The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-03-17
SPOKE ON GEORGE.B.
SHAW AS DRAMATIST
Normal School Budget)

SHAW AS DRAMATISI
Normal School Budget)
Miss Bess Lowry read a paper or
George Bernard Shaw before the Fac
ulty Club Wednesday night. 1t is
printed below.
I George Bernard Shaw, British critic
dramatist and socialist was born ir
Dublin. His father was a wholesale
dealer in corn. His mother was a good
musician who eventually became 6
teacher of singing in London. Shaw's
formal education ceased with his
school days in his fifteenth year. Two
Of the chief educational influences in
his early life were music and painting
Before he was Is he knew by heart
many operas and oratorios and was
also familiar with several Italian and
Flemish paintings and with the his
tory apart. The writer's and artists
who left the deepest impression on
Shaw in his early life were Shelley
Ibsen, Nietzsche, Marx, Wagner, Mo-
Fart. and Michael Angelo. After
leaving school he became a clerk in a
land agents ONCE position he aban-
doned in 1876 to make literary ca
reer for himself.
An unknown Irishman without
friends or money he laboured siren
uously for over nine years. If we may
take his word for it, he earned six
pounds during these years by his pen
Ave Of them coming from writing a
patent medicine advertisement. The
chief event of these years was his
conversion to Socialism an dhis as
sociation with the Fabian Society. He
wrote five novels in this period which
were at first rejected by publishers.
The third period Of his life covers
the years 1858 in which he was for
the most part on the staff of London
papers-first as an art critic, then as
a music critic and later as dramatic
sritic. In the latter he attracted at
tention by the vigor and severity of
his judgments. These dramatic es-
saws were later published as Ora
matte Opinions and Essays.
In 1898 Mr.. Shaw married.
In his fourth period, 1892-date,
Shaw is to be regarded primarily as
the dramatist.
In 1892 his first play "Widowers'
Houses" with it's Socialistic purpose
was produced and published. This
play was hooted by ordinary playgo-
ers and had few admirers outside the
Socialist circle.
A wear later "Mrs. Warren's profess
sion;E directed against the social evil
and among the best of Shaw's plays
was written, though not produced un-
I'll wears later, and then at first Will
fed on the charge of immortality.
When played in New York in 1905 the
actors were prosecuted.
The turning point in his dramatic
fortunes is marked by the year 1904
when Shaw had a triumph with John
Bulls Other Land" a statement of the i
Irish land question. Thenceforth
praises from distinguished critics
abroad, the success of "Cardida' in New
York and the performance of his plays !
ia several European capitals combined
to increase his fame and make him a !
financial success. He continued to
write about play a year.
Specially notable for their English
and American successes were Mrs.
Warren's Profession," John Bulls
Other Island" EARNS and the Man"
~Cardida" Ga defense Of the poetic
point of view against brute force and
common sense, Shaw's: first achieve
rsnt in comedy, "Man and Super
man" 1.-THE best concrete exposition of
Shaw's philosophy of life); "The Doc
tors Dilema" "a satire on the medical ;
professor and an attack on vlvisec-
tom; Fenny's first play, Androcles
and the Lion; and "Major Barbara"
which placed the Salvation Army on !,
the stage. :.
Shaw's plays first became we'll
known by the performances given at ,
the Royal Court Theater in London
Gnder the management of Messrs.
Vedreme and Granville Barker. His
plays were for the most part slow to :
win popularity. They were popular
in America when tabooed and pooh
hooed in England. His plays have
appeared on some of the most artistic
stages of Germany and Austria. Some
Of his plays have according to him. !
self been translated and performed in
all European countries except Turkey.
Greece and Portugal" In America
Shaw's plays have been successful
largely because of the bold efforts OF
Arnold DAILY and Winchell Smith, two
young dramatic revolutionists.
George Brandes, a great literary
critic, hailed Shaw as "the most ad-
of the contemporary British |,
dramatists."
Archibald Henderson of the Univer-
sity of North Carolina says: "Mr.
Shaw it seems to me is the most YER
satiIe and cosmopolitan genius in the :
drama of ideas that Great Britain has
yet produced" As a dramatist Mr..
Shaw demands distinct redistribu-
ton of dramatic values, lacking this
his dramatic career is mere comedy.
a clear line of division runs across the
drama of today. On the one side falls
that vast majority of plays which ac- :
cord more or less rigidly with the es-
tablished traditions of dramatic art. ,
On the other side fall the plays which
break away from the old conventions !,
and set up new presidents. In the
first class are found those works OF
art which are based upon emotion, live ,
solely in and for the dramatic move
ment and treat Of universal themes
character and destiny, life and death:
The authors of dramas Of the second ,