New-York tribune., 1919-01-19
Dumsan,v Voices The
ROnlunficesf $ Dissent

most NliM&l themes with which drama
concerns itself mans grapp,ings with
the invisible forces. These plays Of
fantastic gods, whose dooms oycrtakc
so swiftly the strange audacitics OF
mortals, have some of the contours
Of Greek drama but. seen IN relation
to oar time. they are a poets protest
against the sophistrjcs which cncom
pass us.
This Intention is not quite admitted
By Dunsany. Inc plays arc primarily
work Of 'maginatiou he says, mean,
to inspire wonder and delight. as =
thing Of beauty should But it is vim
dicatod in a contribution to The Ma
tonal Reviav." entitled "Romancc and
the Modern Stage" in which he says
Il should not dare to advise and have
nothing to say except 10 ask thai the
theatre be set up against the false;
that the higher realism, the realism OF
the poets, who see the whole of lfcs
journey. be set up against the lower
realism which sees only how man
equips himself with morals and money
and custom for the Journey but knows
not where the journey leads nor why
man wants TO 90. For romance
has not been driven from the stage
only by those that like the false and
sham obviously among these romance
will not abide. for romance is the most
real thing in life but he has been
jostled by the enemies of the shams
that arc too busy trying to overthrow
the shams to let their fancics dance
on the hills. For our age is fun of new
problems that bewilder and absorb Us
thc gift of matter enthronod
but the discoveries of steam
and electricity which have eivcn life
10 matter. are as perplcxing to every
one Of US as what came out Of the
bottle that the Arabian fisherman
found"
This is not tho Aaccid romanticism
Of ono who ycarns to escape reality.
1t is the voice of one who desires to
strip away some of tho clutter Of
things in which the spirit Of man has
lost itself
Dunsany came into being as q dram
atist on the crest Of the Irish Literary
Theatre movement, with whose history
are connected the name Of Yeats,
Moore. Martyn. "a E. Lady Gregory,
Shaw. Svnge and Colum This move
mcnt had been started ton wears be
fore he wrote his first play. while he
was abroad fighting in the Bocr War
Ills first play. "Thc G(ittoring Gate"
showed at once the extraordinary vigor
Of imagination which is his greatest
contribution to the theatre. The scene
Of MS play is a Lonely Place before
the Gate Of Heaven, where two de
ceased burglars stand vainly knocking
at the gate Finding it immovablc
ono Of them brings out his jimmy.
with which he tries to open the huge
gate. Suddenly the door begins to
Weld. and both men pause to collect
their IDEAS Of what heaven is like. One
expects to find his mother there and
the other expects 10 be greeted by
door opens wide they look out and soc
nothing but grea. t.dc void
Bill staggering and gazing into tho
reVeaiod Nothing. in which a. stars 20
wanderinpl Stars. Blooming great stars
There amt no heaven. Jim.
Ever since The revelation cruel and
violent augh has arisen Off It increases
in .oiuwe and grow louder and louder
and louder.l
aim That Ike thcm That vcry
Ose them Yes. tne d do tnst
Tho curtain fails and the laughter
stil howis onJ
10 This iron.e theme Of the
cosnic io.. OF man. struggles With
the lnaa which Dunsany returns
again and again sometimes in pure
meiodrama, as in "a Night at an Inn"
ed "1ho Queens Fnemies.' or satire.
as II "1he Golden Doom" or poetry,
as n "Tne Tents Of the Arabs tic
does y With unique economy and
powerful skill and it loses no poig
nancy n repetition. R. D.