New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-21
By GEORGE S. KAUFMAN.

Make way for the romantic play
Leo Ditrichstein says so, accent and all
Being the foremost romantic actor IN
America-one of the four most, at least
he is qualified to speak. He thinks,
does Ditrichstein, that there is soon TO
be a food of plays romantic-the IN,
evitable reaction, as the poHtlcaI
writers say-but he is numb on the
question of who are TO act in them.
Unless Ditrichstein suddenly develops
protean personality, the outlook Is
dark.
II required the funkandwsgnalls to
settle the question of what makes
play romantic. To quote the book;
Romantic, a. Founded upon or inf1u-
enced by what Is extravagantly ideal;
sentimental rather than rational;
imaginary or imaginative; fancifuii;
cal, dreamy, extravagant, fanciful, fan
tastic. fictitious, ideal, Imaginative,
picturesque, poetic, sentimental, vision
airy. wild"
Wild! That was a poserl Certainly
there have been a few wild plays pro-
duced during the season, but 1t would
have required a hardy elongation Of
the imagination 20 term them roman
tic. And. undoubtedly, there have been
some wild actors, authors and mana
gers when the reviews appeared,
but
At any rate, most of the other desig-
nations appeared TO ht The Great
Lover" which is the subject OF this dis
cussion-and yet that was where one
encountered the snag. Politely, but
firmly and accentedly, Leo Ddtrlchsteln
refused 10 admit that The Great
Lover" Is romantic. Oh, yes, they are
billing IL as 8 romantic comedy, but II
jsn't. II Is realistic. And that takes
US back few years.
In his youth-well, then his younger
youth, II you will have 1t so-Leo
Ditrichstein was grand opera singer
IL happened in Germany. He was heart
and soul and nearly everything else In
his operatic work, but he rehearsed
"Der Meistersinger" once too often:
Sof, music. Exit the operate voice OF
Leo Ditrichstein. Do you, grasplng
the parallel, begin TO see why he
Great Lover" is realistic to Ditrich-
stein?
Having lost his voice. he decided TO
become an actor. That is the way he
tells the story, at any rate, but per-
hsps there Is little Of the voice still
left. lie came 10 America, stayed at
Inc hmberg lneatre three years ana
then went upon the English speaking
stage-but never for a minute did he
forget grand opera.
Then. as now, he was on intimate
terms with the operate stars, and then,
ne now, u was rare day that he did
not alp Into the opera house and
hearken to the rehearsing artists. The
years aid along, and finally Ditrich-
stein conceived the idea of Knocking
out the fourth wall OF the opera house
the phrase is Enrico Carusos-and
showing what was going on inside.
he planned the plsy-pianned all Of
IL, and wrote an act and one-half OF II.
Then "The Concert" came along, and
"The Phantom Rival" and "The Great
Lover" lsnguished and grew dusty. VI
tlmately the Hattons-Frederic and
Fanny, the Chicago indcfatigables-
heard about IL and finished IL. That
is the history OF the play--except that
Ditrichstein rewrote half OF the second
act in an hour and thirteen minutes In
a stateroom between Syracuse and
Rochester. or perhaps II was Erie and
Harrisburg.
So can you wonder that "The Great
Lover" f. not romantic 20 Leo Ditrich-
zteini He knows IL Is real, just as
Caruso knows IL 10 real. The great tenor
has seen the play twice, despite the
metropolitan rush, and he has prom