The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-22

I to any other single influence Is due the
change in the construction OF CON
ternporaneous drama OF course the
change Is no more than apparent.
Fundamentally a play must be built
in accordance with the rules, whether
its externals are fashioned after q
scenario for the movies or a sugges-
ton for Punch and Judy. But just
now the public interest IL strongest
in those plays which depart from the
straight line of narrative into some
eccentric detour suggested by the
Imagination OF the playwright. But
puslic taste on that point, however
| decided It may be, will not establish
for posterity that Eyes of Youth" or
! for that matter Three Faces East"
| Is a greater contribution 10 the the
atre's literature than "Trelawney Of
the Wells" or The Silver King"
There has been encouraging ac-
| tivity during the present year In the
| production Of Shakespeare, A con-
siderable number of the dramas have
been acted and one or two notable i'm
person atoms have been revealed. Per-
! haps the element OF unusual greatness
which has been awaited as the one
Inspiration 10 a great and awakened
! interest In the dramas of the Eliza
bethan dramatist has not been forth
coming. But the interest has been
/ healthy, which Is as much as could
| be expected with the influence Of the
commercial theatre directly opposed TO
any enterprise Of the kind.
After all the revivals OF the theatre
OF Shakespeare to-day are in reality
meant for a younger generation. Those
OF an earlier youth who wanted to see
Shakespeare have had all the oppor-
tunity they needed. II b to tho tho
! atregoer growing to maturity in taste
and discrimination, acquiring an atti-
tude toward tho playhouse which is TO
color his enjoyment OF II throughout
life, that Shakespeare Is necessary to-
day.
| And what does even the activity Of
the present day offer to this type OF
| playgoer? Must he not decide be-
| tween representations given at incon-
venient hours and under chilling artis-
tic circumstances and others that pos
sess equally salient drawbacks7 Tdke
witness Shakespearian performance
with curtains" The probabilities are
that he will regard that play II not
/ Shakespeare the whole of his life with
horror. What should have been a
fascinating illusion has been made q
! penitential duty. Just how many
admirers OF the theatre Of Shakespeare
4 would have been SO enrolled had they
been compelled TO make the acQua!nt-
ance of these immortal characters In
these immortal plays at performances
with curtainS"2 Such a manner Of
| producing Shakespeare is for those
who already have learned to love his
dramas. Admirers will never be
gained by any such chilling means of
putting the plays before the young
public which 10 to be educated into
loving these dramas.
On the other hand, there are OBJ
jections to the only other prevailing
kind OF Shakespeare done In what may
be called the conventional manner
which are not to be overlooked. re-
cent representations OF this repertoire
have been in several cases benefited
by the cooperation OF real excellent
actors. There has never been q rep
resentation of this kind i'm which there
has not been visible at least two or
three admirable approximations. Under
the occasional influence of less re-
strained powers these actors have