The Pulaskian., 1915-04-09
DRAMA LEAGUE DEPARTMENT.

DRAMA LEAGUE DEPARTMENT.
 In 1913 a prize of $1O,000 was of fered by Winthrop Ames for the best play to be submitted anonymously, by an American author. Nearly 1,700 manuscripts were received; and in June 1914, the judges, Augustine Thomas, Adolph Klauber and Win throp Ames, awarded the prize to Children of Earth" by Alice Brown On January, 1915, MT. Ames presented the play at the Booth Theater, New York City.
 With this history, Children of Earth" immediately springs into fame with a lawful demand for honorable attention. Tn book form this unusual drama is issued by the MacMnlan Com pany of New York at the price of one dollar and twenty-five cents, and 10 one volume is better worth the price to either artist. or critic That the drama is splendidly great goes with out saying It is art of the highest type-such art as catches bit of everyday landscape, O common sky, or humble life, and reproduce it, giv- ing off an atmosphere of beauty and inspiration.
 In Children of Earth" the old story is told of youth robbed, finding itself in autumn, when the flame of love breaks out between Mary Ellen Bars trow, the leading lady of the drama, and Peter Hale, the husband of Jane. The scenes leading up to the crucial moment when these two fell into each others arms overcome with the vital 1zing discovery that had come upon them, are natural-so natural one hardly expects resurrection of such dead and gone material as these two seem to be made of.
 In the third act, however, which Is a masterpiece of art, because it is first work of nature, the climax comes. 1 which, had not Mary Ellen been con- yentionally good would be the climax I Of the drama. After living a short sea- son of tremendously interesting springtime, however, Mary Ellen be- comes aware that she is doing some thing wrong as effects Peters wife Jane, and with fortiLude and a wave of her hand, she bids farewell to the turns her back on that which had seemed desirable, and goes back to her lonely home.
 This remuneration of self to an ideal, while noble, is unsatisfying. Especial ly does this appear Tn the fourth act of the drama where we find Peter relegated to the farm while his wife has taken up her place of residence in the home of Mary Ellen whom she be- lieves in and adores. Peters happi- ness in the future is to consist in building shelves for Mary Ellen and digging her flower beds, just to be near her. Mary Ellen's regard for her self-sacrifice is to come from the ap- proval of her conscience and the joy of being near Peter as he builds the pantry shelves and digs these flower beds. Theoretically this is fine. As a matter of fact there are those who will read this drama, so profane of faith as to question the ability of Pc ter to keep his thought off Mary FL len, and this good womans ability to refuse Peter the pitiful satisfaction of a kiss when they find themselves to- gether in the pantry, he saving hole for the new shelf and she setting ID the tea cups. Such readers will say with Peter in the third act, Spring, An no time for ripenin', o, my God!'
 The drama is a great one But it IS not that impossible creation spoken of as the great American drama" for when the drama shall appear great enough to merit this title, it will be not an American, but world drama. Children of Earth" is a great New England drama setting forth the old problem of suppression versus expres- sion, with the heroine accepting the former according to the approval of the New England conscience of for mer days. Since this choice evidently meets also the approval of the author of the drama, the heroine; Jane, and the family connection; the judges oi the drama; the master who produced it and the public who witnessed, who would not say the suppression idea is not wholesome alike for society and the individual?