Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-26
SHALL LAUGHTER
SUPERSEDE WEEPING
IN THE DRAMA?
Few Tragic Plays in Season s
Output Indicate Growing
P opul rity of Lighter
Amusements.

OF ten new plays produced in New York
during the month of August the majority
were light, some evanescently light. in
their calibre of entertainment This is
true also Of the plays staged during Sep
tember. as we'll as those promised later
In the season. Where farce comedy does
not prevail, the action hinges generally
on sensational situations. the characters
including an array Of politicians, grafters
and policemen, and the scenes being laid
in Brooklyn flats. where neglected wives
bicker with tipplng stepmothers. court
rooms and localities of such topical ap-
peal
What has become of the old-rashioned
serious drama, wherein the stage is shak-
en- by the tumultuous soul upheavals OF
the great emotional artistic. and the set
tings trembled in the gusts of passion
emanatng from the agitated bosom of the
stark-faced tragedian, Who does not
remember the joy we had in sharing in
Miss Olga NethersOes elephantne dis
tresses! But alas Camille dies no more.
Sappho weeps no salty tears. nor are We
pleasurably narrowed by the turbuences
of another Mrs. Tanqueray.
"A few years ago we heard more or
less of lbsen, Strindberg, Hauptmann and
Maeterlinck in our playhouses," says the
Dramatic Mirror, commenting on the
lack of solid drama. Madame Simone
came over and produced a play OF Ros-
tand. Mr.. Frohman put on 'Chantecler.'
Mr. GLAND tried out Strindberg's Father.
Forbes Robertson, Mr.. Faversham and
others were playing in dramas of Shake
speare.
The popularity of plays dealing with
fNri 1if1al i
police functionaries, and. next 10 these
plays with strong farciCal tendency. is
not highly promising for the serious
drama.
Miss Margaret Anglin may-and so
may Mr., Hackett-produce a Shake
spearean play; but with these exceptions
We fail to descry anything like solid lit
erary phenomena on the theatrical hort-
zon."
It is true The Revolt" which will con-
tinue here next week, deals seriously with
the problem of A husbands neglect OF
his wife, but IL is leavened with an admix-
ture of laugh-p provoking humor. OF the
new attractions TO open next week. "Pi-
lates Daughter is the only serious play,
and that is religious Margaret Anglin,
finding Shakespeare financially unprolit-
able will! appear in Wildes amusing se-
tire, Lady Windermere's Fan" at the
Broad. Nearly Married with Bruce
McRae. deals farcically with marriage
and divorce Montgomery and Stone, in
their fantasy chin Chin" will be fol-
lowed by other mentally titiIlating must
cal amusements-among them The Pass
ing Show of 1914 and The Whirl Of the
World" Even Mrs Fiske, famous creator
of Ibsen types, will appear in a new COM
edy-"Lady Betty Martingale, or The Ad-
ventures OF d Lively Hussy," by John
Luther Long and Frank Stayton.
While there will be serious dramas, and
solemn dramas, there is no prospect OF
another EAST Lynne"-that most effective
producer OF copious tears-nor OF any
thing with the tragic qualities Of "Thcrese
Racquin." Is the drama of loud sounding
snbling loguaCious dyiHgs and shriek-
ing heartbreaks passing? Do We tend to-
ward an era OF emotional levity and
laughter IN our entertainments? What
ever the future development OF plays will
be, there will be some Of course, who
will maintain that weeping ia more salu-
tary than laughter; others again. that
laughter is more seriously beneficial than
soul-racking grief.