New-York tribune., 1922-12-31
D, Royal Cortissoz

sunday on tne
p" 800 settings at the oper"
requires, you say no sn.woI. I. aver. |
..E for sympathy and think |
.,1v some Of our readers may I
4 no interest which we e0th |
sf ~. subject Moreover, through I
Jsi'lusionizing experiences OF .
,.s speak you preserve intact
-, deIicately misehievous sense |
80 Confess now, was u not
.-.thinr like q ehuekle that you
~ ,..,r remarks to man headed
'- s.,s,etly vel knew, only a few
$ y, 80, toward a performance Of
tels msuincd by Mr. Urban's
'iE'.1- '., ..s,s. a fellow feeling sure
80, - uoadrous kind. In this
y -, ne to be sympathetieally
si,alaie. u..-..,s;
=, ls.. va y. Mcrcifuily had
,..,,,,r an abod. Sc and numerically
~.,i,s itself again with only the
=, p,lnful effect after a years
I sgs,s The aftcrdcck in the first
.-i,h. have been extracted from a
=. A., he doodads amidships where
(, ,,tion goes on, still smotc my eyes
,Hb the exotic garishncss Of an
,.....l bazaar. The bcetling tene-
u, n the Second act still resembles
-,ssr, house Of the skyscraping or
=, and m the last act J was reminded
y. more Of the kind OF masonry
/ s.,t.d BY our railroad engineers. Il
!, indeed. as though time bad stood
I'm and 7 was back at my initiation
=. tbis huer-day version Of a classic.
v-e Naizensucr. like Nine. Easton
,,sre her, was nothing II not the
-{snt prima donna - whore our be-
u,a Lili Lehman, so many years ago,
-, content 70 he Isolde
lr5 then you talk Of intercession
~ the rodsl How shall I respond,
rho have also been in This stony
IA arcadia and have WINGED as you
ns WINGED? You ask for sympathy.
,r comfort. Well, when you arc hurt
acre IS comfort, sometimes, IN exam
n into what hurt you. J have been
..isg this for years, ever since the
rmie ineonaruIucs and cruditics OF
sl,h you speak came into my view,
tying 20 find out what 30 was that
bart have concluded that it was
ss tendency Of The stage designer to
20, differently rather than 20 see beau
tsny. There was, let us admit. Ger
ss AMOUNT Of excess upholstery about
4, sets with which Daily and Henry
ing used 10 Gll the eye. in the re-
iaon AGAINST 10 a quantity Of furni-
hh was bound 20 be thrown overheard
though wondor how many OF US
Foud assert, hand on heart that D.
esly destroyed the illusion sought by
hose astutc builders Of theatrical pic
urcs. stHl, the surplusage had TO go.
never mourncd it But ] thought J
,erecivcd only q doubtful substitute
or 10 in the claboratcly organized SIM
'licity which began with Gordon Craig.
You can't get simplicity, the kind Of
simplicity that is beautiful, by taking
bought. 10 must arise from the cen
iul spring Of your inspiration and be
/ habit OF mind: Sc is Of the soul Of
things. not Of their dress. Landor has
, word for the literary man here which
Il equally opposite for the artist.
Never try 20 say things admirably"
is observes; "try only 20 say them
tanly." The new school Of Simple
~ never went in for saying things
t'iinly: it strovc more often 20 be
isrirablc. different, new There has
ben for me a kind Of morbid fascina-
'tm about the numerous models for
sag, settings I have seen. Nominally
hey have over and over again pumped
isf simplicity, with a great play Of
tremendously emphasized horizontal
and vertical lines. Actually they have
been labored, sclf-consclous TO the last
degree. And yet if you are looking for
comfort, there IS a little TO be found
n the occasional success Of this very
school There have been times in its
search FOR the admirable, the different,
The new, when it has hit felieitously
upon al three.
] remember when Granville Barker
vas producing some plays in New York
ee invited me TO see few Of them
and studied especially their scenery.
Itrc was piece. "The Man Who
Narrled a Dumb Wife" with an in
Festiture possessing a charm that still
ingers IN my memory. Il was de-
signed ] think, By Mr. Robert Edmond
Tones, who keeps the dramatic critics
20 busy, now lifting them TO Elysium
md now bowling them as low as to the
lends. Tie was perfect IN that piece.
he knew an about the simplicity dodge.
bot he didn't handle it like a con
iufer taking a rabbit out Of a hat.
On the contrary, the skillful arrange
nsnt Of line which marked his design
vas the most natural thing in the
s'fld; it just happened, arising out
THE genius OF the little play. Illu-
iea was there, Shortly afterwards
'aFker made a production Of "Mid-
'lmmer Nights Dream" IN which the
'lry loveliness Of that drama was torn
nd tattered as By bungling hands.
Mat vas the cause Of the difference
'siwten the attacks made upon the two