The New York herald., 1922-10-08
Nationalism in Drama.


The impulse toward national drama
is making itself strongly felt in most
of the English speaking countries,
although its influence may so far
have failed to touch the commercial
theater. It's beginnings are usually
made in a little theater or in some
playhouse associated with an edu-
cational institution. Few movements
have started with such vigor as that
led by Lady GREGORY, who was able
within a short time to found the
Abbey Theater.
Ireland had been satisfied for years
with BoUcIcAULT as its more OF
less national playwright. Literary
Ireland Of the present day, however,
demanded SYNGE, YEATS ROBINSON,
MOORE and the rest OF that school
as the really representative writers
for the stage. BoUCIcAULT's stage
Irishman is caricature of the past.
Gone from the minds of the present
generation are the Shaughraun and
the rest Of the children Of the man
that Ireland was once proud of.
Australia is in the same way de-
manding that it's drama represent
national life as it exists to-day.
HADDoN CHAMBERS won fame gen.
Grafton ago with his melodrama OF
the bush, Captain Swift" The as
pirations of the Australian play
wrights of the nationalistic move
ment are, however, remote from the
model on which Mr.. CHAMBERS built
his clever plays. The life of the
people in the bush, on the vast
stretches of its plantations and even
in it's suburban towns is the concern
Of Australia's young dramatists. OF
course it is only the small company
of the elect that shares this exclu-
sive preference for realism on it's
stages. Probably the man in the
street likes drama in it's less literary
forms.
Canada, which has supplied play
wrights during recent years with its
halfbreeds, it's mounted police and
it's younger sons, has also expressed
its belief in theater more closely
allied to its actual existence. There
has been no lack OF young writer's to
respond to this need. More or less
amateur actors and special theaters
are also at hand. The Canadian
drama that the public likes is, how
ever, the kind with which it has
been familiar for years. The newer
school is known only to the inner
circle. The familiar figures Of the
border drama are still most potent
with theatergoers the world over.
This attempt to correlate the drama
with local life is not confined TO Eng
land and her colonies. 1t has found
expression in the United States, espe-
cially in the Middle West Some of the
Wisconsin products have been brought
to New York and approved here. 1t
was Lady GREGORY who felt that no
other country afforded such inspira-
tion to local dramas as the United
States. Her suggestion that the the
aters in the Ozarks, in Minnesota, in
Louisiana and other sections of the
country be devoted to plays of those
regions did not end with the local
playhouses. She also urged central
temple in one OF the largest cities,
preferably New York or Boston, in
which the best of these plays could
be acted every year.
Such an institution could with diff
flculty be maintained under the con-
ditions that govern the existence of
theaters in this country. II is, more
over, doubtful If it is needed. The
American theater is beginning to rep
resent more completely every year
the life OF the people.