New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02

..The drama of the future in this coun-
... will he drama of ideas BY that 4
- moi mean necessarily what has ten
~ to frighteu some under the title Of
a,rbbrow stuff but stage production with
dea underlying il. Such drama will
.,eal 10 new theatregoing public and
IN, assure the future of the stage in this
country
Those are the views of Arthur Hopkins.
WOW Yorks newest producing manager, on
subject that is now paramount in the
.,r;cal circleS-the theatrical outlook here.
n, Hopkinss advent into the local play
.,oducinc dcld with '"Thc Poor Little Rich
Girl" Eleanor Gates's first play and one
that is a distinct novelty. gives his opin-
,o,s weight as indicating a fresh point
~ view Of the subject
orhere is great deal of pcssimistic
,o,ment being made at the present time
=, the future Of the stage here" Mfr. Hop
Wins explained to the interviewer. THAT
l. because ! believe, there is n recognition
II the fact that We are going through
transition period i'm the theatre. The old
limo theatrical producers are passing
quay and with them the conditions which
,hev met The hope for the drama of the
n,,r-e lies I believe. with tho new pro-
sncers. the Young blood, who will enter
tho field and who will recognize the new
demands of the public for nov dramatic
tre That fare will call for the presence
Of ideas i'm It's makeup.
This is an age when people are doing
r,orc and more thinking for themselves.
Won might cali it a time Of ideas. People
IN the mass have more time for thought
and study than they have ever had before.
Tho mere mechanical division of the days
and weeks labor gives the individual more
time 10 himself. The shortened working
dsv The saturday half holiday. the more
frequent and longer vacation periods mon
arc taking. all give the man more time To
himself There are more and more mon
who arc spending that time in reading and
study The result is a better educated
man and one with more ideas.
TN 10 the present time the theatre has
no, given such "a man much in return for
his g. and the hours he spends coopcd w
in q stulTy theatre For time he is sat
ishel 10 go to the theatre TO be mildly
amused Eut there comes time when he
lesrudscs the hours spent there. unless 1t
gives him something worth his while
Why should he spend 81 going to see some
I'D gtylc play the sort of thing he has
seen hundred times before. when for the
same money he can buy a book that VIII
give him several hours in comfort az
home and at the same time something 20
NIKE the time spent worth something.
'Thcre is no DENYING the fact that such
/, the case with a growing number Of
naon,o The theatre is losing its patrons
q that sort. People of that calbre seldom
70 10 the theatre When they go ii is only
10 sec some unusual play.
Il know there gre many theatrical peo-
No who say such class Of people does
rot exist If they DO. they are blind to
fds These people do not flock TO the
theatres where the big successes are
given In fact 10 get them to the theatre
YOU have 20 coax them. They have Deel
disappointed in us uite plays so often
that they are shy. But they exist. ana II
plavs can be given that will furnish them
with the IDEAS they want, put across the
iootghts as they should be. they VIII
form the body Of a new theatregone
class
40 show how little some of the older
producers agree with this idea ] can give
as an instance a talk had with one oil
the leading theatrical producers IN TINS
country I am a new man in the theat-
rical field except for productions IN
vaudeville. and he was talking to me OF
conditions.
The theatrical business In TINS couh-
try.is dead he said There is no more
money in Il. Some OF us older men nave
made fortunes putting on plays, but there
won't be any mere money In IL Tor you
young fellows. The business Is done
With
"Of course am new in the field ana as
yet my ideas are only beliefs But am
strong in them. ] believe the theatrical
business is only lust beginning 10 present
its possibilities. This year may be 'e"i
year. and next year may be another' o"t
before MANY years have gone by new pro-
ducers will enter the field. These ne"
producers will recognize the necessity ioi
meeting new conditions, catering 10
new public, and creating demand ior
their new wares.
theatrical people who talk OF a thea'-
Teal panic being upon us overlook 'he
fact that there are panics In other enter
prises. There is continual talk Of panic
10 theological circles. The theological
schools are continually crying that theS
cannot get young men to enter the MINIS
NY The reason is that the conditions III
me seminanes are archaic. There IS an
absence OF fresh ideas. and bright, think
INK young men want field where they
can make use OF their ideas. Let any man
N the ministry come forward with new
4eas and he AT once attracts attention 10
nmself and draws followers TO him. Or
=, any new movement be inaugurated'
IKE Christian Science, and It's followers
"'ne BY the thousands.
ne same will be true in theatrical
reduction. when the old form gives way
/" new IDEAS As IL il to-day, our stage
Twenty years behind that Of Germany
n"o the productions OF plays We make u
aos one part brains' to twenty parts
osNn' as exemplihed in the Afternoon
'S-u 10 the realistic in production.