New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-27

" ZONES said that. though underlying
.o,drions wee better in England than IN
.r,sri,a for a national theatre, because Oh
recertive soil that nurtures ana rosters
-. even I'm England there had been no
40 hond between the drama ana III
-, since Shakespearian days, with the
cotton = the plays Of the Restoration
o-,,s and possibly an occasional shoot
y, A,ckcr" since then.
THO one necessary condition has been
..se-, no said. Literature and the the
-. have not met together; the playsoer
an4 The man Of letters have not kissed each
re. they have scarcely been on speak
ms terms.
Literature and Drama.
81. ,,i. country there Is still greater
deculty according 10 the author'
-.,,e5 IN know where there was any BODY
~ American literature on which 10 graz
drama and nourish IL until it lived OF us
avn self Mr. Jones quoted Mat'he"
Arnold. , -,
-, an matters Of literature and art
,-,erica is q province Of England
81 rr.u America has this alliance be-
-, literature and the drama American
ris,s yotllJ not live. he held and ne audeu
49,. r. agreed with BranGer Matthews
,,bo had written: only literature Is per-
-,.rer," He held up France a. the land
Tho, has brought about jhe necessary mar
-iaga Of tho drama and literature
The hest hopes for an American nailohal
,r,,,s Il. IN Your eager curiosity IN the
tr,r,epse. generous recepuvtty shown IN the
-e,5v hearing and welcome you give those
rbo hiring YOU foreign material that you
mai, turn 10 account: in Your large cosln'-
-olitsnisrr Of race and feeling: in the high
reward, Won are prepared 70 pay for pest
e,sr.r,ee Of any kind of art" ne said.
.notr.r hopeml sign. he said. was the
,r-eresf taken 10y the Leading universities
and then he complimented PROFESSOR MAT
,t.v- hv saving "his volumes on the
Enelisl-speakine drama are on the WhoIe'
fine soundest and sauest general con'''Ou-
ton 20 AnglO-American draHat'' "I-
ersture $500
The speaker asked X Oh this side 81 the
water there was not certain prudlShneSS'
, certain narrowness Of view, when tehos
"a drive away from your literature anu
gour theatre those works which iraiiAiS
..ecsr.t the whole body as we'll as the whole
.,,bstance. and are compound OF all hu-
msnity. We nave this same narloN"e o
.,ie same one-eved squirt in England IL
IS p sworn and eternal enemy TO il'ei
As 10 a National Theatre.
,f~ Homes is against government support
nj q national theatre lie also Salo ''at
mil classic plays should be taken as
r.f5e, f., was the drama OF to-day Una
,,s national theatre should present al
though REVEALS OF works OF the last e'"
Grafton should be given now and tAeh'
Mr. Jones continued
p,, ,re of the chief duties Of Natonai
~. il to offer d rigorous apprehuCe
s,f, and training i'm the me arr OF 49, .
10 cran school where all that Is - ~, ~.
inc technique OF acting shaIl pc 'au7 a|.,o,.
.r. ls-t teachers: 10 insist thdI no 49,
,ter .,,,a mon its boards VINO mas ~.
m. stored this technique. row 1"II o,,-
han. rIavs Of serious thought anu IIe"ra
ing or our boards unless we ms "i snpTe-
Vfo cannot merely sympathetlcd"! "pp ~
hand +tat meaning but who nave aloo talv
rer4c-7rv technique by WIlch tne! '
Drive home TO the public? 49, d,tiee ~
Er- a0 these and many other auIts ~
h National Theatre are so plain a. 10 a.. a.,
~ l,t..,.aruauf scarcely even I!l' ,I1iOit'
Tho liz upon the surface or inc pu'iii me %
I rCfl-n then TO the aim ana 90 ,,,s.
govern the enterprise II u is 10 ~ w =. ~,
a. q. e,,rcessfuI issue May ] reSlalc j. Ga
account 1f its great importance %
have started ont 10 -OStfi . sLo1l
American drama that as n ter9 ~ culti-
ms, and satisfy the judgment y. ",
,s+.d a-yIl-A American men OF letter. -
may say YOU AVE starteu out ~ 49,, a. ,,o,,
i1g Of the kind. Then, what naFT Lii
s,srt-3 out 10 dor Conceivaby' az saI.
a, INST Won Intended TO cultivate a 81 a.,
delicate refined. exclusive drtI"ti., 80
hat sh.N Civ. a social pleasure o III do,
tie opera b." Wei. 1 think that is worn vi III
gi,,..S ,,y,.ort a theatre of that KIM. ~
could probably be made 70 pay - 20
Us upkeep would be inhniteslhal coii lto,
vi;h the upkeep Of your preSe"'
But such a scheme is quite distinGt i iroi'I
the aim and goal OF an American 10 oI tbds
theatre. 7 beg you 10 TAX .ho confusion
because am persuaded that tIe CIIi1 ,ou
OF tho two schemes can only Uils T0
further disappointment ana laI INJUNCTION
support q small theatre Tor the P,,oa a.
Of fier class exotic comedy ana Oh diiIa -
not he work of q national theatre tloVS =
Mdjr.ctIv n may lend valuable ald 10 'no
larger scheme. The aim and goal OF o. o.
American national theatre can oil'S lIJsnce
trine your national drama INTO a'Ho"
with literature Ate o,d YOU
Meantime, as a means to TINS ene not no;
have built handsome t pea lad 6egun
bv buildine Ganterbury cathedral instead
o. Ev Treschine the Gospel? Ought YOU
not frst 10 get hold of a few 81. fauiS
and set them preaching Does NO. e a6
who'e matter Of national theatte he IT,
70 be- approached from another sac am
IN a wholly different spirit nh dre mon
not been trying 70 impose son!e sr'rine M
your national life that must spring vi
from within II? 49, ,,,is,aLe,
Cndoub;edly there have been mlsta i,e
~ management and the very eraNe mn
take o. admitting productions thdt S 49,
have no possible place IN natio"a
theatre nm in the present condition o.
things. are YOU likely 10 fare much Dette'
In the future? II you build another tnva
IRE and put n under other nans belIcnt
Will not the result be very much lhe ,s,
while the present underlying coiiui e eioI,s
remain? Where are your pay 70 -,
from-plays that shall successIu"S veal
both a popular and A literary aPPoSSi O.,
Great plays are not written I'm the ar iol
an imaginary audience. They are wiz, ,
IN an atmosphere of great plays anu - .,
traditions 10 be played by coihPatiitS
highly trained actors before "a my SISiii
you not be driven about 10 find attractlon'
hat shall not be Of much hishef vi m. .;o.,s
Conspicuous merit than the dtuactioii''
offered BY the commercial managers aroun l
your VIII they not still have the hts
choice OF what is in the Market 49,, =,
VIII you not every now ana theh ~
Obliged 10 put up some quite uh"oItn'
stOpgap which VIII tend 10 bring you
whole enterprise into contempt! Ana VIZ
your work is brought before the nItll iis,.
Nibunal. the tribunal of cultivated lSHSHsn
speaking men Of letters, what VIII tH s Nei g,
eict be2 II is high ana severe ulDula'
Any author English or American w
DC prepared 10 face It, Indeed, he shoui'
write his ulav with the knowledge am