New-York tribune., 1912-04-21
STEELE MACKAYE
An Outline of His Work Recently
Written by His Son, Percy
MaCKaNe.


long. Meantime the two papers which have
been printed in "The Drama" quarterly
may be regarded as the outline Of what
must prove a useful as well as entertaining
biography Of a man who wrought with all
his energy for the best interests Of the thu
atre in this country. Steele MacKayes
life and labors and aspirations now have,
his son believes, their first general sum-
ming up. And as Steele MacKaye probably
did more than any other single influence IN
his time, or up TO the present, to advance
the art Of the theatre in America the read
ers Of the dramatic columns Of this news
paper are likely to be interested In glancinS
at a summary Of his aims and achieve
ments.
What the aim Of his work was his own
statement tells with characteristic pre-
CisiOn:
In dramatic art" he declared, there
is work TO be done in this country of ex-
traordinary Importance. The influence OF
the art is so powerful that the use made
of 81 is a question Of great significance
to the community. Ny work has really been
10 try to secure finer form Of art, and
better use OF it., than has been made
hitherto"
In writing his fathers memoirs Percy
MacKaye has made 1t his purpose to snow
how Steele MacKaye stood by his belief IN
the theatre as q serious institution, and now
he worked ito secure for 1t finer form
Of art" The spirit and aim of the writer
who had before him the difficult task OF
showing the value of his fathers work
without seeming himself to be too enthusi-
astic. can best be caught from few para
graphs which occur in the first few pages
Of the first instalment:
1 shall give an outline only Of the facts
of his professional life, and from that shaIl
seek TO give q clear impression OF his
dynamic personality as IT influenced the
theatre in his many special actVues; III
particular, / shall emphasize his culminat-
Ing experiment-an experiment which, IL
granted fruitiOn, might have lald the he-
Sinnings in America Of an art related and
+. comparable, on the one hand, TO that OF
( , Wagner; on another, to the unrevived spec
tacles Of the days Of Inigo Jones.
With that experiment, my fathers work
and rfe came TO an abrupt end, IN mid
career Of his talentS; yet this record would
be wrong indeed II II should give to his
Network an impression OF failure. In real
achievement II was nobly memorable, IN
personal influence brilliant and command.
Ing. / cannot, however, evade its truth OF
tragedy, which throughout life his magnetic
being seemed TO attract as the lightning.
and In death drew about him in eliminating
storm.
In gathering up the various activities Of
an unusually versatile man, Mr.. MacKaye
has classified the work Of his father under
six heads-as teacher, organizer actor,
. dramatist, inventor. director-and has
treated Of these different branches Of his
efforts each under its own head.
As q teacher his efforts were directed
toward both the instruction of private pupils
and the organizing Of schools OF acting
His instruction comprised, first, his own de-
ductions from the teachings OF Delsarte'
the transcendentalists and the evolutionists
Of physical science; second, aesthetic gym
nastics evolved from his own work with
Desarte, and, third, the principles Of stage
business.
Among the private pupils taught by Steele
ATacKaye who have since become we'll known
in various fields are the Rev. William II.
Alger, Of Boston; in the organized teaching
Of expression, Professor Lewis B. Monroe,
Of the Boston University; Dr. s. S. Curry.
of Boston, and Mr.. Franklin H. Sargent, Of
New York; in universities. Miss May Mon
roe, Of Vassar, Mr.. George Riddle, at Har
ward; IN educational theatre work, Mrs.
Emma Sheridan Fry; in the theatre itself,
his son and pupil, William Payson Mac
Kaye Gan actor Of noble promise, who died
young; John Mccullough, Maurice Barry
more, Edwin Forrest and Matilda Heron.
As an organizer, besides the founding
and directing Of four dramatic schools, he
built and was the manager Of two theatres
he also organized numerous theatrical COM
panles and built after his own invention
and design the Spectatorium on the grounds
Of the Worlds Fair in Chicago in 1893.
OF his theatre building enterprise his son
ssys;
The task Of organizing. designing and su-
perintending the building Of the Madison
Square Theatre and the Lyceum Theatre.
New York, was the labor, almost alone, OF
MaCKaye. To both tasks he brought his
inventive faculty, idealism and spirit OF
innovation manifest in his double stage,
elevated orchestra, folding theatre chairs,
oxygenating and cooling plants, the hTst
professional matinee souvenir pro-
gTammes etc) OF these Playhouses he
motives Of his policy may be gathered from
the following statements, which, Which IN both both
Tor themselves:
"For years" he stated February 4, 1850
the day his theatre was opened-'it has
been my greatest desire TO have small
theatre. which ] could organize on the prn-
ciple Of the Theatre FranCals In PaTlS'
and where / could produce plays OF me
fibre with special attention 10 the dchcacy
and finish Of the performance theatre
representing I'm It's own art what MelssOnleF
I'm Il this theatre 1.-THE Madison squarel my
ambition is 10 bring around me men ana
women OF the uNeSt culture character anu
artistic ability. As manager ] intend 10
give - per cent OF the profits accTuing from
the production Of plays to their authors
thing that has never been done before IN
this or any other country Ims, IN my
Judgment is but a fair recognition OF the
service which an author does manager
when he brings him a successful WORK
As an actor N1acKaye never gave himself
ietlsure nor opportunity to develop fully
although he played many parts and always
with distinction OF Hamlet he was par
ticularIy fond and ne played the part Of
the fancieul prince many timcs-frst in Bal
tlnorc in 1862. when he was only twenty
years old. The roles acted by him were as
follows: Monaldi Carroll Gray Gin Mar
yiage") Hamlet Orlando Go Rosalind OF
Helen Fauct-Lady Martin-at benehb,
John Fleming Gn "Won at LastD, Fabi-
ani Qn Queen and Woman'D, Dunstan
Kirke. Arthur Cauington Aaron Rodney
Gin Hazel KirkeD, Colonel SeryOsse Gin
"a Fools Errand'D. Paul Kauvar and Du-
roc Gin Paul Kauyar) and John Murray
(in - Noble Rogue').
AS a dramatist steele MacKaye was one
Of the most successful OF his time. OF
nineteen plays---nine original works and
ten collaborations ard adaptatlons-all but
a few were notably popular. Three OF them,
Hazel ISirke" "Won at Last" and Paul
Kauvar." have lived until to-day and are
stIl acted in stock. Hazel Kirke" still
holds the record OF being the most per-
mauently successful modern play in Eng
lish.
f,,ro 4 Il for nd