The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-02

atists of the world where is the most
hopeful prospects, What is the relative
status of the American dramatistF
Why does the American manager look
to the American dramatist for his
plays? How do the representative ac-
tors of Europe and America compareY
Glance for answer at this interview
with Augustus Thomas, who, by his
latest plays, has shown himself to be
| the strongest and most virile Of Amer
| lean dramatists.
None other than Fra Elbertus not
| long since evolved pithy epigram,
with characteristic magnanimlty at
tributed it to the needy Emerson, and
lit was circulated widely. Our memory
| falters, but it was something about
| if one builds a better mouse-trap than
another, breaches a better sermon, etc,
no matter if he buildeth his house in
| the woods, the public will seek him out.
That perhaps has some application
to Augustus Thomas, as the author Of
superior plays. For he hath buildeth
his summer house far from the popular
haunts of man, much car fare and
many minutes from New York, deep,
deep in sequestered, sylvan spot near
the extremity of Long Island. 1t was
in that wild esoteric part of the world
that the writer sought him out and
finally found him with the guidance of
the cicerone Of the village.
His suburban villa, surrounded by
over ten acres Of his own land, mostly
woods, fronted by a picturesque ex-
panse of water and ornate with trail
ing vines clinging to its sides and roof,
made a curious interviewer wish he
had elected regular profession in
stead Of journalism.
Sitting on the spacious porch on
Sabbath morn, glancing ruminatmgly
out toward the glistening water, was
the victim of our imminent question
ings.
Interviewer and playwright had nev-
or met, so he did not greet his visitor
as if we had Just returned from the
East Indies, but in calm, genial way
Augustus Thomas's fame as the au-
thor Of 'FThe Witching Hour" alone Is
widespread. To linger long on char
acterization and study OF the man
would be intrusive, But one cannot re-
tions before offering his competent
opinions on certain phases of the
drama.
Genteel he is. Supplement that quail
ity with large dose of that celestial
distinction which placed Theodore
Roosevelt in the presidential chair,
squeezed in Taft after him, made Wii-
liam Travers Jerome district attorney
of New York-Personality; add ex-
quisite precision of thought and phrase,
a sublimity without haughtiness, cour-
tesy without formaGty, and communi'
cativeness without ostentation, plus
brains and that cataleptic determine
ton Of a man who wouldn't take y
sleep, or wash, OF shave till he had
found what he was reaching for, and
you have a mild idea of Thomas.
IN his plays Augustus Thomas has
IL never been arraigned for carrying
his pitcher TO the we'll of life and Civ
ing thirsty public pedagogics and
piffle He is one of the human rari-
ties that can preach little simultane
ously with entertainment. So when he
treats some of his hobbies-New
Thought, race prejudice, the dual moral
|
ence of mental suGgestion-unlike sew
eral others who have approached those /
fields, he has certainly not rubbed the
sore, but, on the contrary, has purveyed
the most effective plaster. SO chat
with him from an instructive angle is
a treat. 1t comprises counterpart of
the same wit, brilliance, insight, mas
terry of style, depletion of character,
philosophy Of life, message to mankind
that one finds in his later plays Nof
Well, very nearly.
AS will later develop. he loves the
idea many Americans have of the su-
periority of the foreign dramatlsts and
plays as Thackeray loved a duke. He
loves the opinion that is current in
is returning to the American play.
wright through an exalted sense Of
patriotism about as much as the fatted
calf loved the prodigal son.
Thomas s rhetorical style is his own,
warp and woof; his viewpoint on vari.
GUS dramatic, sociological, physical and
subjects is as virgin-lilkc
as the first five measures of "Lohen-
grim
Says George Snntayana. who waters
the plants of the Harvard boys on mat.
ters psychologist: "The worst way to
damn man is to praise him for vir.
tue he doesn t possess. - An interview
er, even In glow of enthusiasm over
Thomas, would feel that he had kept
without the jurisdiction of this puissant
outburst.
Augustus Thomas did not pass around
the cigars. nor did he ask us if the In
terylewer had eaten for two davs, which
is certainly NO more than a fitting in
quiry Of sympathy after carrying on a
yis-a.vis with disciple Of Horace
Greeley,
Current report had credited Thomas
with two new plays, both ready for
production and both promising those :
elements of interest which attach to his !
dramatic work.
But this information caused him to
manifest profound surprise,
81 have written no play. That i'm.
preston must have been received from ,
The matter circulated from the press .
was the quick reioinder. :
49,; What do you predict for the forth. i
After a significant expression which =
seemed to observe, "Now, what I say. .