The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-23
'The Present Is One of the Greatest Ages the Drama Has Known"
 Says Prof. Hudson Strode
nr DOLLY pALRYMPLr

| 1O1ROF. E. HUDSON STROBE, pro- I0 lessor of English and public speak
 ing in the University of Alabama is an Alabamian of whom all other Ala bamans are proud; having completed his education at the university, going from his home town, Demopolis, to this re- nowned institution of learning, which has turned out so many grand young men during it's interesting history. and graduating with honors, he quite ittingly became member of the faculty of the university, following Prof Frederick D. Losey.
 1 Professor Strode might well answer to the atrocious crime of being a young man, his youth and his enthusiasm be- ] ing dominant in his work as well as in his personality; he is a student, a deep thinker a lover of the drama, and his appearance this afternoon at the Tutwiler
 in interpretative readings of plays by su- tro, Dunsany and Tchekoff will be one of the artistic events of the season. Professor Strode has done great deal during his administration at the universi- ty to foster an appreciation of the drama and to promote everything worthy con-  nected with it.
 In chatting with him about conditions concerning the drama, Professor Strode said:
 ''Unquestionably the present is one of the greatest ages the drama has ever known; one of the three, in fact; the other two, of course, being the Greek drama of the age of Sophocles, and the other the Elizabethan. Today dating the present period from Ibsen, the drama is flourishing in practically all the Euro pean countries. Do we know much of Scandinavia except through the drama? Ibsen, Strindberg, Bjornson? In Ger many, Sudermann and Haptmann are more familiar perhaps than any other names. Stop and consider what Max Reinhardt, and the Russians, with their Moscow theatre and their marvelously beautiful pallets are doing? France gives us the greatest artist of them all, Ros- tand; and most of his fame lies in his three great dramas, L'Aiglon,' 'Cyrano' and 'Chantecler Besides. France gives us Brieux and Hervieu Belgiums great est literature comes from Maeterlinck; Spain gives us Echegaray, and Quimera, while the recent far famed Irish revival has been largely dramatic and due to Synge Lady Gregory, Yeats and recently the stimulating and unique Lord Dun sany. In England the three best known writers of the day have turned their at tention from essays and criticism to the drama-Shaw, Barrie and Galsworthy. Besides, such great dramatists as Piner Henry Arthur Jones, and Barker, While Oscar Wilde still holds the uniquue place in English literary history that IS lnim- itable and unapproachable, as the most brilliant stylist and one of the cleverest satirists ever known.
 "But in America What have we done in America? is the question often asked, Professor Strode continued. we have done some very praiseworthy things. II Clyde Fitch had lived and had taken more pains with his composition he prob ably would have turned the trick. MOODY who wrote The Great Divide, one or the most dramatic plays of modern times, IS another: 'Kindling is one of the really big plays, and Percy Mackaye has done big things and may yet do more. we are very young, so we must be given tlme' say. ten years, and who can tell what may happen?
 a.I have always been interested in dra- ma tic work" Professor Strode said, ana after finishing at the University or Ala bama I entered Columbia university pur- posing to get master of arts degree. IL was the name or Brdnuer NdtIhS"S 'iiN'e led me to New York and also the thea tres. for at that time I hadn't decided whether I'd go on the stage or do ara matic criticism; deeper than either or these. perhaps, was the desire to do play writing: I went to New York, in fact, with the determination to learn all that I could learn about the theatre from every angle: behind the scenes, and from the academic and critical viewpoints Fortunately for me through the influence of friend of mine who was on the stan of the New York Evening Post 1 had the opportunity to work with Julia Mar lowe and Sothern, but just as I was about to sign with them another chance came to join Sir Johnston Forbes Rob- ertson's company, which I did. The per- formances of Hamlet and Tine Mer- chant of Venice'' giving me marvellous opportunities for studying stage enects and learning wonderful things from tho great English actor. I used to hang Tn the wings listening to and watching Sir Johnston's every act In my collection or treasures, I have a book given to me by Sir Johnston-hs acting version of Ham let.' with all the business written out and Illustrated Gertrude Eliot, Sir John ston's beautiful wife, was his leading ladv that season; she is one of the most gracious and lovely women l have ever known"
 Tn the meantime, I was seeing all the
 
 guest of friends to attend the board meet
 Il. .zI- 1>