The New York herald., 1922-06-11

expenditure quite inessential to plays
and their acting.
There are many, very many, plays
mentioned as suitable material for
his exemplary theater. But not one
American play! There are few Amer
lean plays worth mentioning for the
theater he dreams about. Why is
that? Cannot Americans make plays
which will be civilizing as well as
entertaining? Is it possible that the
author of "The Magnificent Amber
sons" and "Alice Adams" can write
nothing for the stage but thin and
pleasant trifies? Is it possible that
the author of Lulu Bett" the novel
wishes to twist her dramatization
into such trivial ending? AS the
very existence of such a book as
1.-The Exemplary, Theater' implies,
the market for thoughtful plays on
a background of reality is every
where limited. In America that linn
tied market is entirely exhausted by
the plays Mr.. Barker alludes TO in
his book OF almost all of these we
have seen commercial PRODUCTIONS
here i'm New York. Has America.
then, no adult playwrights? The an
swer of the Theater Guild, which is
an attempt in the direction of an
exemplary theater, would seem to
be mo-"
Perhaps Mr.. Owen Davis, author
of the thoughtful play "The Detour."
might shed some light on the proper
answer. He, with all the advertise
ment of a reckless career of reckless
melodrama behind him, apparently
finds considerable difficulty in get
ting to the stage the thoughtful
plays he wishes to write now. Very
probably 1.-The .Detour" owes its New
York production to the obvious and
fussy theatricalism which would
place his honest realism and senti-
ment altogether beyond Mr.. Bsrker's
consideration for the repertory of his
exemplary theater. 1.-The Detour
tries to say something sincerely
about a section of American life and
is very welcome addition TO the
few American plays which have done
so. More might have done so if the
limited market for this sort of play
were not preempted by the foreign
plays on which the American mana
ger minimizes his risk. since they
have already proved fairly successful
elsewhere. Mr.. Barker rightly says
that the physical action in a play is
unimportant, the mental and emo
tional action is all in all; but the
thoughtful American playwright,
having no European managers to
produce his plays first, must clutter
and clog them with childish physical
action if he wants to get them pro-
duced.
Mr.. st. John Ervine is better
playwright than Mr.. Davis. But,
being an Englishman and having al
ready had his admirable plays pro-
duced admirably by our exemplary
theater of New York city. he at least
can afford to be-. He is not under
the necessity of discreet trucking to
stupid stage hustle. THE Ship has
more amplitude of characterization,
more salient dialogue, more depth of
penetration, certainly. But perhaps
"The Detour" might have more OF
these than it has had it been freed
from the need of persuading the
American manager that it is good
play because it bristles with obvious
business" 1t is noticeable that even
the probable reading public for Mr..
Irwin's play is more to be counted on
by the publishers. The paper and
the printing of the book is much
better because its sale is more likely
to repay the investment. THE Ship"
again demonstrates it's authors abil-
ity to depict the spiritual crises in
the lives of commonplace people. An
old woman sits for a few moments
upon the stage after this drama is
over; she yields TO her tears, shuts
up the house, turns out the light
and goes out. THERE'S quietness.
The play ends" The American play
wrights who dare to end in this quiet