New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-17
Landmarks of the Drama

REPRESENTATIVE AMERICAN PLAYS Edied
with Iuroduct0ns and Notos by AIt1uI ho.''''
quinn Svo. %. 9Ss. The century 'ohlans.
II was an admirable thought OF MI
Quinn to undertake this large ana OPu-
lent work: lest there should stlll De
those thinking the less than century
old sneer of Sydney Smith was war
ranted: "Who goes TO an america
play7" We do not know that any Oh
Inc three PLAYS in this volume, ante
dating Smiths epigram, had then been
enacted in England. or outside u
America; but it is suggestive to recall
that before that time Dunlap had per-
formed practically all Of has mohu-
mentally volumnous work.
Mr.. Quinn has not undertaken ms
tory of the American drama, ror, OF
course, wholesale printing oil us
playg. He has given US a well selected
array of twenty-five pieces, beginning
with the first written by an American
author and produced by an American
companv and ending with one Of only
half a dozen years ago, and all com
handing interest on various valid
crounds-because of their intrinsic
merits. because of the distinction OF
their authors, because of the illustrl-,
GUS actors who performed them, ana
because Of their denotement OF the de-
velopment and progress OF American
dramatic art.
At the beginning there was. not un-
naturally, an obvious modelling alte'
the styles of Shakespeare ana OF III!
den; later came the romantic dram1'
reacbinp it's elimination in the noble
compositions of Boxer and Mrs. ho"e,
Init starting with the second American
n
steadily growing and triumphant ten
dencv toward the choice of native sub
iects and the treatment of them IN an
original and Enthusiastically Amer
can manner. In his scholarly intro
ductions and notes the editor gives SUI
fcient information concerning the IN
spiration and the production OF the
various plays to serve the lay reader
with much suggestion for further re-
search by the professional dramatist.
Among the more eminent authors
whose works are here given are VIII
lam Dunlap, John Howard Payne,
Washington Irving. George "ashing-
ton Parke GUSTS Whose name is uh-
happilv frequently misspelled Curtis),
Nathaniel Parker Willis, Anna Cora
Mowatt Richie. George Henry Boxer
whose mastery Francesca da Rimni'
was superbly revived in our own day.
Julia Ward Howe, Dion Boucicault'
Joseph Jefferson who was practically
the author of Pip Van Winkle,,l
Steele Mackaye, Bronson Howard. WI
lam Gillette, David Belasco, Clyde
Fitch and Augustus Thomas. IL IS IN
tcresting to be reminded though 20
this generation these may be names
ard nothing more that Birds Broker
of Bogota" was much played by FOR
rest: that Willis's "Tortesa" was writ
ten for the elder Wallack and was
played by him in carbohydrates be,
while Sydney Smith was still living! -
that Anna Ritchie's Fashion engaged
the talents of +. l.. Davenport; that
the first productions Of Francesca da
Rimini" were made by Davenport and
Nine. Ponisi. while the later revival
was effected by Lawrence Barrett, GUS
skinner, Louis James and Miss VAIN,
wright; that Mrs Howe's "Leonora
was played at Wallacks by the elder
Sothern and Matilda Heron; and that
Boucicault's "Octoroon" was first given
by its author associated with Joseph
Jefferson. George Holland. j. II. Stod-
dart and Agnes Robertson.
Ii is a volume which should be as
sured of a place in every library when
pretends to include representation OF
the American drama or indeed oil
American literary progress.