New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-09

theatre. The whole trend of our drama
for the next few seasons will be toward
fantasy. OF course, that is only our
guess but we are not making it blindly
Certain conditions in the theatre and
N the world seem to foretell such
movement. 1t can hardly be said that
realism in the theatre has spent itself,
for it has never prevailed except to the
most limited extent The war is the
factor which has turned people from
any desire to look at things exactly as
they are. Some of US who write re-
views about the theatre have been in
clned to scott at certain war plays be-
cause they were not real, and yet every
body would run shrieking to the street
II any producer came forward with a
literal treatment of the conflict.
AS matter of fact, the most sue
ccssful war play of them all very
frankly disclaims any attempt to give
true picture OF conditions. We think
that the success Of "The Better 'Olc" is
largely due to the fact that it has dis
missed all horrors and substituted
songs and qups and chorus girls.
Bairnsfathcr knows war, which is the
very reason why he has carefully kent
most of it out of his play
But the case against realism does
not end merely with the war play. No
body can writo about things as they
are without being swept along by some
intense conviction. The war has en-
hsted intense convictions and burned
them up 1t will take a good many
years before anybody can feel as
strongly about anything as he did
about the war. Even the league OF ma
tons, although it has set plenty of
bitterness loose among political lead
crs, has aroused no enormous parti
sanship among the general public in
this country.
Perhaps it will be a good thing for
the dramatist to lay aside realism for
time. 1t is mood which requires
not only an immense conviction. but
fair mndedness as we'll, and logic. Now
as matter of fact, there is hardly
enough fair ntledncss in the world
to-day to polish thimble top and the
stock of logic is hardly as generous. 1t
seems to us, for instance, that anybody
who wishes to oppose the league of ma
tons has only to read the speeches Of
the men who favor it, while if he wishes
to stand solidly behind the Presidents
plan he can quickly bring himself back
into line by reading the remarks of
the men who are against the league.
Realism in the theatre is difficult
enough under the best conditions. so
there can be no possible harm in let
ting 1t bide it's time until the eyes
OF the world are a bit less bloodshot.
Fortunately, the abandonment of real
ism does not mean the desertion OF
truth A fantastic play which bears
no direct relation whatever to life
may very well be moro true than a
play which is something like life, but
not quite. Most of our plays fall into
this neutral ground. They have
neither the truth of reality nor the
truth Of sheer imagination. 1t seems
to us that Peter Pan" is q truer
play than Tho Lion and the Mouse"
for the reason that it tells 10 DELHI
crate lies, at any rate. 1t doesn't say
this Ia life and then palm off big
rcene. The whole attitude of "Peter
Pan" from tbs beginning, Is to con
vince its audiences that tho thing
with which IT deals isn't life at all
Plays Of thiB sort have one enormous
advantage over the realistic or tho
hcmi-rcaliatic drama. Some OF un
know what life Ia. but nobody, unlesa
It be Barrie, is familiar with that
state OF existence which we have
elumsily designated ms not-lifc.
II Isn't necessary 10 invade fairy.
land In order to provide plays which
approximate tho fantastic There mr.,
countries on tho map which arc SUIT
GENTLY unfamiliar to give no suggcs
ton Of reality to American audiences
Japaneso play. for instance, NIGH
be almost Photographic, and yet in
broadway Theatre it would have all tn,
effect OF piece Of detached imagina
ton. Again, fertile field Of fantas,
can be reached by turning back T.
times which are gone or times which
are to come. 1t is probable that W.
VIII have number Of plays concern
ing life after death A few season
ago death, or anything pertaining to it
was not popular theatrical theme
but at that time there wasn't mucl
! death. Now it cannot be ignored
fiaywrights might as well face It, or
better yet, look behind It.
S'ill another field for the writer VIII,
wishes to deal with things imagina
lively lies in dreams. 1t would seen