New-York tribune., 1912-01-20
ITALIA
A Pioneer of Things Theatrical
That Are To Be.

ON TEE ART OF THE THEATRE. BY
Edward Gordon Craig. Svo. PIP XIX, 10
Chicago: Brownies Book Store.
The publication of this book feici-
tously comedies with the first presenta-
tion in New York OF Professor Max
Reinhardts production Of "Sumurun
II is TO continental Europe and what IS
being done in its theatres that Mr.. Craig
constantly points in these pages, ignor-
ing throughout what measure OF in
fluence he himself may have had In
bringing 1t about. Indeed, he belongs 10
the Continent, not to his native Eng
land. so far as his theories, his aspira-
tions and their practical effects are con-
cerned. To us in this country he Is
scarcely more as yet than vaguely In
teresting name that may in course OF
time become an indirect influence, via
the Continent again. Curiously enough
early in these pages Mr.. Craig predicts
this himself. Addressing the artists Of
the English stage, he says
So, do as I tell you . and, II you
are an Englishman, make haste: for II you
not, others VINO 1edO llllS III OlllSi
tries will find in IL technical truths ana VIII
outstrip you before you are aware OF IT,
In a measure this has already come to
pass, especially in Germany Professor
Max Renhardt again, about the meas
ure of whose originality, or Of his IN
debtedness TO Mr.. Craig, there are al
ready signs Of a coming quarrel, though
XIyin IL
perfluous as we'll as unseemly, for there
certainly will be honor enough for both
the theorist and the man Of action.
Mr.. Craig, indeed. explicitly denies
that he is a reformer. His, he says, IS
the voice of the forerunner calling in
the wilderness. Let others formulate
the programme Of the new art of the
theatre. Eleonora Duses radical saying,
ITO save the theatre, the theatre must
be destroyed the actors and actresses
must all die of the plague"-it has been
expressed less violently by others before
her-is his text. He pulls down, he de-
stroys to the very foundations the art
of the theatre as we know 1t to-day,
but he is unsatisfyingly vague as to
what should take its place. Light,
sound and movement" the abolition Of
the spoken play, above all, of the actor,
all this is rather indefinite. And is not
Mr. Craig's super -marionette," or, since
he prefers to use the German form Of
the word, the "ueber- -marionette," a no
less vague cropping back TO the mask
and the cothurnus of the Greek stage?
The crux Of Mr.. Craig's message is still
contained in his two dialogues on The
| Art OF the Theatre" first published In
| 1906 and now reprinted here. The book
| is deeply and stimulatingly sugges-
| tive, 1t arrests the attention. it com
mands reflection by the completeness Of
It's break with all the traditions, and
having levelled TO the ground, It COM
| pels speculation In a field where 1t offers
| but the faintest of guidance that Of re-
construction. No doubt K will be found
unnecessary as we'll as impracticable to
abolish all that makes the art OF the
theatre to-day in order to bring about
the revolution hoped for by Mr.. Craig.
His influence is already at work, and 50
is that Of others less radical less vision
, airy, perhaps less richly endowed, than
he proves himself to be in these pages,
but at the same time. more practical.
The book is abundantly illustrated with
drawings from the authors collection of
designs for stage scenery and costumes.