Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-07
NATIONAL LIFE
OFFERS MATERIAL
FOR MUSICAL SATIRE
Trend of the Drama-Popu-
larity of Women Play
wrights = Theatric a |
League for Working Peo-
pie Inaugurated.

'SYour American novelists," declared
Anthony Hope Hawkins as he sat at
lunoh in London somewhat over year
ago, have the greatest material the
world has ever offered for great novels
Take your apitalsts-romantic titan
figures of men; your financial wars
moro thrilling than the wars Of the
Crusaders and the knights of Arthur;
your politicians and political campaigns,
Tremendous material for books. and
for dramatic satire and musical comedy
as WELL
While the dramatic and romantic ele-
ments OF our national life have to a de-
gree been made the basis of novels and
plays singulRrly the many subjects that
offer themselves for satire-and fertile
subjects they are-have been neglected in
musical comedy.
When Gilbert and Sullivan-immortal
partnership OF composer and librettist-
were in the heyday of their popularity,
statesmen, politicians, crooked fnanciors,
Dung popular heroes and purple
llllied poets afforded rich material for
their delightful farces. The inef-
hciency of the English navy, the fool
ishness of society women who fawned
upon the Bunthorne type Of poseur and
OF members of Parliament, the popularity
OF egregious melodrama, the inefficiency
OF British juries were gloriously and
effectively exposed in mustcally scored
burlesque
with dur vAriegated llfe-socIaI. po-
lltical. commercial-with themes for
tremendous drama. we have material no
less adapted for satire than England at
the time Of "The MilSado." "Pinafore," q"
''IoiAnths'' and Patience Speaking
with Victor Herbert the other evening
the question was asked as TO whether
these subjects should not or would not
be used in musical comedy.
Eyes, perhaps It will be DONE" said
Herbert "That Is. II some one can write
the books. However, musical comedy
could not be written simply about rail-
road or a crooked manipulation OF stocks.
The hrst element for musical comedy is
romance II some one could take sub
tects OF modern life-ln politics, society,
bueiness-adapted to humorous satire and
surround them with love interest, Btrik-
ing and successful musical comedies could
be written. AS for Gilbert and Sui
Iivan, their work was pretty irregular.
ard, while liked The Rnkado.' thought
!:2inafore' was pretty poor.
N--Theye Il, indeed. new fisid here for
xnusAcaa comedy In this country. Per
hapsN Il VIII develop. The subjects are
rightNAt hand"
Judging BY the failures last year Of
plays dealing baidly with social problems,
the Amorican public has effsctually set
the seal Of disspDroval upon "rtskinsaS"
IN the drama For a season or two.
dfAmAttsts having "Eons beyond tho line"
Il looked a. though there would be no
lianit % the boldness Of subjects chosen
o. the indsiioa0y OF discussions on tha
atAge. The muoh-exploited white slave
cana into being from the imagination
of popular novslists and appeared be-
fore ths footliEhts. She won gallery
ancoras. Conversations such as usually
taIos place In the privacy OF physicians
Offices san through the acts. Eheu, It
was An era OF great moral upliftl There
were those. however. who considered Il an
sra Of insincere and VsnaI literary and
dramatic liberty. For while Il paid,
whsn. somshow. the public ceased read
ing magazines making q speciality OF
susse1tivo stories. white slave novels
disd Etiuborn and the settings OF social
upllft dramas speedily went TO the ware
hoass.
ApFopros Of some OF the unfEvorabls
criEiclans q the franknsss In treating
certain themes In THE Song Of Songs,
wi.leh opened at the Broad. Charles
Frshman has sent letter 70 US. IN which
he aaFas
q was convinced that the b0ldnsss