New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-22
PLAYS OF THE future
Oliver MorosCo Predicts End Of
the "Punch Play" and AID.
vent of New STYLE.

music and painting. So far the futurl.ts
Of the drama have been confined TO propa.
gandists like GorGon Craig and individ.
uals like Reinhardt-if there is any ono
like him.
In this country we have had no one
until now 10 talk about the future OF the
drama, except Mr.. Belasco, who tells us
that public taste here is going to revert
10 the romantic costume play OF former
times. This, however, is hardly futurisrn
The first man 10 come out with a def.
mite posing Of the question and definite
answer TO it is Oliver Morosco, the Cali
fornia manager, who is fast becoming a
New York manager as we'll Mr.. No
rosco in a special Interview recently
granted 10 The Tribune. predicted the
early death OF the so-callcd punch" play
and the gradual incoming Of more sym
pathetic and more genuine style
Punch plays" said Mr.. Morosco.
ARE simply old fashioned melodramas
written b. cleyeror piaywrights Tic
| theme OF these dramatsts is almost in
variably some phase Of the subject Of sex
| relations, and their skin Is employed IN
placing rather intolerable matters before
| the public IN a form and IN language tina,
will not be too great shock 10 the sensi-
| bilities.
II really feel that drama Of this kind
does not strike a responsive enough note
here to have long life. People have
locked TO such plays Us Bought and Paid
Foi'-which Is a masterpiece among
punch plays--because they were well
done and sensational. But believe that
tho majority OF playgoers DO not enjoy
hearing matters discussed Oh the stage
openly before a houseful Of people that
they would 10, think OF discussing them
selves at home or in q hotel lobby or In
the street or anywhere else.
Il realize that, among those who cater
to the public taste, 7 am somewhat alone
ir this opinion. and shall not be sur
prised 10 find my views disputed.
II am firmly convinced, however, that
sex plays are soon TO give way to plays
in which simple realities win displacs
theatricals, and In which comedy and
tears will form the only punch
The actor Of the future" went on ~
Morosco. with the absorption In his
subject which Is characteristic OF him. rs
also going to evolve from the punch style
Of playing. Instead OF behaving uneasily
on the stage. crossing and recrosslng in
purposeless manner. making useless
gestures and occupying himself In various
dis,racting pursuits he will settle down
to the play itself. SIT quietly 10 talk when
he Is supposed 20 DO 80. exit only when
there IL a dramatic point 10 be made BY
his going. use natural facial expressions.
and In every way behave "a a real per-.
son would I'm real life under the crcuU
stances given. As thingsGre now, actors
are thought 10 act naturally. but as cor'
pared with genuine reality their acting IS
highly theatrical All this stereotyped
theatricalism is what ] am going 10 do
away With gradually in my productions
and think II Is doomed 10 pass from all
acting Of the future. In ny production
Of Peg o My Heart a play by Hartley
Manners. in which Lsurette Taylor will
play at the Cort Theatre in about six
weeks. 7 am going 10 do away with about
so per cent OF the usual theatricalism OF
acting
In a way should Ike 10 put on
play exactly to suit my tastes for sim
pliclty. but feel that II is better TO make
change OF this kind gradually
Another change that IS bound TO come
IS In theatre architecture. The theatre o.
the future Is going n. be small; that Is
broad and shallow. II would be best II Il
were not more than fourteen rows deer
The object OF this is 10 make possible
greater naturaism on the part OF the
actor. He should not have 10 raise his
voice beyond the normal speaking p.tch
II he does ne necessarily grows self-con'
scious and unnatural al once. The small
theatre would do away with the necessity
OF all other kinds OF over-emphasis, such
az that now used IN facial expression ard
gesture. The intimate theatre is the thea
tire OF the future. the home OF the play
ana the actor OF the future
The stand here taken by Mr.. Morocco
Is healthy one for the future o. The
drama in America. While his idess are
essentially American In tone, they are
singularly IN accord with those developed
AT the theatre considered the most al
vanced IN the world-the Art Theatre 10
Moscow. The world famous stanisiawsky
there puts absolute realism on tbs stase
in the simplest terms. The secretary o.
the Art Theatre recently In London founo
no acting In Great Britain except that or
the Irish Players which was nearly
abreast o. the dramatic art OF the present
as conceived al the Moscow Theatre
Mr.. Morosco's ideas. however WHICH
have been developed ont Of his own tas'e
and experience have marched quite as fat
ahead as the advanced school OF husslS
and at the same time have remained as
tinctively American The kind OF play nc
prefers. tho play OF comedy and tears IN
fused with the spirit OF romance, Is some
thing that represents the innate TASTE o.
Americans.
Mr.. Morosco is wholly an American
himself. Coming from what Is getting 70
be known as the most essentially amen
can OF all the tatea-Callfornia-the sls"'
OF his nationality are easily read III NE
steady eyes M etermined chm ms eN'
preston OF C, Ident good cheer aud h''
gentle manner.
Among the coming Morosco productions
10 be made this fall IN New York beSides ,
Peg" are Barbarian a Greek uaseu'
By Hartley Manners, with curious 'he."'
and "A curious duplex character INV
Money Moon" details OK which have az
ready been announced. and The Fox
drsmatization by Lee Arthur or haroI0
NiacIrath's novel 1.-The Best Man Tine