The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-07

l remember the really amazing re-
marx or confession made by John
toroln, when he was lIterar~ director
OF the then New Theatre with its
IL promise. to the effect that thou
SANDS Of Americans, young and old.
maze and female, were writing PLAYS
that thousands of man
uscTipts Of plays had passed through
ms hands, but that Virtually al were
al bottom worthless. | may not quote
nm correctly. Indeed. I'm sure |
uon [. but the point was. the plays
weren't good enough to produce. even
the best were scarcely good enough 10
puhllSh. It is the az our
american deluSionS in regard 10 the
drama hat one only needs technical
sklli, q knowledge of entrances and
tHlts. Of symbols and strange hero
sis 10 write a great piay-or even
Il presentahle play-one lhat people
VIII pay money to see. 1t Toes not
yet seem 70 have daWned upon the
national consciousness, that the mod
ern dramatlst must have ideas. One
need not be an hsenite to realize that
n sine qua non for a successful play
today IS that the author must have
some philosophy of life Of his own
some theory Of conduct, some belief
IN a code Of soma sort, SOM compre-
henslon OF the surging modern
tnought-currents which give validity
to the great European dramas of to-
day.
II is, TO say the least, most refresh
ing to read 'Embers and Other One
Act Plays Henry Holt and Coz by
d young American dranatist of gen
uine promise and refined talent,
George Middleton. He has already
achieved a stage success or two-suc-
ceSSes not merely of esteem, but Of
estlmation. He now enjoys the rather
unusual distinction of seeing a group
OF his playlets published. That i'm
pulse toward the publishing Of plays.
Wnlch seems to be a feature of the
movement Of our time, is
f1nding some exemplification now in
our own country. These plays Of
George Middleton are quiet, reflective,
sustalned-and each one, let us
thankfully exclaim, is based upon
some definite idea which is not vague
or formless, but may be intelligibly
dlsenGaged. These people that he pro
1ectS before us are struggling fol
character, for self-realization. for {
foundation upon the shifting strait
OF modern life. They arrive at self
mastery, dlScoNe themselves, in some
crucial mental illumination arising
less out OF a series CT actions. thar
out of a struggle of ideas, of will
and Of emotions. The play callet
IA Iul1 VI SeIlu1Ilo III
sight into the weakness and vacilla
ton of lovers who have not the cour
) age for that great remuneration whicl
spells Standardization. Madonna" i
a poignant picture, not a play, Of tn
: eternal recurrence of life's fatal an,
l ~lrreVocable step-marriaSe and it
ineiuctabfe consequence. "Embers
s~molders with the volcanic, represse
l fires Of an ancient passion-austerel
fickering into life once more unde
the tender, mutual touch Of self-sac
riflce. Merits are evident also i
THE Gargovle.'' The Man Master
l full and I'm His House"-merits o
} a certain quiet responsiveness tina
[ are less bviou during, than after
perusal. George Middleton is, | re
; peat it, a worker who has the essen
: tials of prOmise-the gift of keen OBJ
~seFvation of traits, personal and tenn
peramental, a reserve and Quietud
' of workmanship, and d skill in settin
forth his problem hat is none tn
{ less high skill for being go unobtru
4 sive. From such a workman, wit
such standards of achievement. niue.
may be expected, much is hoped.
THE Soliioquies of Shakespeare
For some years, | have taken
: genuine interest in the echnica de
velOpments of the d drama
t And from time to time, [ have re
c0rOeU certain Oh mS ODSeIFdtlOn
e upon the technical Implications Q
E that tremendous thrust towards nat
: uralness which Ibsen and his follow
erS have given to the drama of on
e era. 1t was. then, with unusua inter
e est that | took up a book the yer
title Of which awoke my mind 10 def
t mite refections-"The SolilOquies c
: Shakespeare: A Study in Technic
columbia University Press. by ID
n Morris Leroy Arnold 1t is a ger
f uine contribution to our comprehen
K sion Of Shakespeare on the side {
q realistic technique. And all the NOR
remarkable in that. for the first tim
/ it takes up in a scientific and cor
prehensive sort Of way a neglected
Il and virtually unplunbed element {
4 Shakespeare's art-his treatment {
n the soliloquy and its subsidiary varia
t tons. The author is justified in h
h claim to give a new treatment Of til
: following topics: a scientific defnitio
d Of the soliloQuy; the number