The farmer and mechanic., 1912-06-04

as Bjornson. Strindberg. Echegaray'
Brieux. Wilde. Becque, Hervleu.
Schnitzler, Wedekind, Capus. Tche-
kov. Tolstoy. Gorky. Hofmannsthai,
Synge Barker, Galsworthy Yeats.
HeijermannS
Fourthiy, we find conslderaole
number of translations into English
Of the plays of the leading foreign
dramatists of our generation. Inc
greatest series of such TRANSACTIONS IS
published by Richard G. Badger, one
or more such plays appearing IN each
volume Of the Quarterly Journal OF
Art and Literature, Poet Lore
new publication, under splendid au-
spices, entitled The Drama. has re-
Gently been inaugurated in Chicago,
which publishes drama by a great
foreign author, translated into Eng
iSh. in each issue. There IS also a
publication now issued. entitled De
lieve The Dramatist. concerning it
self in detail with the technique and
construction of the drama. In fu-
ture number of the North Carolina
Review. | want to consider the re-
cent translations Of Strindberg's plays
into English in especial the
TRANSACTIONS Of three plays, by the
subtle critic and native SWede, now
living in the United States, Edwin
BjOrkman.
So far, there is one modern in
fuenee for the Improvement of the
drama, which seems to have made Ut
tie or no headway as yet in the
United States. For some years, | have
been eagerly looking forward TO the
appearance Of a projected work by
that enthusiast and profound student
Of the drama, James Plat White, en-
| titled: THE Art of the Stage Man
ager" England and the United
States both have recently been able
| to study the methods of Reinhardt.
| the great German stage director. But
| the genius who gave Reinhardt many
| of his ideas and undoubtedly ante
| dated him in discovery, Gordon Craig,
| the son of Ellen Terry, has not yet
become known in this country. But
| his new book. very remarkable
| production, will certainly bring him
| prominently forward and may even
| tuate in his visiting the United States,
exhibiting specimens of his scenic art
here, and perhaps deVising the seen
cry. lighting, and accessories. for
some notable production at new
New Theater."
The new book, entitled On the Art
Of the Theater, is published by
| Brownies Bookstore, Chicago. It is
| pleasure to take up a book SO
artistically, yet solidly, bound SO eff
| fectively, yet simply illustrated. 1t
contains the best of all that Mr. Craig
d >,
through the columns Of his magazine,
published in the Arena Goldoni,
Florence, Italy, entitled The Mask.
Craig has two leading ideas. it would
Seem-about which a thousand fertile
suggestions, inventions, intuitions,
divinations seem ceaselessly to f1utter
throughout this book. [ hope, at
some future time. to revert to this
book. Now l can only say this: that
/ Craig wants to do away with the
actor. He is full Of fine logis -culled
from thousand sources as we'll as
! from his own brain-to prove that the
art Of drama is weakened and viliated
| by the actor Craig would replace
the actor by what he calls the super
mariOnette"-a figure in costume
wearing mask after the fashion OF
the early Greek drama With such
an experiment, [ have reasonable
sympathy Yet cannot but feel tha,
this suggestion is the mere artistic
tomtom which Craig beats to drum
up his audience. For, after all, wha1
Craig wants you to see Is that the
drama wants to be properly present
ed Realism is on its last legs-ant
, the gorgeous accuracy Of Beerbohn
Tree and Richard Mansfield must Civ,
t way to the new suggestiveness O
; Craig and Reinhardt The King be
fore whom Craig bows is Imagina
uon-that attendant force Of tn
Y greatest genius tie would emplO'
Imagination, with Symbol as assist
: ant, in place of the mere detailisti
& accuracy Of the most modern meth
{ DDS Crais's efforts have already bee
: crowned with success in Europe. Hi
. scenes for plays Of Shakespeare
= Hamlet, Macbeth notably-have ere
ated furore in Buda-Pesth, Mos
:, COW. and ST. Petersburg. Craig ha
y an ideal that will stand the strai
of weaving into human stuff on tn
: loom Of the real" Belasco, an
= Ames of the New Theater during il
: little hour, were the only manage,
D. in the United States who have r.
: vealed in their practice, whateve
v their professions, any real apprecis
y, ton Of the art Of stage managemel
, and any real intention to enlist tf
q true artist in the service Of tt
" theater. It is to be hoped that era
o will stimulate and fire to a new an
IS bition the best stage managers of o.
It country. May the theater Of the f
|. ture in the United States not only I
n. palace Of light and sound" b