The Denver Jewish news., 1923-11-08

l
what they are willing to pay for.
During my visit TO New York last
December. l heard william A. Brady.
the dean of theatrical producers. give
lecture. He told of his producing
that wonderful play called 'I'he World
We Live In" or "The Insect Comedy
Against the advice of his hest friends
in the theatrical profession. and his
colleagues. he put on this play in a
most elaborate and artistic manner.
in his desire and in his belief that
there were people enough in New York
City to support an artistic. original and
interesting play such as ''The World
We Live In"
What was the result? Financial
failure. Mr.. Brady put 1t pOintedly.
when he said: III the public refuses
to invest $2.7J apiece on Art. why
should l be asked to go bankrupt for
Arts sake? No more OF this In the
future l. shall give the people what
they want: Who Stole His Wife,
A Desert WOolng,' or She Loved Him.
But He Moved Away
But 1t is not necessary to go as far
as New York. or even Chicago. to find
fault with the public's taste. 1t is
true that in Denver. seldom do we get
n play WORTHWHILE. hut occasionally
We have The opportunity of witnessing
II play. remarkable for its artistic pre-
scntntion, or for the moral that it
| teaches.
You remember 1.-THE Circle" by Som
erset Maugi,nn; ''rhe Passion Flower"
by Bennvente; the plays of Barrie. and
more recently 1.-The Emperor Jones' y
by Eugene O'Neill, and THE Skin
Game" by GalswOrthy. They will tell
YOU at the Broadway bOyOfiice that all
Of these plays were shown In Denver
Mt great loss. Most Of the few who
did go to see them. thinking perhaps
that they were musical comedies. were
much disappointed. and their only
criticism was, that .the endings were
terrible"
This condition exists nll over the
United States. To those who do care
for the higher things In the drama.
their only opportunity to know any
thing about them IL tO buy the plays
when they are published ind read and
act them at home.
No, don't think for a moment, my
friends, that there are no good plays
being written and that NIL the good
piaywrighis are dead. However. from
cur lack Of opportunity to see them.
they might well have never lived.
Why don't we get more of George Ber-
nsrs shaw, s,trinsalerx. Hsuptmann,
Pira ntlellO, and others too numerous to
mention
These are just few Of the modern
plnywrights who aim to show us up In
our cnmpinccncy. our satisfaction. and
cur well-fed civilization. Is II because
they lash the age, because they r'dicule
false pretenses. because they expose
hypocrisy. because they deride hum
hug In politics. religion and sOcinl life,
and the falsity OF our pretended Puri-
tnnism? Don't go 10 them. II you want
wpll-shapesl legs. bare back and sweet
nothings. No. they won't give us the
sweet and darling plays. the kind
where the heroes and herOines. losing
their lives in the next to the last act,
suddenly regain them, and live happy
ever nfter In the lnst-a In Bertha NJ.
Clay.
One gets an idea OF the public taste
by observing thS plncarsls advertising
play. II II pictures a naked woman.
or the title he suggestive Of an i'm
moral or immoral bedroom scene, then
had you better order your tickets a
week in advance, II you wish to he etli-
fled by such an exposition. Anyone
may recall his own experiences in New
York City. or even in Denver. If there
happens to be some heroic character
who attempts to produce Shakespeare,
do you have to stand in line to get
your tickets? Friends have boasted
to me that il you wanted to see the
.Follies" or the "Sillies," You have to
pay $1,000 to get n good seat.
Let us consider the play that attacks
our American code of morals; our ig-
norancc. the faults Of our social life :;
which depicts the pampered, careless,
extrav agant woman-the social
climber"-whO fOrgets love and duty
and everything worthwhile, for money
and social position: or the play that
s,,,o,r, o,,r iuvotor,,fo Stunif1itv thp Init
red for the beautiful. the fine, which
seems anchored and implanted in OUR
merchant minds, preOccupied ms we
are with moneymaking. with outwit-
ing our competitor, in outstrippins
our neiglibOr.