New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16

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Ol ycgs imaginary tJ.-e, Vora
Whatever may be the preferences Of
a business woman or Of business
man Of the theatre. the master OF the
revels OF mankind know very we'll that
the greatest and most enduring pleas
ure which the public finds in the the
stre is the use OF its own forces, the
play of its Imagination. the Liberation
OF its sensibilities. And he knew that
10 progresses the minds OF MS hear
ers with painted shows OF reality was
20 substitute a lesser and tieetlng
enjoyment, thing OF prose, for the
more potent mystery and magic. Even
when he uses his manner of scenic set
pieces. the intention IS still figurative,
symbolic-a "cypher' 20 the great ac-
compt" Of his Imagination. What the
eve sees is decorative group Of trees
or rock: but out o. them, under the
spell Of the verse and the action. the
mind creates a forest and wilderness
an enchanted island n which lurk
monsters. strange shape and spirits.
Thus far we have tacitly assumed
that 20 produce play OF Shakespeare s
with modern pictorial scenery IS
practical possibility, and have con.
sidered merely the relative values OF
the two styles. II no other question
were involved, II may be freely
granted that picture scenery would
work no great harm. So long as
full text Is played in its proper order
and in rapid continuity, IL might even
be preferable not TO disturb an audi
ence By asking il TO accept q strange
and unwonted artistic convention.
Scenery, pictorial or plastic, IS mere
incident: the plays the thing. But
fimsy as is the best Of our modern
scenery, IL takes time 70 shift Il. The
result is that-as all of US know 50
we'll there are long waits between
scenes. These are doubly damaging
For every wait an equivalent has 10
be cut out of the text, and when the
curtain rings up the audience has
slipped away insensibly from the spell
OF the drama. A modern pictorial pro-
duction resolves itself into a contest
between actors and scene shiftcrs the
actors laborlng TO sustain the interest
OF the audience, the enthusiastic stage
hands 10 sink it deep in boredom. And
the actors are placed at this further
disadvantage: that the material with
which they work is only the disJecta
membra Of the play as Shakespeare
fashioned il.
Our production Of "Thc Winters
Tale" at The New Theatre presented a
virtually full text with absolutely no
pause except a single inerimission-
which WAS needed, not for the set
ting OF scenery. but 10 rest and
refresh the audience. The critical
verdict was unanimous. and went
far beyond the most sanguinc cX
pectation. The verdict Of the public
vas equally emphatic. For the first
time in its history. The New Theatre
sold out. And 50 We concluded that,
though beautiful plays may survive
beautiful" scenery. there are some Of
them. ~ least, which do better with
out IT,
"The Tempest We believe. is ono Of
these. Though universally admired IN
the library as Shakcspearc's master
piece in the comedy OF fancy, It has
had, in the last forty-seven years, only
one revival Of eighteen performances -
that Of Augustin DAILY. To the present
generation Of plsygocrs II Is virtually
unknown. The reason for this. n is
believed, lies in mechanical difiiculties
iu presenting certain OF the scenes,
even on the bcs, equipped picture
stage notably the cyanishmcnt Of
Prospero's masquc and the rcprescn-
tation Of the ship scene. with the
wrccking Of the ship. For even the
meagrcst pictorial illustration Of these
episodes. 1t has been necessary 10 cut
the text severely and alter tho order
% tho narrative. with the result that
this arrest and most elusive dream Of
the poets imagination has suffered
more severely than any other play the
crushing weight Of modern scenic pro
dgction. Recent discoveries show the
simple aud plastic" but thoroughly
adequate. means by which Shakespeare
showed these scenes. The play will he
prevented. FOR tho first time since his
death, IN it, integrity.