New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-28
DRAMA AND COMMON SENSE.


SECOND NIGHTS BY ARTHUR R Sdr.
l2mo. pp. tx, ga Cherles 0cii'i''i .
Sons.
Prophets Of the drama there he many
among us in these days-enthusiasts
reaching. amid increasing discourage
nents. its mission, yet unrealized, as
sort Of kindergarten and postgraduate
course both in all the civic and per-
sonaI virtues. q mirror az II were, 70
hold I'D TO nature as II ought to be.
Ny RuhI js not Of their number In
these pages. This does not mean that
he is not serious where seriousness Is
in order. or that he fails to appreciate
the responsibilities and the opportuni-
ties Of the drama as an ethical and
social as we'll as an artistic influence
but he deals here with things as they
have been during the last ten wears on
the New York stage, and still are; and
he does not feel called upon TO act as
gle moment does he assume that his
reader is the proverbial weak
brother" who must he exhorted ana
warned. He is simply chatty COM
panion in the seat next TO ours. who
knows whereof he talks, and talks well
OF it. ever ready TO see the humor or
things: and ready 10 be amused even
by a burlesque show. though, of course,
the entertainment he derives from II
is not necessarily that aimed at by the
MANAGEMENT. Amateur nights may not
help to elevate the stage. but they fur
nish amazing entertainment, or, per-
haps. one should say entertaining
amazement. Mr.. Ruhl has an indul-
gent eye for human nature, which is so
various according TO environment and
the opportunities 1t offers. And so the
audience is often part OF his theatre
going. There are the two stout. good
natured ladies in front Of him at the
vaudeville show, for instance, whom
later he observed again. or at least
their counterparts. at the 10, 20 and
so houses How, indeed but for this
constituencies Of his to the collective
psychology" of theatre audiences could
Mr.. Ruhl have drawn his vivid picture
Of George NJ. Cohan, seen and inter-
preted simultaneously from both sides
OF the footlights, or his sketch Of Corse
PAXTON addressing one OF his Eighth
avenue audiences in its own vein?
Unless you are q dramatic dry-as-
dust, this writer will put you in the
humor of the place and the occasion.
Would you discuss with him more Sc
rious matters? There is his chapter
on Ermete Novelli, which merges so
naturally into searching discussion
OF acting on our own stage and the
talents and limitations Of some Of our
foremost actors Of the moment AL
ways there is the happy phrase, the IL
Eliminating touch, whether IL charac-
terizes Maude Adams's wistful appeal
as well as her peculiarities of diction,
or visualizes John Drew making his
first entrance in his "well-made
clothes:
He touches a hand to his cravat deliv-
ers a few lines of that quaint. ''modsh"
patter of his with "gs" dropped. turns
hand back-Upward at about the level
OF his lower coat pocket and deprecat-
ingly surveys his f1nger-nails, sits down,
and with light elaboration fecks his right
trousers leg along the crease; and pres
emily, with line that leaves him master
OF the situation. stalks out at the door
"a "a 81 20 oil c1 tcyiN
out, like some curious, stif-necked, ex-
trenely aristocratc bird.
Thus we approach discussion in
general Of actors who look Ike gentle
men," and are led TO turn back 10 an
earlier chapter where Mr.. Ruhl regrets
that so many OF our native plays--even
successful ones-lack some under
standing OF the manners and customs
of ordinary civilized people in such a
city as New York. So far as this
knowledge is concerned. many Of them
might have been composed by Pata-
gonians and Eskimos." A moment later
the author. discussing David Belasco's
atmospheric production Of "The Con-
cert" remarks quite casually that
Mr.. Belasco himself is not without
experience in the phenomena Of the
artistic pose" Richard Harding Daviss
Characteristic just-off-the yacht point
Of view" is another delight; and then
We get discussion Of "the great Amer
lean play" that is full OF common sense
None will disagree with Mr.. Ruhl in
his estimate Of the wide Amercanism
OF Augustus Thomas. or OF the strictly
local one Of THE Man from Home"
The second night" view OF Shaw