Evening star., 1915-10-10

what Bernard Shaw ssys-I
author Of 'Androcies and the
Lion received one of the worst shocks
Of his life when an American editor
published its text under the heading "A
Comedy
ut is not comedy: 1t is precisely
what the author calls II, fable play
that is. an entertainment for children
on an old story from the children's
books, which nevertheless contains
matter for the most mature wisdom to
ponder.
the nexibility Of the mind Of the Brit
tsh playgoer. The genuinely religious
people. the scholars and the serious
public generally were impressed and
intensely intensely interested The children were
did not know what to make Of 1t.
AT first they settled down to q
Christmas pantomfme. with low come
dians and comic lion. and began to
laugh very good-humoredly. Then they
suddenly found their teeth set on edge
by q scene of the sort of satirical COM
edy they most dread and dislike-that
is. comedy that satirizes the kind of
thing they are accustomed to accept as
extremely correct. Official and high
toned
when the play was produced In Ber-
lin It was reported that at this point
the crown prince rose and left the
theater. When 1t was produced in
London at the height of the agitation
by the militant woman suffragists, the
the satire on the oficiaI point of view
that the sensation in the house, which
was felt without being clearly under
stood, almost upset the performance for
a moment
But worse remained behind. No
sooner had the old playgoers readjust-
ed themselves. with a disagreeable ef-
fort, to the episode Of satirical comedy.
ha BE-
without moments preparation into
the deepest realities Of religion, the
most unbearable Of all subjects for the
purely theatrical public. as 1t 10 the
most enthralling for the real national
public at which the author always
aims. And before the playgoers had re-
covered from their CONSERVATION, or de-
.cided whether they ought to be scan
tomime fun again.
And SO IL went on. getting more and
more bewildering always except to
the serious people who held the thread)
until the fun, the satire, the historical
study Of manners and character and
the deadly deep earnest were all on
the stage at the same moment many OF
the audience being so torn one way by
laughter and the other way by horror.
besides being quite upset by pure
shock. that they did not know where
they were. and left the theater rending
their garments tmetaphorically) and
crying blasphemy. whilst the deeper
people TOR whom the play was written
proclaimed that a great movement in
religious drama had been inaugurated.
None of these extravagances are
likely to recur now that the nrst shock
Is over. But Il is still helpful to warn
old playgoers that they must not ex-
pect 'Androcles and the Lion to fall
into any of the classifications to which
they are accustomed. and that they will
get fun and earnest. history and SATIRE on
the same plate and at the same mo-
inent, 50 that II behooves them to keep
On the alert and not confuse these ele-
ments.
''lt 10 should seem to them that the
author has himself sometimes con-
fused them-that, for instance, he 10
satfrizing or making fun of the truths
Of religton-it win Be prudent for the
carefully whether the truths Of reli-
gion have not become associated In his
mind with the mere circumstances and
cereuonials under which religion IL
professed. which 10 quite smother mat
tsr. The lady who said. Don't be
biasDhemous: when somebody remark
sd that the cathedral organ was dis
gracsfully- out Of tune, was no doubt
sincerely rsversnt; but she was rather
mined - 70 the things that really are
religion and the things that are only
assocaatsd with II By custom"
oess sk1nnss % Aslss.sss-The
mood and tsmpsr Of an audience. said
Otis Skinner recently. 'ts always q
source Of interest and . guide TO us.
behind the footiights. Every player
has. think. an instructive pleasure In
studying in the hrst act the sort Of
eadtsncs ~ - playing ~ sn1 watch.