Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-22

of opinion; there can be no doubt that should this
prerogative be granted to spectators of
matinee idols would be subjected to great humiliation
We are prone to believe that, because there
scenery and only the most meager accessories to the
drama IN Shakespeare time, there before his
day. A Greek gentleman by the name of 4Escllyus
600 B. c. made few innovations and improvements
in the drama which have caused some authors call
him the shakespeare of his time" Victor Hugo, how
ever, calls Shakespeare "Eschylus H.
Besides writing some plays that have endured for
ages, Eschylus built the first regular stage He in
vented and used movable scenery He made machine
to initiate the sound of thunder and another give the
effect OF lightning He built traps in his stage from which
supernatural characters rose lust as they did in the
great Hanon Spectacles; and he invented pulley and
rope continuance by of which fantastic figures
oated through the air. thus preceding the flying ballet
of the New York Hippodrome by than twenty
centuries.
Eschylus also invented the beyiaktos a revolving
prism which served to change the scenery the wings
The periakOs contained the basic principle which the
revolving Of the big nineteenth century melo
dramas were built Only few years ago it used in
"The Road to Yesterday'-an appropriate title for
modern play employing device used on the stage prior
to the Christian era
So prone we to regard Shakespeare occupying
position preeminent and unapproachable in the dra
matte world, it may not be ansS quote few lines of
Victor Hugos estimate of Eschylus. He says, referring
to fragments of the works Of Eschylus that have
down to us, "We astounded by what of this
genius and almost terrified by what we do not see"
Again he Eschylus up to his shoulders in the
ashes of ages his head alone rises above that burial
and like the colossus of the desert with his head alone
he is tall the neghborng gods, upright upon their
pedestals.
Have we, in boosted age of progress produced
anyone connected with the drama to whom such 4
tribute could be paid? shall not pause for reply.
Aristophanes certainly far ahead of his time
He wrote burlesques that bore the relation
to the period (425 to 395 B. c. that the Weber
and Fields buresques of few years ago did to their
time. He also forestaed Rostand by writing plays in
which the characters birds fishes, and animals
He also wrote suffragette dramas, which would
be exceedingly timely now, "Lycestrata" and the
parliament of Women These plays satres
on the emancipation of women. question that
agtating Athens then as it is New York and London
to-day.
Greek of the third and fourth centuries B. c.
worthy of emulation by players of the twentieth
century ways than In the first place, the
Greek took his seriously than do his followers
OF the present time Cicero reports that actors spent
years in practising speaking in all attitudes in order
be able to arcuate clearly any position they might be
compelled to Actors of that period forced
pay the Stctest attention to pronunciation
and enunciaon No player who spoke with the slightest
trace FOREIGN nrOynca1 would he