The Washington herald., 1915-12-19
Choice Of Theme N the Drama.
By JOHN d. BARRY.

often not taken into account and yet, a. al dra-
matists know, extremely strong. the influence of
the actor. II is absurd that the actor. who is
essentially interpretive. whose art ought to follow
the dranatist, should assume any kind OF leader
ship; but with success the actor often becomes a
dictator. He will go so far as to tell dramatist
just what kind OF play he wishes to appear in
Just what kind Of character he prefers to play and
nc Will even subordinate other actors to himself,
nearly always to the injury of the work as whole
Many dramatsts make great sacrifices for the
sake of pleasing their actor clients. They are not
only restricted in choice of theme but in choice OF
methods of development, and in character delinca-
ton. There are, for example, few successful ac-
tors whose attitude toward their art is sufficiently
impersonal to allow them to play unsympathetic
characters. They feel that they must be liked by
their audiences not merely as interpreters, but as
figures of public interest
Many a good play has gone without produc-
tion for the simple that the chief part was
less attractive than human. Character studies are
often weakened for the Sake Of making their in
terpreters appealing The popular actor, who is
willing to subordinate himself to unsympathctic
courage. In this regard Richard Mansfield was
remarkable exception. He sustained by con-
fdence in his ability to take what most actors
would have regarded a handicap and make it
means of increasing his triumph. He could make
a revolving character dramatically interesting.
In choice of theme, the tendency now is to
place less reliance on such, that is. on its
romantic and personal aspects. Where, in the
plays Of vital import such as those written by
Brieux, it is used it becomes related society at
large 1t gets away from the merely personal. So
strong is the reaction against it that it has been
said that no real play can be written the sub
ject of romantic love. This proposition many
people will dispute, the ground that love is the
greatest thing in the world. So it is, in one sense
1t is the greatest emotion in the life Of the indi-
vidual. But it is essentially personal, and it is
likely to include the element of selhshness. When
placed side by side with the big npersonal issues
OF life it seems comparatively unimportant. When,
in "Herod," Stephen Phillips tried to write great
tragedy on the subject OF love, he made failure |
The play in spite of the glamour of his rhetorical
poetry, made the spectators feel that Herod in |
lamenting the loss OF Mariamne's love and
in letting it cause his downfall revealed himself as
a weak character entitled less to sympathy than
to half-contemptuous pity. Behind the figure of
the monarch, grievng his personal troubles, /
there was always the OF impcrsonal issues
neglected, much larger and nobler.
These impersonal issues just bccom- |
ing more and more conspicuous in the themes |
Of dramatists. They make the old love plays seem
trivial almost silly hut of thew
artistic handling. When they used merely for
heir own sake, with propaganda as their purpose. |
hey are likely to seem biased and nd; ARTIFICIAL In
said that Mr. GalSworthy is a rcformcr first and
playwright afterward. No comment could be !
more unjus Prc-cnncntly, Galsworthy is ar
ward the society of today; but he allows it
20 distort his vision or to warp his Judgment. or
n any way to make him unfair. Like all artists,
instead of trying to control life for his purpose.
lie is controlled by life. He lets his characters
alone. In following his plays them work
ng out their destiny according to the law of their
impulses. In this regard he is greater artist than
3rieux, whose zeal for propaganda creates on the
part of an audience certain mstrust.
Galsworthy's play shows how dramatsts are
eaching away from the purely sentimental inter-
sts 1t deals with the subject of universal peace.
With the importance of changing the civilized world
rom a collection of armed camps to a place where
physical force will be made subordinate to reason
theme of this kind must, OF course, be worked
,ut through play OF character 1t must loom, as
III big ideas do, far beyond the mere surface
Plays of this sort give the effect of spiritual
,readth. The pleasure they afford and the profit
will persist long after the performance. In other
Words, they start the mind thinking. They invite
he audience to go collaborating. Here per-
aps is the highest function of the drama, both to
ntertan as it unfolds itself on the stage and to
timulate the mind and the imagination by start
ng trains of thought that are likely to become
obstructive.
There great themes in the public mind
hat provide material for great plays 1t is doubt
ul if there has ever been period rich in dra-
natic material 1t cannot fail to express itself in
great dramatic revival. We surely the
way toward developing a drama, not merely
ffective in presentation, but imbucd with the quail
ties that make literature. During the past five
ears there has been remarkable growth of in
crest in publishing plays. Nowadays the abler
ramatists find two kinds of audiences, the audi
nee in the theater and the audience in the library.
'he reading of plays subjects plays to harder and
finer test than the test OF presentation. 1t makes
eener demands on skill. 1t tends to stimulate
rtistic workmanship. Meanwhile, the growing
interest in social and economic problems is de-
clipping audiences for serious minded drama
Only the Allies Satisfied.