The Washington herald., 1921-06-05

The Memory Test
= L
By EARLE DORSEY.


IL accepted vogue-at the present interval-at least
half that number of methods and systems for re-,
ducans to hnaI reckoning of success or failure the
plays that pass in review during
From end Of a another. will
hear, at various times. gross arguments.
all centering excellence of this play and
the lack Of excellence of that play srgu-
ments thus earnestly advanced, something less than
oos per cent will ring upon the with a convincing
note In its own particular fashion every blessed
argument Of course, is right-ss far Il goes.
The trouble lies in the fact that the argumentstivs
medium employed covers only portion ground.
For instance, adherent of the show business
viii instantly resolve all plays back their
office elements and with a proft-sheet held aloft
proof irrefutsble- be will hold by
such and such a play was glittering triumph be-
cause it earned 325o.ooo profit in season. whereas
such and such a drama-you talk all you please
about art!-broke down hnnciaIy two weeks
Broadway.
contenders who rate the value and worth of play
by its particular personal appeal such gIorioa-
ton of motherhood. fetching child actress its
ravishing comicslty. its ruthless realism.
ihg on the theory that play is a good play that
pleases enough people, that yardstick.
fashion. proves quite accurate. but only far
il
~ However, in considering the plays a busy sea-
son in retrospect some more comprehensive medium
than personal reaction indIvIdus! isolated
dramatic factors is necessary. The box -ohice yard
stick can prove concusively that AvcrX Hopwood's
Belssco production The Gold Dggers." good play
because it fetches the dollars, but the rule
would prove The Blue Flame" play of equal merit
The maternity, fsctorw Indicate that Rida John
son Young wrote play in The Front Seat
but it would take account OF a frightfully srti-
hcsl and unworthy third act total variance with
an otherwise good production People have been
known TO laugh uproarousIy at play like "zzi~
and nothing funny all in The Young Vsiters"
but does that finally The Young vsiters"
all things considered is play inferior 70 "zzzi"E
UGH standards decline TO function beyond
G lated and individual play. The standard that
. one to he OF a st b
comprehe nsive. more far-reaching. more ALIEN
bracing than any Of these when begins
search for sll-embracing standard. the memory
test arises that while not infable is never
theless test that will in nine out Of ten give
pretty accurate Iow-doWn the good and bad
plays of a nine month.
words many stage stories does
vividy remember from September to May, and, per
only with difficulty after the lapse of 20 40
OF course-and here is the generic weakness Of
all standards Of absolute Impersonal stage compSr-
Seen, say, half a dozen plays in season Watching
half plays in season. matter how afro
the plays. places no strain upon the memory;
itself is suficient TO engraNe with permanence,
the plot OF old play on mind keeniy acute to
am speaking. however. of the individual who
m%eS hi That viii give him credit Of plays
iS.s to he TO the sharp Eest o
reduce his sn'i es saSS Ss
the @ and md 9 S6eg and 0 bad hg p Of any
In
Of his class 10 TePeRt R inS or Noon or step
Of Cp IN Msoei e TO rooni ioT hand rhalItngg him 80
in all hOnss that saed h Hs StSTy on e Eugene
oNeills "BeyGud tne horizon or a. ne saw ~ SSThy %
Gum 9IRtrys to rb pIo Of aMartiHque and Il is dollars
to doughnHts that the story of Booth Tarkinston,s
memory, yet on the other hand, how much wiil he
oT even the basic idea Of Philip Earholomaes The
Se GPeP dBS fensmSsred Sa @RaF Your
MiHVSs seene amy Of he Passion a. &
Lawrence's Ghost Between in tner 9nIT9'y; % , sgt
take to fnd Is who cant r. mfmgsT; % %ifI sehs
or Come Seven" And if one steps over into The
musical held for every one 50 nGTis0 as viz ~
marshal Mt Pleasan3 ssr9ad Of the m ISRfg @ b TsG
Pat Rooney was dressed up like bell mop and Marion
The more one studies the workings of this memory
test the more sound and emPT&cinf % m ~ b MI! e n Lo
Of Course because i remember most of Sammy Ship
that probably due to the fact that the Gsm&Sss
fortSnateiy, was forced to carefully and systemat-
caliy damn.
THE same test takes equal iSFee % when 6rs S
-,S 10 the o Pcsgff Naton cabra Dwans Betty Of
GreystS1S .nnken An5S Blossoms eaerts OF the
World Intolerance" or Way Down East? on the
foundIy mediocre picture one month atter II mas
passTSb m s Psychological basis this and
when all is said and done II is basis supremeg
simple peAetTsfes sSGe the
degree. 1t is chiefly that penetraIing
its texture of construction and errors OF logic
hut in the its effectiveness as the presentation
- q Given subject vastly outweghs its lack OF et-
Sa.tiveness for the most part, one consumes Il
with appreciation. with keen attention.
WIZ" The natural result manifests itself afterward in
-.,,orS The open-minded conditio nof the author,
ur,ablshed early the action permits of the Tree
;ntroduction the dramatist of subsequent IDEAS
impressions pictures that of particular i'm
nortance With poor play the mind takes an
poa turn. Receptive the beginning
the mind quickly discerns flat, tasteess husks OF
IDEAS and theories and the natural reacton Is an
erort to protect ones OF consistency against
otherwise. from behind the foot
Iights In of bad play. one quickly becomes
bishIv critical highly discriminatory and highly re-
sstan MT TO ideology of unwelcome and usually un-
sound nature. In the long run thought is closed 20
the unfolding poorly told tale and the mind that
has not grasped cannot afterward recover plot
thread. -. -
good drama only when the memory has attained. by
particular direction to the critical
plane 10 years, fresh from his second circus
position assign that particular circus
Ia In he circIs