New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-20


Mast neople tell me that have come
- the v orst possible time with prov
set for an Irish theatre IN Aherics;
Al the moment, established theatrlcal
businesses find IL hard 10 halhlaln
themselves-how then can one eN MPH
snnnort for a new enterprise! Neli'
Sor the present. the American-Irlsh
theatre will have little TO do with the
.s.,hlshad concerns. The projectors
- cveate an interest in the scheme'
make certain preparations ana De IehuS
Tor the inevitable change IN the uI~-
matte climate. .,.-o
peonIe ask. why an Irish theatre
-rha irish in America need not go TO
snsc;sI theatres to see plays that rep
~sssnt their national life. Have they
not "The Heart of Paddy Mhaek'
"Arrah ma Pogue," Conn the Shaugh-
raun" and peg o My Heart, ana
dozen other plays that the PupIlc
oSnizes as Characteristic Of Ireland IL
is not necessary TO give these Pi"S d"
a special theatre.
Tben saw others, the Irish people IN
America do not want an Irish theatre
That is true, of course. But they must
he r,ade 10 want it. They owe IT TO
-beir self-respect TO have distinctive
theatre here. Other nationalltes, not
so numerous nor so Important nave
their daily papers. their natohSi pooh-
sbops. their periodicals, their theAtres'
Tbe Irish have not even n hall OF their
tbev have not even an hospital.
Tho lack of such national institutions
"a, he explained. but it cannot be ex-
need Until the Irish people IN Amer
,ca have something Of their own that
lands for intellectual achievement
,bey cannot be proud people-they
cannot even be a self-respecting peopIe;
n "a happens that the intellectual
,,ovement which has made the lrlsh
name distinguished has been toward
The creation Of national theaVre iot
Ireland. We have now theatre 'haI
can be compared TO the famous natlN.:ai
institutions of Norway and bohemla'
p1s.-s nroduced at the Abbey Theatre,
Dnblin, have been translated INTO
French. German, Russian, bohemian
and Polish. They have been played IN
paris and in Prague, IN Berlin ana IN
Warsaw. These native Irish plays nave
stimulated a national theatrical move
lent in Scotland, Wales and England
Tbe tree of national drama planted py
Air Yeats is now fourishing. A cutting
from II. set in America, should nave
pleasant and wholesome produce.
But. as il will be remembered the
plays from the Irish National lheatre'
produced here by the Abbey CONpahy'
p,.h;ie tbev we're accepted with enthu-
giasn, nv Americans and by people OF
Trish ancestry, were howled against Dy
tho Irish.born. Ii is we'll 10 know the
actors that went TO make that VIDE
snread opposition The fundamental
pevas an objection TO the social grade
Of the life represented. Imagine a SET
element of Americans from some nall
developed state-Appalachl let US can
tin Rome or in Florence. lhese AP
palachians have accepted all tne s'ahu-
srda ~ aristocratic Italian life-they
read only Italian books, they see ohly
liam PLAYS, and they regard TIA. N
r,onners as the perfection Of good
breeding. Imagine, then, theatrical
company from Appalachia coming TO
T.orence or Rome, and IN the biggest
theatres producing realistic plays that
illustrate native Appalachian manners
and customs. Interiors are shown bare
~ Italian masterpieces; instead OF ret
;nues of serval ITS, Sister Mary Elizabeth
Is shown washing up the dishes; 1atheT
sits IN his shirtsleeves,, smoking and
shifting out; Uncle Silas comes IN
trunk, and the whole play turns on tne
f,mily making fifty dollars Oy a Stna I
heal The ItalianiZed Appalacnlans
,vonid disavow such plays, and they
could probably appear to the American
Ccnsul TO see to il that such plays ala
\ ~ come 10 Rome or Florence again.
The affection of our people here to
Me Abbey Theatre productions was that
lhev gave a representation OF the nor
NAL life of Ireland
Qreland is a peasant country ne
m6dle-elass industrial civilization that
Aodrishes here exists oily IN rev
Mad in ireland. Cur people VINO
come over here arc NANNY OF peas
ant INFRINGING. Being very adaptaoie
neonIa we take up at once the stand
"a ~ vour industrial civilization. To
earn $40 a day. TO live in apartments,
- he we'll groomed In shop clothing
these things appear to us 10 be the de-
cent and clearly things OF NE we
wish 10 suggest that We were never at
loss for them. 1t would be very
excentional class of emigrants indeed
who could perceive the excellence that
is in both standards. For the middle
lass industrial life of America and
he peasant life of Ireland are not su-
nerior nor inferior 70 each other. Ihey
are different, like an automobile and
horse. But the lrish-born person
here is conscious that, judged by the
automobile standard, the peasant ne
Of Ireland is mean, backward ana ae-
GRADED. Consequently, he does not ike
70 see Irish life represented IN IT'S
tvn;caI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Drowned
Sa Hs peat fires on the hearthstones.
yemen wearing dresses dyed by their
own hands, children moving about IN
their bare feet. An exceptional peasant
"a peasant cultivated in his Own tradl !.
.ionsi culture-might take different
view Of this industrial oiyilizstion-.he
night find II lacking in dignity and in
tsrest He might prefer a house that
was verify his castle and was as free
from the intrusions of landlord as
+. m the intrusions of tenement IN
spector or firejnspeetor--a house that
- hn;lt hv hi father or grandfather