The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-12-12
What tho War Has Done to English
Art, Is Discussed by Sir
Herbert Tree, the
Actor.
THEATRES STILL OPEN
Best Thing In London Today 10 Movie
Chow With Slap stick
Comedy to Create
Laughter,
limited Press correspondence.1

NEW york. Doc 11.-What war
has done to English art and drama
was discussed by Sir Herbert Tree.
one Of England's foremost actor
managers, upon his arrival in New
York on his way to California few
days ago.
"Ths war is changing all our hab-
its and interests. Art, in particular
is suffering. Who cares for art? Who
is buying pictures or going to SEQ
them? Scarcely anybody.
art demands that we should con-
tinue to play tragedies. Who wants
to see tragedies played today when
there IL the greatest Of all tragedies
to arrest the attention and. how plain
ly SO! People demand to be made
happy. They cry out for the poulttce
to sootlle the ache caused by the war.
Make us happy at night" they say,
because in the daytime We are 30
miserable" Who could refuse an
answer to that appeal?'
And as business Ia business. the
theatres are making the people for
get.
The psychology of great civilian
people at war Is to be found In Lon
don's theatres. Her seven millions
gloat over the tragic as 1t comes from
the blood-soaked battle fields; they
lionize the returning hero who has
killed most; they cry with Joy a. q
hostile warship sinks; they approve
the war. But they will have none Of
the tragic for tragedy's sake.
The sentiment applies to the nation,
say the psychologists who are max
ing a study OF civilian temperament
| in war. The vaudeville act must have
| plenty of humor, the musical concert
must give lively, Joyful music; the
drama must end very happily; there
must be marriage and plenty OF love.
The demand of art that some little
tragedy must stalk behind the foot
lights has been placed on the shelf.
The hundreds of audiences In the
hundreds of theatres in the worlds
greatest city see enough tragedy on
the stage of everyday life. They go
to the theatre, the music hall, concert
and movie, to forget. Long lines OF
patient faces are seen outside scores
Of London play houses every after
noon and night waiting to buy tickets
to the galleries and stalls where they
can laugh away the worries and cares
and bury the sorrow OF some SOLDIER
relative who will never return. II
q theatre manager elects to put trag-
0dy into his performance INC DO4 OIL
i fee receipts soon dwindle.
Theatrical tragedy in war time 1s
foredoomed to failure.
Sir Arthur Pinero wrote . drama
which he called the big Drum" the
fms OF which found lovers parted
and heroine in tears. The unhappy
ending was logical and true, but
The second night found empty seats.
The third performance found more
empty seats and Sir Arthur and his
managers began to seek the reason.
1t was the human psychology of war
! time. There was too much grief at
the curtain-fall.
The author has revamped the last
act. He has united the lovers and his
managers have re-staged the play. It's
ending is happy and SO are the crowds
that nightly flock to see 1t.
/ The psychologists have gone into
| the Palais de movie. Here they find
the slap-stick comedies the most pop
ular. Films of American origin, oct
! ed somewhere in California" where
a movie comedian tlicks his feet In
q funny way. and tips his hat from
the back, make the greatest hit. Blase
British audiences forget their reserve
and laugh out loud. And daily and
nightly they are paying an extra price
to get a good seat-just to forget