New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
MELODRAMA IS NOT DEAD
William A. Brady Says 1t Is the
Life of the Theatre.

II, a
never failed to draw a tear and tickle the
funnybone. Mr. Brady brought this play
into prominence again last Monday night
with a cast that included Edward Emery,
Thomas Wise, Jeffreys Lewis, Charles
'Richman. Miss Doris Keane. Miss Mar
guerite Clark Douglas Fairbanks, William
Courtenay. Thomas Q. Seabrooke. Miss
Ieonore Harris and others. The first night
audience liked the play-they liked it very
much. They applauded and cheered and
laughed as they had not done in many
wears But they did nothing hut laugh.
and. OF course. one isn't expected TO laugh
all the time in a melodrama. Mr Brady
oion't like that-he didn't like it DIT.
1.-The next morning" he said everybody
gave me the laugh when | came down the
street But they didn't know what they
were laughing at They thought that they
were laughing because New York had
shown me that IL does not care FOR mc!o-
drama any longer. But that wasn't it
they were laughing at first night misnaps'
most Of which happened because ! didn
have the apron stage Of thirty years ago
On which to produce play OF that time
WHY. even my wife said to me: Why do
Won spend your time on these reVvals'
why don't you put the same amount IT
energy into some good new play?'
That was easily answered. I can't get
the play l replied.
We'll. TO get back to the morning after;
If tho laugh was on ne then, II was on
the other fellows at night, for l was sold |
out at the COX Office. and ! have been ever 1
since And, furthermore the public Is
taking the play seriously. You can't judge
a play by what New York White Lighters
think of il. Most Of them are blase Ii
takes a new Partisan dancer TO arouse
their enthusiasm. A good old melodrana
OF real merit means nothing 10 them. And
they seem to lose sight of the significance
of a revival. Why, | purpOsely presented
The Lights o. London just as IT was done
in tho SOS so that fathers and mothers
might take their children to see the type OF
play that pleased thirty years ago. Some
of my actors said: oh, don't make me
say those lines, they are ridiculous. bu'
they had to say them, just the same
wanted 2 true picture. Some one objected
TO use OF salt as splash in the rescue
scene al the bridge. but / oyerruled. Let
as do II as they used to do It, ] said
Many OF the company didn't Ike the
idea OF passing out single file in 'front.' oil
the curtain after the big act. but MADE
them DO il. and the audience co-0perateo
even TO the extent of kissing the villain
Il tell you. you can't revive successfully
an old play on a new basis. Winthrop
AJnes wanted 10 revive Uncle Toms
CABIN Al The New Theatre in a modern.
ur-to-dhte fashion He asked me If
thought # could be done. L told him no.
DINERS have tried to do II in twenty differ
ent ways and failed. The people want It
done in the Old fashion
Don't let them tell me that the people
ars tired OF melodramas. why. the big
sess snocesses OF the past three years have
i>sc1 rnclooramss-sAhas Jimmy NaleD
tnf,~ The Deep Purple, Madame X,
The Lusic Master. The Man from
Itcnle Tn CITY, arc nelodramas. The
successes Ii the New Theatre have been
Ineioarsma. The Niger was meiodrama.
Sister BeaIrice was melodrama. the
Charming Of the children in The Piper
vas relodrama: The Blue Bird was
fantastic meiodraEna. l consider anything
done on the stage in broad strokes, in a |
hi, May, neIodrama- 'Everywoman is
.Ineiodrama- The greatest successes among |
Shskespeares plays have been meiodramas
Hamlet Richard ILL., Macbeth
.Henry " Henry VIII and 'Othelio
are u1eiodTaulas-
Almost any play may be renearsed In |
two Ways-ss melodrama OF drama Tear |
ing the passions to tatters is meiodrama !
expressing, it in 4 milder way is drama !
What i would do in mclodTamatic way |
David DcIasco would DO as drama. Yet the [.
basis OF Dosi OF his plays is melodrana |
His Du Barry.' Zoza' and Mrs. Danes !
Defence were Deio1Taria. And so was |
Iis Gil Of the Golden West
III Mo-
hare outgroKn The Lights o. London be |
cause * il improbable. l have seen people !
III tee West End OF London in just SUCH !
straits as Harold Armytase and Bess !
Marks, begging from door to doo-. Talk !
about the iuprobable-cOuld anything b. !
more improbable than the gambling scene
IL The Girl Of the Golden Wesi' wien the |
heroine picks four aces GU OF her stock ,
faz9 Yet American thcatregoers didn't |
1augn at that.
There is really nothing very funny IN |
tne line 'Hetty has betrayed me- which Is
spoken by the villain in The Lights o
LordoD.' a man who signed himself An |
Old FiTst Nlghter wrote TO me The other !
Gay letter in which nc slid.
TO eliminate the laughter that spols The !
t2g Of really worthy production cut out !
P.chma1's line: "IIeity mas betrayed me % ,
Ths words are superiiuous. anyway. The |
sitGatior could be as clearly set forth II he |
rnerely shows by clenching Of the hands |
and an air Of defeat that the jig is up" !
Then the lawyer fellow shouldn't come /
forth so much Ike the "bearer OF important !
DISPATCHES from the 'front.', or 'reprieve |
al the last moment" Make him older-more !
Of the old-fashoned lawyer--and have him !
say his lines n a quiet. measured. lawyer
like manner. Then there would be no laugh /
there. i admire you as OF the best |
producers in the business. but Homer /
nOds."'
81. PROBABLY shattered this mans idol to (
have fayoritc old play laughed at He is
right about The lawyer. and going
TO change that. but Richmans line Will
r,ay H. The people are not laughing AZ !
81 now-at least. not much rs first night |
s.s DID one Of the truest lines in The |
Bankers Daughter was. Mother kiss !
father Yet 81 was usuaily laughed al.
III were gi}inS i modern adaptation OF !
The Lights 9 London ] would use no
music OF soliioqries. but i am trying 90
present the play exactly as II was done
years aso. SO j use all these devices. AT
s-st the tremulos. the agitatos and the
nndautes bothered the younger actors In
my company. but they soon became used to
~, and found the music 4 stimulus that
was helpful once upon time the actors
couldn't get along withS~: ::
Let me ten you one thing. san SIR.
1,~.1-, ard he Crittcd his teeth. ''fbey