Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-15
DR.. DANIEL M. HoYT,
On Work Of the Drama League


THE general publics belief that all forms
l. of drama leagues are highly captious.
highbrow and overprone to preach Is unfor-
tunate, in the opinion of DR.. Daniel NJ.
Hoyt, a prominent member Of the Drama
League of Philadelphia and head OF that or
ganization's ''play going committee.
DR.. Hoyt, who Is a surgeon by vocation.
has his love and appreciation of what Is good
in American drama as an avocation. He
has some timely thoughts on tendencies In
the stage of today as well as an explanation
Of just what the Drama League does in its
dramatic criticism.
1--WE are always asking the eternal ques-
tion. What is good play| but no one
seems to know the answer to the riddle"
declared DR.. Hoyt. because the play that
appears to be good may prove an absolute
failure when produced on the stage. An ex-
ample of this is the famous S1O,OOO prize
play, Children of Earth, by Mary Brown
picked by committee of the most competent
Judges Of the drama that could be found as
the best play submitted to them out of many
hundreds, but which nevertheless played for
only one week in New York and then was
withdrawn entirely.
Drama and Morals
"In connection with the definition Of a
good play, common mistake is the con-
fuGing Of the word good and the word
moral which are in no manner to be con-
founded. A play from a dramatic stand
point may be grossly immoral and still be an
excellent play, and vice versa, Miss Frances
Starr, who played here year or so ago in
Tiger, Tiger gave remarkable imper-
sonation in play which was very excellent
dramatic material, but often grossly immoral.
Neither is a play good because it is
preachment. Nothing is so unpleasant to the
average person as to have the feeling that he
is being preached to or insstently taught
something. Daddies,' which came to this
city some time ago, was an attractive. pleas
ing little play until the onlookers suddenly
began to feel that there was definite propa-
ganda thrown at them. At once their in
| terest began to drain away.
ION the other hand, good play may
| preach or teach q lesson or carry message
| and the audience will never realize that fact.
| This is the ideal play, and here, indeed, is
an influence for the good of the theatre.
"a play is not good play simply because
| 1t has moral tackled on at the end as an
excuse for a lot of immortality. There was a
| play here several seasons ago with one Of the
| vilest cabaret scenes ever staged, but which
| advertised its moral tone and invited clergy
men to come and see It, thus gaining all
| kinds of advertising and becoming a financial
| success. 1t was one of those plays which
offered religious people, or rather those Of
| ultra religious ideas, chance to enjoy a
vulgar entertainment in the guise of a moral
| lesson.
| Then, too, a good play is usually simple
and talks about things with which the audi
cnce is familiar. The reason why many his
torlcal plays fail is that they depict or talk
| about things that people ought to know put
| do not. These people, with feeling akin to
shame, hate to be told Of their ignorance and
refuse to 20 to the play.
| "a great recent success In New York which
| introduced n famous American historical
| parsonage has one scene showing the surren =
der of Lee at Appomattox. All the charac-
ters on the stage In this scene are dusty and
dirty and battle worn except Lee, who comes
on in a spick and span uniform. The aver
this was historical discrepancy an over
sight on the part of the producer. but as a
matter of fact General Lee did have brand
new uniform given him at this time which he
actually did wear at the surrender. How
much more do the people who know Of this
fact enjoy that portion of the play!
All Love Musical Comedy
There Is an enormous amount of talk
about musical comedies and the evils that
they bring, but the fact remains that all tho
world Is going to love musical comedies de
spite any criticism that drama leagues the
world over can make, and 1t is up to us not
to criticize musical shows as class, but to
try to have good musical comedies.
"a great influence for the good OF the
drama in Philadelphia was Henry La Barre
Jayne, who recently died. Mr.. Jayne. In his
connection with the University Extension
and the Drama League, was the kindest and