New-York tribune., 1919-04-27
Appla''Iing
Il British
Critic
/ PHENOMENON recently ap.

Henry Arthur Jones is delighted with
the thoughtful" articles on "The
Reconstruction Of the THEATRE. He
agrees with the sentiments voiced
aRd says:
THAT the standards of our evening
amusements for some years past have
been nothing short of national dis
grace Is allowed by every Englishman
who is capable of serious thought on
the matter. The Germans looked on them
as measure Of our degcneracy and
jeered at US. The French, with equal
reason and moro politeness, have mere
ly shrugged their shoulders and smiled.
NJ. Adolpe Brisson, in 'Lc Temps has
recently commented on the 'puerility'
OF the English plays hc has seen, and
OF their want OF relationship to real
life He wonders how such childish
stutf-pantomime or sickly sentimental
can please the public of London and
New York;
Mr.. Jones thinks the question Of
dramatic reconstruction demands
urgent consideration. He regards it
as zone Of great social Importance
in itself, and of greater Importance
in its implications. To continue:
again and again, before the war,
pointed out that our growing inability
to think seriously and nationally in the
theatre was the correlative of our in
ability to think seriously and ration
ally about our greater concerns-our
national defences, our national indus
tries, our national religion. Again and
again l affirmed that the type Of enter
tainment most favored, alike by our
popular and fashionable audiences,
was a symptom of national alteration
and a reckless invocation to approach
ing calamity"
The playwright applauds the critic
for having fearlessly attacked the
theory of censorship:
"Your dramatic critic has thoroughly |
probed and exposed the present de-
graded condition of the English theatre
He has done more, he has brought for
ward detailed and workable scheme
for its reconstruction and regeneration.
He has spoken very frankly of the
utilities and absurdities of the Lord
Chambe rlain's Office in dealing with
plays. Its mischievous inefficiencies
and caprices, it's inherent impotence,
either for the repression of what is
evil in the theatre or for the encour-
agement of what is good, have long
been startlingly apparent"
He also rejoices in the critics
courageous attack upon
"the present system Of speculative
management, which has so much to do
with the absence of serious comedy and
drama from our stage. Theatrical
management is, first of all, a business,
and the manager is rightly and prima-
rily concerned to make his theatre pay.
But the later developments OF specu-
iatlng managements, wholly concerned |
to make huge profits, may we'll cause
your critic concern and alarm, for they |
threaten more and more to degrade
and vulgariae our stagei while the rich |
man who keeps theatre as he would |
keep racing stud or yacht and |
doesn't care how much money he loses
is a public enemy and cerrupter, and
calls loudly for your critics new au-
therity TO upreet him from our the
atfea,"
Again, he pfaiaes the critics de-
fence OF the appearance Of children
on the stage under proper safe
guards, and expresses the belief that
the writer
"has done a real service to the drama
and also to the children them Ives,
The new educational act, among many
other questionable and mischievous
provisions, still further restricts the
employment of children on the stage
indeed, virtually forbds it. Some
months ago, before his bill had passed.
urged the Minister Of Education to
delete or revise the clause which pro-
hibits the performance of five of
Shakespeare's most popular plays
Macbeth, The Winters Tale King
john Merry Wives of Windsor and
Midsummer Nights Dream The same
clause tends greatly to the DISCOURAGE
rnent Of Shakespeare on our stage, in
asmuch as it prevents children with
natural gift for acting from gettint
that early practice in their craft which
mas given US SO many of the great
Shakespearian actors of the past. II
also strikes very damaging blow at
modern serious comedy and drama"
The proper attention, it seems
vas also paid to the National
Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Mr.
Jones still hopes that at some future
time England may have a national
theatre on the lines of the Theatre
Francais. But he says
that future will rot be at an earlv ~
dlscerniblc date. We have standiny
warning before us in the complete fail
ure Of the American national theatre
Nothing but some such ridiculous faSco
awaits any attempt 10 build an Epol;sh