players and introduced tne~
Ito the public i'm "Bunty Pulls U"
Strings" which is having too prospervN
a career at the Haymarket 10 he az
placed, even by The Blue Bird
repeating the experiment At VI"
matinee two characteristic little pA''
which have been we'll received IN SOV,
/ land and the provinces have maue :"
most as favorable an impression
/ "Bunty." Each is simple drama
village life. with comic byplay ana o
Iundertone Of pathoS. The curtain rdis,
The Price Of Coal by Nh. h"V
Brighouse. is an early morning s's
among the Lanarkshire collieries, anu
is enacted with spirit and intelhse.
/ by four Scottish players. the n'a
comedy. Christina is a dramatic '"
sion by Miss Lawrence TnerNdl
short story by Mr.. J. j. Bell The s.,
is laid in a stationer's shop in N',Ss
near Glasgow; the heroine is ="
twelve and the play is written W.,
an intimate knowledge Of Sco'tlsn
and dialect and with racy humor' VIZ.
il was produced in Glasgow ,,c,l
greeted with enthusiasm for us rat