The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-31
MargaretAngli
Longs for Olden
Days of DeMilIe
Doesn't Like Iconoclasts; Would Build
Rather Than Destroy.


Don't show people things they shouldn't
do Show them the ideal If it is neces-
sary for artistic completeness to do the
other thing. show results rather than
processes. l don't like iconoelasts unless
they do something besides destroy. 1t is
so easy to tear down and so slow and hard
to build up Perhaps that is why there are
so many people tearing things down and so
comparatively few of us who are truly
trying to build something better.''-Mar-
garet Anglin-
Miss Margaret Anglin desires, with
great and sincere ambition, to uplift
the stage. but she wouldn't for the
world be classed with the professional
stage uplifters whose idea of per-
forming their task is to present an
unbroken program of Ibsen and
Tchekov and other strong drama
fists. After a SURVEY of the dramatic
world overbalanced with dark blue
little theaters forcibly feeding a de-
bad-tasting realism and a lace edged
flutter of farces with one foot over
the edge, a talk with Miss Anglin is
as refreshing as an early morning
walk over the hills. There is moth
ing weighy academic about her the
atrfcal beliefs. no determination to
elevate the brows of her audience by
main force if possible.
Likes the OIdfashioned,
Because-w hisper it-Miss Anglin
wants to, be old fashioned, with the
blessed old-fashion of wholesomeness.
She wants to return to the plays of
the type that DeMille and the play
wrights of his time wrote. Plays that
have for their theme a fundamental
and wholesome truth: plays that pro-
vide for 1.-The tired business man. a
laugh that leaves him the better for
laughing it; plays with a bit of, pathos
and romance and a bit of adventure
n nd f1-ca,, Ir14
sense.
And she doesn't want audiences to
be too soPhisticated-that is, about
how the wheels go around.
II wish the public didn't know SO
much about things behind the
scenes" she said. How can anybody
really enjoy a play when he knows
Just how automatically every effect
is produced? Let US, on the stage,
suffer by having illusions destroyed
and by seeing the wrong side Of
things; but do let audiences keep their
Illusion about US and what we do.
know that we have to play tricks with
scenery and lights and so on, but I
would SO much rather have my audi
ence enjoy the effect without that
shattering sophistication as to stage
mechanics" Miss Ang1in would great
ly prefer having the audience inter
ested in the drama being unfolded
than to have an overwise house wis
pering to its next door neighbor, "Oi,.
yes; know how they do it,
Never Tired of Acting.
Miss Angiin is as keenly interested
III her work and it's growth as she was
at the beginning of her career. II
never get tired of acting she told
me. TT is all just as vivid and new
to me the last night of the season as
the first. I am always planning ahead
for something BETTER
Miss Anglin sees the future of the
theater depending on the efforts of the
producers. actors and audiences, who
will be satisfied to work slowly, grad
ually building up good dramatic struc-
lures to crowd out the things of little
worth.
Miss Anglin is at the Grand this
evening in her latest success, THE
Woman of Bronze And guess that
will be about all. n, s. A.