The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-03-10

tellectually before he becomes suffi..
GENTLY conscious of his own spiritual
states to express them.
The form or structure of the drama
is second item of importance. The
following is an outline based on
twenty-five of Shakespeare's best
plays: . ..@. a
/ Act
/. Opening situation. Il
2. Chief desire or maximum con-
summation. A~
3. A new force. resolving force.
4. Minor obstacle.
II Act -. .
|. Major obstacle.
2. Consequences shaping.
III Act
l. A new force.
2. Subjective climax. ..
8. New plans-a turning from
complications to sequel. -,
w Act .-.
2. Final shaping of the resolving
force. {
V Act
]. Objectice climax. 49,.
2. Revelation of themes meaning.
The modern stage is presenting few
five act plays; they are mostly Jour-
three, or two acts.
Now the Introductory scene, or ex-
position as it is technically termed,
must prepare the audience for the
play, telling what it is all about, who
the principal characters are, with
enonph facts about them to make
hearers easily and quickly acquainted
with the whole situation and be put
in the proper mood. In the ancient
drama this was set apart from the
main body of the play and narrated
by one of the actors.
Shakesneare in some of his ear
];er nlays was wonderfully skillful in
his introductions. Probably one OF the
most artistic is the opening scene IN
Romeo and Juliet in which we ma 2
feud between the Montagues ana
Capulets breaking out into street
brawl and then we are witnesses OF a
scene of love at first sight between
the daughter of one Of these houses
and the son of the other. We are m
reniously informed Of all we need TO
know to understand the play ana
are introduced into action at once.
The witch scene in Macbeth is an
other example of skillful exposition
We are ali familiar with the very
common modern-day introduction OF
the house maid who, while busting the
furniture vivaciously informs the
footman all about the domestic al
fairs of the household. One Of Pinero's
expositions is rather effective and ma
tural. He shows reporter lnterylew-
ing the private secretary OF tne leaa-
ing character. While it has been tne
rule of our best playwrights to put the
exposition in first scene there seems
to be growing tendency to weave the
exposition into the body OF the play
itself as Ibsen does in the Ghosts and
in Rosmersholm. 1t, however, is con-
sidered blot on Ibsen's artistry that
we are left in doubt so many times as
ia, the real motive that actuates ms
characters. z. ~,
Now after the opening scene, the
story must not wander off into BY
paths, but must move steadily TOR
ward. The essential events must De
acted on the stage, not narrated.
Booth Tarkington's Gentleman from
Indiana failed because it did not fol-
low this well-established rule.
The plot is considered so important
by some of the older writer's that one
of them is quoted as saying, my play
is composed and ready. nave only
the verses to write"
Now this is quite in contrast to the
theories of many modern writer's, VINO
have presented plays with no plots
whatever, no climax, no hero or nero
inc: There is no beginning, they sim
ply stop, and no ending, they. just
stop. The audience knows the play is
over for the curtain fails to rise. The
recipe for writing one of these plays
of today, is to take two hours out OF
real life and put them absolutely with
out change before your audience. ms
return to nature in the drama seems
quite in harmony with the return to
nature found in modern poetry.
= It has been suggested by some OF
the most worthy critics of the drama
neare shows his skill is in the first
that return to art would be- appre-
ciated by theatre-goers. One reason
why the modern playwright has been
so ready to discard the plot may be be-
his sliding suspicion into Othello's
mind without drawing attention upon
himself. Another place where Shakes
cause there can be no more new plot
material. It is claimed there are only
thirty-six possible situations. If. how
ever, the number of situations is linn
tied the number of new characters is
limitless. The plot, however import
ant that may be, can be only the
framework in which the characters are
suspended. The play must be peopied
with characters who pulsate with life
and linger in the mind long after the
play IS forgotten We will never for
get Shylock or Falstaff even tho we
do forget the incidents in the play, or
even the name of the play In winch
these occur. It is generally accept
ed theory that great plays are great
because of the veracity Of character
delineation and by subtlety OF psy-
chology. To be superior craftsman
the dramatists of today must know
Psychology says Shakespeare under
stood the efficacy Of indirect sugges-
ton. The subtlety of Iago consists IN
psychology. DR.. Ross in his Social
H. ,1o1, 0tho110 We are