Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-02
81 Am Not a Puritan,
DO / Look Like One:?"

tertainly j am not gong 10 BRING
any puritanical influence to bear upon
the matter. ] am not Puritan. DO
look like onet' he asked.
lie is partial TO system of voluntary
censorship. II do not think that. so far
as the managers are concerned. tho
voluntary censorship will fail. | think
that when any one of the managers is
reminded that he has presented q play
that has something outrageous in 1t. he
Will do his best 70 remedy the matter.
1t is hoped that the appointment of
Mr.. Thomas for three years will event
ually figure largely in preventing any
repetition of the actors strike Of 1919.
since he enjoys tho confidence of both
sides. and was decidedly the influence
which prevailed upon both tho pros and
the cons TO sign peace agreement for
iiv" years
Thc managers have paid me- th"
compliment of putting n" in a place.
he said, 'where / am enabled to present
fairly th" interests of other elements
in the theatre with which managers
come into contact. such as dramat!sts,
actors. musicians. mechanical hands, rs
well rs with the public. My hope j.
to be able to offer suggestions which
will command their respect and make
for team work not only between pro-
du"ers themselves. but among all the
clements involved.
Mr.. Thomas promises that he is not
going to foster any particular kind of
play. He iut"nLS TO try to the best OF
his ability TO be careful not to lean un-
duly in any on" direction. with the in =
direct effect Ot StandardZng the thea =
trp. He believes that plays are stead
lily improving in quality.
"Compa America has more
dramAtiStS Of merit than any other
country IN the world, and happily the
general condition Of the stage today i
healthy" he believes. "Thc best plays
are written by men familiar with the
theatre. Th" two most successful plays
in the history Of the theatre were writ
ten by men who acted in them. The
success Of Frank Bacon's Lightning
and Frank Craven The First Year
is phenomenal.
Even Shakespeare himself was an
actor. lie knew his theatre first hand.
1t Is said that Shakespeare is uuap-
prOnchab". and thar the plays of today
ar" not IN any way comparable with
those Of his day. II ; absurd No art
in tn" world is 50 sensitive 10 the a..
mosph"r" that surrounds IL as that Of
the theatre.
Think OF your own taste. Sec how
II varies Times change and taste
changes. There was 4 period IN my
If" when mover wanted any play boy g..
ter than William Gtllrtt" play; then
came period when Barrie suited me
best of all. ! was Henry Arthur
Jones fan for time, then P.ucro
enthusiast.
And ! believ" that il a play Of
ShAkcSpear" to-day does nor stir the
emotions Of an average audience and If
they don leave the theatre sayin.
Ihats great play, then that play
OF Shakespeare, So FAR as today Is con .
rcrnrd, Is not Il great play. In the
hard'S generation the theatre had no,
IN" advantage Of tho modern inventions
IN stage lighting and scenic acCommo- .
9at Ions' II the scene was at night
Shakespeare had some one say:
When yon same star that's west
ward from the pole
Had made hts course to illuma that part
OF heaven
Where now II burns
or something like y. Or when II is cold
and biting and Hamlet says;
The air bites shroWdIy; il Is very
cold.
"And llUratio answers:
" 1T il nippjng and an eager air
DO you see what meuut Shakes
peare had to write his scenery; today
we have an electrician, painter, a
musician to get the effects for us.
- II it is cold and showing, the actor
no longer has to say so. but hc simply
shakes something that looks like snow
from his shoulders. It simpliiics mat .
tcrs, and changes entirely the character
OF tho nllN lntHN 81 DluI
II was necessary for Shakespeare I,
write his, would not be- n good uln,.
From one point Of view it would bc 1,
( ridiculous play"
OF course, Mr.. Thomas admits that
/ Shakespeare was n genius.
He had the fire of genius, but !