The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-05
N LAWRENCE REAMER.

IA W EtESNNTs ttIsA VI
NTRANGE plays are coming now
- from England. They are even
~ stranger than some Of our
swn apparently prosperous products
which would never have created n
Ripple when the public in the play
house demanded good drama or none
Q. oil. But nothing in the line OF
native plays has been quite so far
from ell possible liberation as "The
Ansel In the House." while the riot
cea.ted by the American managers
struggle for The Ware Case" seems
beyond all comprehension. Even II II he
true that London ia enthusiastic over
George Pleydell's play any American
manager could have told from reading
The piece that 1t had no chance OF
success. 1t violates the most funda-
mental rule Of the playwright's craft.
Fur be II from us 20 mention that rule.
Il ID sufficient Of a faint to indicate
ttst the work Of the playwright is an
IT without descending into such de-
tails az the particular errors which are
b h found in plays.
But the same error was not to he
ren In Under Cover" although Mr..
Megrue was accused of deriving his
chief interest from the conCealmeut If
the hero's actual identity until the end
o. the play. But there were many
things that were not concealed, and
there were enough OF them To make
the piece interesting. There never
vas a skllful playwright who told all
tha, he knew about his characters.
something was always so concealed
that the audience knew more than tho
p.ayers-there, the secrets popped out
and II was the degree of skill with
vhich Information was gradually al
NSed to escape to the audience that
decided the degree to which the play
was Interesting.
That the bare exposition OF al, th&
!s important nay have a fatal effect OF
the success " q play was shown 81 The
ease Of "T., Moonetone" when ;
dramat.c vcIslon Of Wllkie Collins
Loyel was given in London years aga
The first at contained the revelation
o. the theft and the audience coul,
certainly ut Wee said To know less thai
The actors IN tbs case. As "A matter d
!sct tho spectators knew il all. So !
vas never possible TO restore their In
tereet.
Thus tie play passed away hecaus
there was no mystery to Gear NJ
Having such q complete knowledge o
al that had happened It was impos
she 10 81 quietly and watch tn
Actors mystlned over something tina
everybody On the other side OF tn
soo,liehts perfectly well understood
Yet with tho mystery slowly !mparte
TO the spectators the play might hay
.:an as absorbing az the book.
'.sfere were eason for supposin
"A tho rich Brighter in The War
az had killed his b~rother-in-lay
although tho actor was absent frol
~ stage for such an incredibly brit
PERIOD that tho broadcast stretch {
camstio license did not make II seeI
poSfbls for him In such a short spac
T" tine N have committed the murd'
70 which he confessed. That was
'norant as 20 the p%erpetrator of II
cnme, Just in the degree that II
'ld'ence was allowed to learn Of Il
facts OF "The Ware Case" was it al
soroed In tn" development of the stOr
The Ware Case" is at best but
product OF paste and scissors. NJ
f'eydell or Mr.. Bancroft has past,
"xether tho leaves OF his book. b
WIS process never made a play. II
angular TO note the hOllowness n,
''''fce'i'y ~ speeches when there
10 ~drau3t., -it.1i,r hack of titI
''" MOS taual expression from
'ra'l"r Wh,u there lies back of {
'e',h ono dramatic significance
Eeshaht with e~loquence when 1t