New-York tribune., 1911-01-22
NOTHING NEW IN DRAMA
BY EMMETT G. KING

gocrs, | suppose there will be diversity
oi opinion; there can be no doubt that should this
prcrogativc be granted 10 spectators, some OF our
matinee idols would be subjected TO great humiliation.
We prone to believe that. because there was no
scenery and only the most mcagcr accessories the
drama in Shakcspcarc time there before his
day y Greek gentleman by the name Of EsChylus
900 b. c. made e few innovations and Improvements
in the drama which have caused some authors to call
him the shakespeare Of his time Victor Hugo, how
ever. call, Shakespeare "Eschylu, H.
Besides writing some plays that have endured for
ages, .Eschylus built the first regular stage He in
vented and used movable scenery. Ic made machine
oimatc the sound Of thunder and another TO give the
effect Of lightning He built traps in his stage from which
supernatural characters rose. Just they did IN the
great Hanon Spcctaccs; and he invented pulley and
rope contrivancc by means Of which fantastic figure,
oacd through the air. thus preceding the flying ballet
Of the New York Hippodrome by more than twenty
centuries.
.Eschylus also invented the br,iakfoS, a revolving
prism which served 10 change the scenery in the wings
The byakoS contained the basic principle on which the
revolving Of the big nineteenth century mclo-
dramas were built, Only few years ago II was used in
"Ihc Road 20 Yesterday appropriate title for q
modern play employing a device used On the stage prior
TO the Christian era.
So prone are we to regard Shakespeare occupying
position prccmincnt and unapproachablc in the dra-
matte world it may not be ams- TO quote few lines Of
Victor Hugo, estimate Of EschvluS. He says, referring
fragment, Of the works Of Eschylus that have come
down 10 ,,, we are a-toundcl by what Of this
genius, and almost terrified by what do not see
Again he says, "E-chylu- /, up TO his shoulders in the
a,hc, Of agcs hi, head alone rises above that burial
and Ike the colossus of the desert with his head alone
he is tall O., the ncghbonng gods. upright upon their
pcdc-tal-.
Have We in our boa,tcd age Of progrce, produced
anyone connected with the drama tp whom such a
tribute could bcp paid, | shall not pause for reply.
Ar'ophanc- was certainly far ahead ot his time
II, wrote hurIp-quc- that bore the same relation
10 m, period 0l2j 20 800 B. c. that the Weber
and Fields burlcpucs Of q few years ago did To their
time. IIoal.o tor.-racd Ro-tnl 10y writing plays IN
which 'hn characters were birds. FISHES, and animals
IL also wrote two -uargcttc dramas, which would
hc exceedingly timely now, "Lycg-trta" and the
"PrIamaut p Women" These play were sa'lroS
ON 'hu emancipation Of women, question that was
.ai'a'iug Ahyu, then a- II D. New York and London
TODAY.
Greek actors Of the third and fourth crntunc b. G.
were worthy OF emulation by player ol the twentieth
orutur. iu ways than I'm the first place, the
Greek took Dis art more seriously than do ms followers
Of 'In present time. Cicero reports that acure spent
year IN practising -pcakiug in al attitudes, IN order 10
bcahn parri.ular clearly n any position they might be-
compelled assume Actor OF that period were forced
10 pay tine ncrc-r attention to ooTc, pronunciation
and rnunoitiun. Nopluycr who poke with the slightest