Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-19
INEZ WEBER
Al ae Krus

the great Englishman, who has very re-
Gently scored some notable failures in a
America, but nothing Of real help is
found in them.
Considering only the dramatic endeavor
Of recent years. what have we accom-
plished2 Just at present the most success
fui play being offered in New York, the
production OF American authors, Is ''The
Deep Purple" the joint effort of Paul
Armstrong and Wilson Miner What Is
lts theme, the phase of American life II I'M
dertakes to llluminater II tells Of how
young man was lured by an innocent girl
into compromising situation, and the sub
sequent efforts to blackmail him; showing
now corrupt police officials assist criminals;
lts principal characters are criminals, its
cllmactie event the shooting of one criminal
by another and its "moral'-blit, why talk
OF morals when such a mess of immoral
muck Is set before us for our delectation7
Another of the great American dramas
said to be meeting with unquestioned sue
cess. also in New York, where Mr.. Jones
50 enthusiastically located our national
theater," deals with the rise OF a boss.
born In back room over q low saloon aud
fighting his way by tooth and nail through
and wealth, and welded to a girl Of re-
finement and family; the climax In this
play comes when the girl offers In ex
change for a concession from the boss"
that she will permit him to eontugal rights
he has not enjoyed and he refuses 10 be
brtbed even by her body. stiu another OF
these triumphant expositions OF American
hfe' tells OF how a white girl. the
daughter Of one OF our first families. de-
elined to wed with q mulatto who had be-
come governor OF his state. And one
might so down a long list OF similar efforts
but to what purpose7 These instances llius-
trate the point.
So much for the LITERATURE" aspect OF
the present day drama What do we find
Tor the art" phase Of the question? Two
OF our greatest actors, perhaps our very
greatest, are devoting their efforts ex-
elusively TO the presentation OF the classic
drama. This Is art and the actors IN
question are thoroughly artistic In their
every undertaking. and deserve the hearty
commentator and profitable patronage
they have received But In what way does
their energy spent on Shakespeare pro
auctions help the development OF present
day drama save BIZ indirection? Another
"a JUL front rank actors Is playing q
role that puzzles the critics TO say whether
Is undertaken seriously. or In a spirit
OF tareioal fun-makingi another is giving
hef time 70 comedy that might be
presented by an ingenue with equal force,
ana third hailed as the greatest among
All Tor her ability 10 embody feminine
daintiness, and skilled in the higher forms
OF intellectual expression is spending her
nights IN enaeting role written for a
comedian Of robust habit. and Tor which
she y physically at least unfit And the
long list OF those worth while who are
doing nothing worth while stretches out
almost 20 the end. survey OF the
field scarcely shows a single American
actor engaged IN q noteworthy UNDERTAKING.
save. perhaps. Henry Miller alone. who Is
exploiting drama that possesses In
some degrees the punsent worth Of real