The sun., 1919-09-14
By BARRETT H. CLARK.


JOSEPH CoNRAD's single known ex-
j cursion into the field of the drama
has just been reprinted in England. One
Day More, which was first published in
the English RevietO six or seven years ago,
now appears in an edition issued by the
Beaumont Press of London, limited to $50
copies.
/ have often wondered whether the mas
ter builder who constructed Nostromo ever
seriously considered the drama as a pos
sible medium of expression whether Con-
rad thought he might either make use of
the dramatic form as it is now known in
England, or perhaps endeavor to mould it
to fit the requirements of his own extraor-
binary temperament.
While many of the finest things in Con-
RAIDS novels and tales will forever defy
the dramatic adapter, there is an under
current Of dramatic intensity in works like
Lord Jim, Victory and The Inn Of the
TUo Witches. True, the very qualities
which render these works the master
pieces they undoubtedly are are beyond
the grasp of the dramatist, whose art is
neither higher nor lower than the art
Conrad has put into them, but something
essentially different. My point is that
there is material in these stories which
could be made significant were it treated
by Conrad himself from the angle Of the
stage. One Day More, as hope to indi-
cate, proves my contention.
1t is the authors own dramatization of
his well known story Tomorrow, which is
found at the end Of the American volume
called Fall.
A comparison Of the play with the story
will reveal Joseph Conrad as no mere
amateur playing at a game he does not
understand. Nor is Conrad the dilettante
deigning to trife with the theatre Conrad
knows the effect he wants to produce, and
he goes TO work in earnest to produce. it.
He is well aware that in place of ex-
words, principally action. And he knows
that the story must move steadily, without
unnecessary delay, straight up to an emo
tional climax. Here he cannot tarry to
describe the sunset or the psychological
reaction Of one soul upon another. These
things must be rendered dramatic"
through human words and human acts.
The means by which he reaches the
climax in the play (which follows
closely the outlines of the story may
be traced by comparison of the
two versions of the tale. First of
all the author has reduced his description
of places and people to the shorthand of
the theatrical Script" Here are no
lengthy dispositions in the manner of
Bernard Shaw-simply the dramatist's
skeleton guide to actor and producer
When Conrad is writing narrative fiction
he has recourse to every device to which
the worker in that medium has an ar
tistic right, but when he turns dramatist
he at once realizes his limitations as well
as his opportunities. Notice with what
care he deletes some of his most effective
touches. In Tomorrow he speaks OF
Bessie in the following words:
"Blushes came with difficulty on hel
dead white complexion under the negh
gently twisted opulenee of mahogany col
ored hair"
Reduced to stage directions this is trans
posed to:
"a lot of mahogany eolored hair loosel.
done up"
On the other hand Conrad has realized
that the spoken word may be-though i
often is not-vastly more poignant, NOR
colored than the written. One Day Nor
reveals in places, and almost always thu
right places, a species Of raey dialogue
which is lacking in Tomorrow.
The original narrative in one place rum
as follows:
"The boy had been driven away from
home. he shouldn't wonder; had run away