New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-09
IPI ,AYWRICHT PAINTS GLOOMY
PICTURE OF BRITISH DRAMA
Henry Arthur Jones Assails
Forbes-Robertson's Die
tum All Well With
the Stage
tr,rnrn rha Trihi,ne Corresponde nj.

stage OF Drury Lane Theatre. All IL
well with the British drama and that
DESPITE pessimists things were never bet
ter with the drama. or its future more
certain or secure.
The great actor was flushed with MS
well deserved honors, naturally prouu NC
cause he was the hero OF the nation
I probablv the one great actor who links TO-
day with Macready. Kean and the others
who have gone before.
Henry Arthur Jones, the eminent play
wright. has. however taken an entireIy
different viewpoint regarding the drama
II. views with concern its standing IN
England. and believes that the theatre IN
Great Britain is really declining In popu-
lar favor Mr. Jones is so certain III ms
belief that the drama Is losing It's hoiu
that ne has started a lecturng campaign
To prove that all is not well with the
stage
Appeal TO Forbes Robertson.
In addition. he has written to Forbes
Robertson a sincere, singularly Interest
ing and very frank letter In when ne
asks the actor-knight to reconsider MS
! views of the peaceful state of the drama.
appealing to him to use his great iaile'
and TO do his best to remedy what MI
! Jones says is the unfortunate state OF
affairs that now exists" The letter
| reads:
| MY dear Forbes Robertson.
I'm your farewell address TO English
] los performance
the English stage, you painted the rosi-
est picture of the general condition OF
the British drama, you declared II was
never I'm a better state. you eulogiZed
our splendid band Of actor-managers,
and you congratulated the great play
going public upon their appreciation of
the higher drama.
Such words coming from one In your
position upon such an occasion. deserved
Is carry great weight. They were rapt-
urously acclaimed upon their delivery.
influential newspapers all over the king
dom reported them and made favorable
comments They have been generally
adopted as correct summary Of the
situation. made at the close of his ca
reer by one who has always taken
lofty and serious view Of his art and
who is also In n position to Judge.
Shakespeare on the Wane.
In a spirit OF entire friendlness beg
you TO consider the facts and figures
which ! have brought forward In the
following pages. Pre-eminently among
our Shakespearean actors you know the
value and meaning OF Shakespearean
verse; the music that is woven into his
lines. Almost alone among our Shake
spearean actors I'm these days. you can
/ inform your acting with his harmonies.
so much 80. that a few weeks ago
/ heard you described. rashly and | think
not truthfully described, as the last
| Shakespearean actor to speak blank verse
on the English stage.
! I'VE all own that no one is more quail
! fed TO give judgment In this matter than
, yourself With this submission TO your
authority. / beg you carefully 10 consider
! the present condition OF the shakespearean
| drama In England Not single Shake
spearean performance has been given, or
| is promised. in the West End Of London
this season. Six or eight performances
| have been given In the suburbs.
I'm the English provinces one or two
performances may be given weekly in the
large towns and in small. out-of-the-way
places. Miss Horniman Ga repertory com
/ pany be II noted promises simple pro-
duction OF Julius Caesar That sums up
our Shakespearean achievement through
out England for the season.
/ I'm Berlin last season eight theatres gave
twenty five different productions of Shake
| speare Five or six different Shakespear-
can plays could be seen on az many sue
/ Cessve evenings. Throughout Germany
J sixty-six different companies played
Shakespeare. maintaining twenty-five of
| his plays in their repertory.