The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-22

Alfred Sutro and John Drew in Com
the new power Of woman to conform to
that sanctity Of selection which has been
demanded of women, by men, for thou
sands of years.
And the question is-Mr. Sutro paused
will she get him.
Then you really think the modern
woman is an improvement" ! began.
We find to-day" replied the dramatist
suddenly disseminating his perambula-
tons. that the best work in every art
is the most highly appreciated by women.
1t is women who make possible the best
plays. the best novels. Doesn't that in
dictate development?
The average man goes to the theater
merely TO laugh: a woman goes TO be in
terested through her reason and through
her sympathy alike. Her laugh has be-
come subordinate.
No Mr.. Sutro shook an unbeleving
head-whatever condition the modern
woman has been confronted with in the
strange evolution through which she has
been passing, she has met it adequately
and even with surprising efficiency. The
average man has not developed in the
least. Yes Said Mr.. Sutro. varying his
interjeCtiOn, Il have q great deal of
sympathy with the new woman move
ment. l have a great deal of sympathy
with the unmarried women. held back By
some flaw in the scheme of things from
their instructive mission of motherhood.
They suffer the great tragedy of modern
wOmen-the tragedy who dooms her who
wants a husband and children to do
without both and TO wither on the
stalk
Presents Dramatic Problems.
Does the modern woman present any
particular problem for the playwright"
said I craftily. for l had long sensed Mr..
Sutro's delight in problems. Not to speak
of the fact that his forthcoming play,
The PerpleXed Husband" is understood
to deal with something OF the sort.
Indeed, she does" answered Mr. Su-
trO, even more cXPansiyely than l had
hoped, because, you know. even with its
intense tragical significance the whole
has its comlcal side. Advanced
women writer's advocate theories which
are essentially absurd, and so arouse
prejudice among the great body of men"
Mr. Sutro spread out his hands almost
triumphantly There Is the problem Of
the dramatist,' he said. Public opinion
is divided upon the question, the men
and the women being approximately
ranged upon different sides. Now the
drama possesses the unfortunate faculty
of following. and not leading, popular
opinion, for the reason that if play
advocates ideas, contrary to those Of
the people. the people won't go to see it.
1t would surprise you to know" saiu
Mr.. Sutro naively. the number of people
who only go to successful plays. There
fore a dramatist who subconsciously is
affected by this knowledge is driven to
the necessity OF the best balance he can
arrive a between the prejudices of the
man and the enthusiasm of the woman.
It's quite a problem said he whimsi-
cally. "A successful dramatist should
have no other theories OF life. He should
work from the outside in rather than
from the inside out. For the public OBJ
jects to have its mode of thought shaker, !
and the dramatist, if he wants to be sue
cessful. at least, must go with the |
crowd
Mr.. Sutro. who had risen again. now
ceased his perambulatory, finally, though |
he still held stoutly to his long refiec- |
tive pauses at the ends Of sentences, and |
as for his English briar-he puffed it |
harder than ever, while he clasped his |
knees and the back of his head. and |
crossed his legs and changed them-all |
doubtless to make up for the activity !
he had relinguished.
l asked him if the unique development |
II moving picture plays, and the en-
of great dramatic stars, like !
Bernhard, did not indicate the beginning |
Of time when the greatest dramatic
actors would find it more profitable to
appear in conjunction with film and
by which the stars could |
act in a hundred places in an evening,
-ather than through the old. stage-ap-
,earing method to which they had been
accustomed. Mr.. Sutro varied his attI-
ude and INDUCED in other of his IA
niliar reflective pauses before he re-
1lied
No said he, Il don't think so. 1t
S perfectly possible that in the future
he moving picture interests may offer
luge sums to unique dramatic stars for
appearances in original plays, in which
10Th voice and action of the star, and
possibly her very colors and those of
Ter surroundings will be reproduced: 1t
S possible even that by the very reason
f the multiplicatory possibility of these
lays such stars may be offered more
money for one complete performance OF
play than the dramatic stage can offer
or hard seasons work.
The Human Element.
But" and Mr.. Sutro even removed
lis pipe to emphasize his but" But
UGH an arrangement makes no allow
nee for the human element, either from
he stars point of view or that of the
audience. 1t makes no allowance for
he actual love Of dramatic work on the
art of the actor; for it is an impossible
ty that any one could become a great
ctor who does not love the actual grind
4 work
AN actor or actress loves to act,
raves to act: and the apparently desir-
BILE proposition by which he or she
ould eliminate the hardships of the
oad. and appear luxuriously but once
! a play. is really to the great actor
ot desirable at all. The question of !
he most applause and acclaim and the ]
ascination of the limelight, too, must ,
e taken into account These are things
1hich can never be changed into dollars. I
he stars shadow would fail to satisfy.
No. Mr.. Sutro shook his head more
ecidedly than ever, the influence Of
he drama is bound to remain what 1t .
!, the most educational factor in our
utilization to-day; and anything which Y