Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-14
The Drama Experiment
In Standardization
By Ph;1ander johnson

4 NHBODl vino was wearied OF
IA the theaters this week has only
himself to blame. The powers OF
earth and air conveyed every warn
ing to hug the firesidc. The listener
n might find a concert relieved by
ignals OF a storm at sea and possible
shipwreck, and so experience big
dramatic moment TO which nothing
in the playhouse could family COR
respond.
The offerings at the tileaters were
worthy OF the inhospitable chill OF
the town; they were laborious and
artificial. Here presenting only the
mild interest OF perfunctory lmlta-
ton and there the unavailing stress
of brutal insincerity.
x !; X =
The continuous discussion OF d
closed shop organization among
writer's for the theater persists in
all its absurdity, an absurdity height
eued BY the intellectual menace
which the playhouse relationships
alTeady reveal The stage has al
ways been one OF the chief sources
of literary vitality III every nations
thought. National gratitude has not
been great. Many Of the dramatic
works now studied as classics come
10 Us like ancient statuary often
nutilated and with the identity of
heir inspiring artists drmly revealed
ii not totally lost. The present
Standardization OF the theater, with
all its perfunCtory ConStralnt, IS
probably due to the processes OF Or
ganization which vie with one an
other for commercial advantage and
never for the enduring prestige OF
reputation genuinely earned. Or
ganized management financed by
beneficiaries of organized capital,
organized actors, organized must
:ians, organized stagehands, in some
instances, no doubt, even organized
. ushers, combine to keep the theater
operating always under some fear
OF new assertion, OF restraint and
encouragement An idea is com
peeled to make its journey TO pub
lefty past innumerable toll gates
with some rough stretches of road
waH in between. However fair the
intcntion may be in organizing play
writer's under the assurance that
any one with a play considered
worth producing will be admitted to
membership, the plan contemplates
condition tending 10 strengthen
the grip OF commercial authority
and TO repress the wholesome incll-
nation toward spontaneous express
sion OF thought, whether grave or
merry, for the sake OF the thought
itself. Artists and artisans OF the
,heater have grown sadly canny in
The WAYS OF practical wisdom and
for the sake OF interest calculated in
percentages rather than in terms Of
mental attraction submit themselves
less and less to individual inspira-
ion. more and more to arbitrary
authority. And there is no authority
% complete as that OF the theater.
1t governs the action of the artist,
even to the flicker OF an eyelash.
IN excellent example OF theatrical
Standardization was offered by
Suzanne" which followed the
musical comedy" formula rigidly
copied for years 1t is impossible to
say why musical comedy succeeds
or why it fails. A general deScrip-
ION OF one OF them answers Tor all.
IN oh, bady' and No, No, Nanette"
i casually outlined would appear to
correspond in all salient points to
the entire catalogue. Suzanne" has
the advantage of stage direction by
Julian Mitchell, than whom there is
no greater expert in matters OF
dancing and pictorial effect. Frank
Labor, whose success in The Pink
Lady" gave him an excellent stand
ing in theatrical estimation, is still
funny, but he has to create the fun
Tor himself. The surrounding cir
un1stanccs rho element Of CONVEX