Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-05
| I 1
I#

k8etffb3A tlonal Theater."i Assuming that
S0AAAD the New Theater Of New York
Is our national theater Mr. Jones con-
graduated his American hearers on having
succeeded in its establishment some time
In advance Of Englands success along sim
har lines; he also congratulated himself on
the notification OF a prediction he made
at dinner In Boston some seasons ago
Naturally. Mr.. Jones approached his topic
from the standpoint OF an author rather
than from that OF manager, but his
conclusions are carefully drawn and merit
consideration by all who are interested in
the drama and It's expression on the stage
Referring to Mr.. Brander Matthews chair
man of the meeting. Mr.. Jones said, les
pecially do give my fast adherence 10 his
constant claim that the drama is first OF
all popular art; that It must be prlmar-
fly addressed, not to students. to dillettante,
70 cotertes, to superior persons but to the
populace OF its day; that in so far as 1t is
literature It must be literature that is
understood by the multitude; that even the
greatest and most profound dramatist
must also be a popular playwright; may.
indeed even be the hack playwright Of
his theater as were Shakespeare and
Moliere; to sum up--that the drama is like
religion, an affair OF the whole people"
With this postulate. and the conclusion Of
fact that the national theater is not the
national drama, Mr.. Jones launched him
SELF we'll on the discussion OF the relation
OF the drama to literature, its requirements
and Its present outlook In England and
America. On this line he said:
Therefore II you ask what was the real
design OF the magnificent enterprise started
two years ago, II must have been this:
To bring about an alliance between lit
erature and the drama In America. Most
likely this exact formula was not present
In the mind OF any OF those who founded
that enterprise. But win any other formula
express worthy, or even possible way
OF raising the level OF the drama in
America and Of fostering q school Of ma
tional drama? I define literature briefly
as that part of what people reads which
remains a permanent possession TO them,
and does not grow old or stale"
When you translate the vague idea OF
raising the level OF the drama in America
and fostering school Of national drama
into definite scheme. It can mean nothing
more or less than bringing the drama into
alliance with literature. Try to conceive
any other way Of raising the level OF the
drama, and you win only imagine some
quite unworthy. vulgar futile or transitory
plan, doomed quickly 70 end in ridicuIe and
oblivion, This alliance between the drama
and literature is then your only possible
aim and goal. You mean that America
shall make contribution 10 the stock OF
the worlds dramatic literature That Is
the enterprise to which you have committed
yourselves, whether you are conscious OF
Il or not. You must mean that, or you
mean nothing at all
Where this alliance between the drama
and literature exists as in France aud 10
someteNtent In Germany. the theater is in
deed popular pleasure and amusement:
but Il Is so ON higher and different grounds
from, the grounds on which the theater is
popular pleasure and amusement in Eng
land and In America. The kind OF pleasure
which large class OF playgoers get from
their native plays In those countries is
quite different from the pleasure which
the majority Of theatergoers In England
and America get from their native plays |
And this Is the reason that Franch people |
rightly look with contempt on the theater
and the drama in England and America |
This Is the reason that while the English |
and American stages are flooded with |
French PLAYS no English or American play |
Of any serious pretensions Is ever success |
ful IN Paris or Is ever regarded with any
thing more than a polite gOod-natured |
smile ! hope then that you will cOncede |
10 me that the only way OF raising the |
level OK the drama in America or IN any |
country Is TO bring Il into alliance with |
literature.
Now. let ms 20 further and inquire what
are the necessary underlying conditions In |
which such an alliance can be brought |
about. In what soil in what atmosphere, |