New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-10-13
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| fresh atmosphere for a fresh play
with tired things? These are few OF
the most rudimertary ideas of his work
this is the craftsman side of him
which enabled him to put on that ex-
Quisite production, "The Man Who
Married a Dumb Wife" with his own
wo hands, almost unaded.
But the artist who conceived the ex-
quisite setting for that MEDIEVAL COM
edy has shown wider vision and more
soaring imagination than even was
promised in that. The varied richness
of "Caliban," the extravaganza of "Till
Eulenspiegel," the sympathetic settings
for his modern plays have shown an
amazing artistic vitality Here is the
man with the key to illusion, with the
feeling and the power to set it free.
One ought to tell something about
"the man by the name of Jones'" He
was born on a New Hamshire farm. He
did the chores, played the violin
(Hiram Kelly Moderwell who has
written an excellent biographical sketch
CT HIM, tells this) and went through the
local school, And then by the usual
| sacrlhces on the part of a none too
prosperous American family he was en-
abied to 60 to college. He did not dis
tlngulsh himself especially there. He
showed some taste for drawing, and
when he was graduated he was given an
nstructorship in the art department.
lie was vaguely unhappy there. The
academic art curriculum of the col
lege TOOK no grip on his imagination,
Some modernistic posters stimulated
nm as nothing else had. A bit of rich
material or bizarre figure thrilled
nm. An occasional thing at the music
nails released his creative faculties. and
the first things he ever did were some
costume designs for Valeska Suratt. All
this could not help his work at COLLEGE.
and failure to make up his REQUIRED
work gave the faculty sufficient excuse
to drop him. Then he went through the
usual period of poverty and depression
ana almlessncss, somehow continually
1ecllng the way toward his appointed
goal. For time this young Harvard
eX-art teacher dressed windows at a
boston department. store, and in the
meantime made some bizarre costume
sketches for Gertrude Hoffmans revue
they fell into Morris Gest's hands, who
sent Tor Jones. The things he did at
the time were wild and exotic, the un
trained outpourings of his rich imagi-
/ nation b,,t
with modification. Then his work came
to the notice of one who saw in the
revolutionary, exotic, postcresque things
mat Jones was doing something of the
artistic fecundity that lay behind it.
and he advised him to 90 to Europe and
study with the best men there. SO he
went abroad, and the work he showed
was an open sesame that admitted him
as pupil to the Moscow Art Theatre
and Reinhardt's Theatre. At the Art
Theatre in Moscow he learned the spirit
OF the modern theatre and with Rein
hardt he learned craftsmanship And
long before the war drove him back to
America we begin to hear of the quality
of his work
The Art Theatre and Reinhardt have
not made of Robert Jones an imi-
tator. He is too individual for that.
They have added to his own quality
the discipline and feeling of their deep
ly grounded art But it is not enough
we should have a genius like Jones,
who understands the miracle that lies
IN stuff and wood and paint-to keep
men like Jones we need plays. He
said: The only man who realizes
what the stage can offer the
dramatst to-day is Percy Mackaye," he
said. "They do not realize the wealth
of illusion that is at their service. if
they would only use it, Excepting the
'Bluebird' and Diaghileff's pantomimic
dancers with always the classics to
fall back on) there is no inspiration
for imagery on the modern stage. We
hold our imaginations tightly in check,
and only the movies, with their power
to transport us over land and sea, seem
to have the power to stir them. But
it will all change. Think what a
triumphal pageant will signalize the
return of our soldiers from France!
Then we will be released for joy."
Jones is at work now on the costum es
and settings for a national Red Cross
pageant, which has not yet been an
nounced, and on Arthur Hopkins's
new play.