The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-05
THE STAGE IN AMERICA

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
 A RNOLD BENNETT, a writer who
 "A came over from England and had a look at America and her insti- tutions, finds the American stage bad. It lacks tone dignity. mental snap and few other qualities that must inevitably. enter into the composition of good stage, and the absence of which must make a poor one.
 The New York Press, insisting that Mr. Bennett inspected hastily, took snap judgment and misrepresetned the Amerl- car stage, calls attention to the fact and it is a fact-that so indifferent Q bitsof trash for vapid audiences as "The Butterfly on the Wheel was a great success in London recently, although it proved 80 poor in America, despite an equally good acting east that few Ameri- cans can believe that it is what the London public wanted in fashionable theatre Assuredly there are numerous tawdry society plays running at popular prices in this country that have as much to recommend them. And why does Forbes Robertson find it more prof itable to play three successive seasons in America, where his art is better ap- preciated than at homer" asks the Press. By citing examples of popular plays on both sides of the ocean and comparing the mana gers and dramatists and actors of the day, the Press reaches the icono- elastic conclusion that the difference be- tween the English stage and that of America is not so greatly in favor of the former upon investigation as upon snap judgment.
 Internationally we Americans are too much inclined to admit our own inferior ity in such matters without much thought, and moro unquestionably visiting Eu- ropeans are too much inclined 10 accept their own superiority over the people of a new country without any thought what ever. It is easy, and comforting. to the returned American traveller, to declare that it was "a very different play indeed, with first rate cast, at the Duke of Yorlk's theatre" In nine cases in ten his audience is composed wholly or play goers who are not in position to argue tho point, and so the assertion is unchafiengsd. It Is just as easy, and quite as comforting, to the visiting Eng lishman to assert that it was better at the Duke of York's theatre, and he hon. estly believes 1t was. because it was Eng lish Mr. Bennett for example, is doubt less sincere but not necessarily convinc
 ing, when he finds nothing really good on this side and returns serenely to stage which, in one season, fattened The Butterfly On the Wheel" Lady Patricia 'sThe Witness for the Defense" " AFool There Was" the last an Ameri- can importation rehecting little credit upon anybody and several other very silly plays. The New York public, with several other plays of some substance running, gave Forbes Roebertson a bril- liant reception in ''The Third Floor Back
 Great plays and great casts are seen in London. but not every night and at every theatre. And about the same is true in New York. Most of those great plays, and some of the members of tho casts. we get and they become part of the American stage Forbes-R Robertson,
 Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and lesser lights of modern times, are, or have been, nearly as well known in the United States as in Europe. Bernhardt, who played in tent in Texas when she could not come to terms with q theatrical trust, belongs not to France or Europe but to the world and is familiar to the ''one night stands in the west as well as 10 the centers of population in the east. Rejane is an occasional visitor. The two Salvnis were very popular in
 America. American dollars and taste lure most of the great musicians and stage most of the works of the great composers. From any American boast of the pro duction of great actors or dramttsts the foreign product may be separated, but l the stage is made up of what it offers. Despite the machnations of mercenary managers, of which so much is heard. so long as 1co.0o0O00 Americans, enjoying,
 and taking advantage of. pretty fair ed- ucational facilities. continue to have more