The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02
Earmarks Of This Dramatic Season

Earmarks Of This Dramatic Season.
When the solemn commentators on
the drama In this community come to
review its progress during the sea-
son now drawing to close there will
he less difficulty than usual in dag
nosing its character. For, undstin-
grishei as most of the theatrical Of
ferings Of every season I'm the play
houses " this city are. II IL usually
possible to discover some quality com.
mon to n majority Of them.
Thus there was last year the poetic
smudge Of the white slave theme
over 50 many Of the dramas produced
in all parts of the country. Of which
the best eventually reached some of
the theatres of Greater New York.
whether they were situated in the re.
gion of Brownsville or The. Bronx.
that II could fairly he said that last
year in the fruitful and elevated
American theatre was after all n
white slave year. II was just as true
tered the stages of the playhouses
In this country with burglars. conf
dence men and card sharpcrs that
there was mot the least possible
probable ground for shadow NJ
AOubt" that the year was dedicated to
the crook on the stage. Nowadays
even such eminent examples of that
school as sherlock Holmes and Ar
stne Lupin could not interest the pub
lie I'm such theme.
Then there have been years Of the
romantic drama, with the sweeping
plume and the velvet brooches for the
hero. and there have been optimistic
and rca ssuring Shakespeare years In
which various ambitious actors wa sted
their time and money on stiff neckei
generation of theatregoers that would
have none Of them. These periods
Of Shakespearian drama were more
promising in October than In the
colder months that followed.
So every season has had its charac-
teristlcs, even IL the pessi mistic might
insist that the general quality Of them
all WAS mediocrity. hanality and trlv-
iality. Only the inexperienced. how
ever. In estimating the important
achievements Of the American thea
ire would take such view of Its ac
complishments
But what Of this season. which is
soon to he numbered among It's IL
lustrious predecessors 1t was In the
first place different from many that
garded as a war time season. As
happens usually In such cases. the in
terest Of the public was centred chiefly
on the most frivolous forms of enter
talnment. Audiences were more deter
mined than ever To take no interest
in serious forms Of theatrical enter
tninment. The review. the musical
comedy. the burlesque. anything that
made no claim Ia he other than di-
verting. was all that theatrcgoers
would listen to. II seemed as II
everybody had at once grown as tired
ms the business man.
Only plays dealing with the war
could bring the attention Of the pub
lie back To the serious drama and
keep Il there. II was Of course the
timelimess and The appeal Ia the sym
pathy Of rhe public which succeeded
in making this theme interesting.
Then there Is one other important
lesson which the success of these war
plays has taught. Nowadays play
must he rs modern rs the style Of n
collar If II Is 10 make n lasting sue
cess. The theme must he so contem-
poraneous rs 10 make the men and
women in the work brief and abstract
chronlclers of the times. That is
one Of the other lessons of n war time
sea son in the playhouses.