New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-23
DRAMA AND STAGE
George Middleton's New Play
A Managers Gloom.

THE ROAD TOGETHER. Cortemporsn.cu'
l2mo. pp 20i. Henry Holt Co.
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE THEATRE. By on'
n the Rest Known Theatrical Men IN New York
l2mo pp. Ill. Cincinnati: Stewart & Kidd Co
George Middleton is Americas only
serious contribution to the interna-
tional drama Of the period. Europe
NAV see our commercial successes and
Judge our current drama accordingly,
il is certain to discover his plays IN
the course of time, and TO add them
20 its repertory, to the best gathered
from all civilization. And it is, I'M
fortunately, likely to discover HIM pc
fore he finds recognition on our stage
He has been produced here, il is true;
hut even so the mass of American
theatre -goers know him not. A NIL
nority reads him, and admires alNe
his technical ability and the observa-
ton. the understanding of life when
it so tellingly embodies.
His is the common sense that is AKIN
10 vision. lie sees drama everywhere
around him in daily life, not merely
the drama of climaxe., but above all
the drama of the quiet, often suDcon-
scious and even unconscious progress
toward them which is the greater. the
deciding part OF existence. And ne
irterprets woman, not merely moderh
women. He pierces below the surface
~ the hour. often in advance OF It's
time. 10 the foundations OF her emo.
,ional being and its processes OF
thought and action.
THE Road Together" is n study OF
those bonds apart from love and pas
sion which marriage weaves, OF the IN
terests. achievements failures
that make it the enduring institution
civilization holds il 20 be. IL IS
study also of the conflict between the
wanderings of emotions and the m
stitution's steadying influence Of con-
sideration and respect, and, last but
not least, of habit. Mr.. Middleton
does not in facile manner complicate
this conflict with children. Il Is fought
out between three men and two women,
free 10 consult only themselves, yet
forced to obey the rules Of the road
II is drama of the inner self, deftly
externalized by the milestones labori-
ously put up at the side OF the road,
which reaches its parting in material
considerations of honor against ambi-
ton as we'll as Of loyalty against va
grant love.
George Middleton is read with
steadily growing admiration and in
terest In the reading Of this new
play CT his one constantly reflects
how much better it would act than it
reads. Which is only another way of
saying that. like oil his other plays,
It reads exceedingly well.
Who is he? He knows "the game"
there can be no doubt of that. He has
passed through the mill, from press
agent to general manager for one OF
cur principal producers, and now, after
ten years, he is about 10 retire on a
competence gathered from his labors.
This fall, he informs us. another name
will be found on the door of his room
in the producers Offices. 1t will not
be difficult to discover his identity.
He retires in pessimlstic mood. The
truth he tells is the dark side. Per-
haps if he had taken years rest be-
fore writing this book, not quite so
many of his pearls of wisdom would
have turned into hard. unpalatable
CTleu peas. TOi al bhdNs w
what he says-most Of it's undenia-
bic fact. And much of it is sufficiently
familiar to those who have connec-
ton, however remote, with the theatre.
He dispels the glamour of the stage, not
only at distance, the glamour with
which inexperience surrounds it. but
that glamour, also, which it creates
around itself. largely through the press
agent.
What he has to say of the slipshod,
incompetent way in which manu-
scripts are dealt with in theatrical Of
fees is perhaps of greatest interest.
He calculates that 10000 plays are sub
nitted unsolicited every year TO the
prominent producers of this city. From
observation he has learned that only
one in every five MSS. is copyrighted,
and since the records of the Copyright
Bureau show that about 1000 dramatic
manuscripts are registered every year,
his figures may be accepted as approx
niately correct. He quotes the case OF
Mr.. Nirdlinger whose "The World and
His Wife" lay for five years unread in
a managers Office. When finally he vas
asked by letter how he wished it TO be
returned TO him. he answered not TO
bother, rs the play was even then run
r.ng at Days Theatre. Publishers and
magazine editorsl are ever on the look