New-York tribune., 1919-03-30
Want to See a Good Show Better Go to Italy

hand ?" He was merely Florcntinc gen.
tiemsn going home with others-the most
natural and easy thing in the world. )
When Nine. Duse drives out in Rome
nsaidens do not clutch at one another cry
ing. "Did you see j.. she. the Divine
One odd men are not to be met, their
! cheeks bathed in tears, muttering, "She
has just passed-now let me depart in
peace."
Italy, from Rome to Reggie, is far too
great for this; the spirit, the mind, of the
Roman man and woman far too real. [
ought to add that there is such institu-
tion the Garrick Club for Italian actors
Is it a blessing =. who can say? grand
club seems essential to our English speak
ing theatre-but then that is because with
us the social status of the actor is as i'm
portant to know how to act Again, may
this not all come from the fact that our ewu
actors are not given chance?
When / first met Salvin, felt rather as
an English enthusiast is brought up TO feel,
but / have learned since to curb this
climbing zeal. OFF the boards the actor
ceases to be actor because he is allowed
to become real being-one of the crowd
of the Italian people.
OF the acting / will not speak Who
will describe the olive and the vine OF
Italy .. the most ordinary and perfect
things of this beautiful land? Well, the act
ing is like the olive and the vine--it is
perfect.
In short, the Italian theatre is the Italian
! people. They go to the theatre without
prejudice and without curiosity-they act
for very little money and they pay little
money for their seats. They spend little
money on the stage fittings and as little
rs possible titivating the boxes, seats
and the bars.
Some of the best theatres are still with
out facades-have been unfinished for CEN
turies. Conceive in England building a
theatre from the heart outward Heavens
alive! we know thing or two, and one is
to always put UP a shell first of all and
then line it inside with the incest plush
and satin, word perfect mattresses and rat
tling fine bars; and after all that is done it
is quite time enough to see that Shake
speare is excluded and the chandelier in
place, SO that al! may be right on the night.
But all this criticism of England is solely
theatre seriously in our land. Whereas, I
want you to realize that in Italy it is
essential part of Italian life and has
been SO for centuries.
If | have failed to make this clearer to
those who think the Italian theatre is COM
parable with the English theatre and is
rather poor sort of affair when compared
with it, let me end retrieve my blum
der by stating, after the fullest reflection
and after years passed in the practice of
the theatre, that the Italian theatre is the
most cultured, the most distinguished and
the first theatre in Europe.
Some of US have worked to make the
English theatre the first in Europe
| know of whole families devoted to moth
ing but this. But when these look for the
people for whom they have worked they
find a newspaper a religious society or
some meddling puritancal busybody preach
ing to the people not to go in there
It's house of III fame,
Don't go in there
Or you'll lose your good name
Your mother and your sisters are waiting at
Enter not them portals-pause before it be too
So it is only the people who can make
our theatre-the people and we, their ser
wants. If the public" or large cliques are
allowed to come between us, all is at an end
and there will be no English theatre.
If that trumped-up thing, public opin
ion,' is allowed to voice and revoice ;ts
trivial opinons-its trash-everywhere and
thus nullify the creative power which we
and the people possess, pray heartily for
hot y,r,ho
utterly destroy the destroyer-that which
has come between art and national
life.