The Drama

The Drama. BY WILLARD DONE. Without unnecessary preliminaries I will proceed at once to the subject assigned to me. The main purpose of the drama is entertainment. There may be other elements which appear to be prime purposes, but these are largely incidental. Instruction, culture, training in dramatic art, etc., are to be considered rather as means, or as more or less indirect results of the drama; but, after all, its chief purpose and reason f^r existence is the enter- tainment of the public. We must keep in mind that no play can succeed that does not aim first of all to provide entertainment. The purely instructional drama is always a failure. This has been proved time and again, and the history of dramatic development is marked by a large number of these plays that have never reached the hearts of the people, and can never be revived. While instruction may well enter into the work of the drama, it is always incidental to the main purpose. The value of a thing is determined by its purpose; in other words, its results. If the purpose is worthy, and there is adapta- tion to that purpose, beneficial results are sure to follow. The drama has value so far as it meets this test. Here we must con- sider both the main and the subsidiary purpose of the drama. The p'ay that instructs but does not entertain is, as above stated, a necessary failure. On the other hand, the play that merely enter- tains but does not incidentally instruct, or point a moral, or awake worthy emotions, is unsatisfactory. Still further, the play * An address delivered at the officers' meeting, annual Y. M. M. I. A. conference, June 2, 1911, at Barratt Hall.

1010 IMPROVEMENT ERA. that awakens unworthy emotions, weakens morality or instills false ideals, is objectionable and must be avoided. Elimination must enter here. It is as important to the value of a play that cer- tain elements shall be omitted from it, as that certain others shall enter into it. On the general principles here briefly set out, may be based the rules for the choice of plays. To go at the matter intelli- gently, you must select the elements you desire in the drama, and decide what elements are undesirable and must be eliminated, and thus determine your choice. No matter what the class of play you are considering, these simple principles of choice can be applied. All these principles enter into various plays, no matter what the kind. The application of these principles must necessa- rily narrow your choice of plays, even from the theoretical stand- point. But there are practical reasons why a still narrower field is necessary. There are certain plays that cannot be mastered by amateurs, and should never be attempted by them, no matter how desirable the plays may be in themselves. They are such plays as tragedies, and strictly classic comedies, and others of the sort. All tragedies must be avoided. They are not for amateurs. For an association club to attempt them would indeed be a tragedy. It is true that in the early days of the drama in Utah, when ordi- nary plays were scarcely to be procured in the country districts, while a few copies of Shakespeare were available, some amateur dra- matic clubs attempted such tragedies as Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and others. Such presentations may have been better than none. But there is no reason in this day of numerous plays, easily obtainable and splendidly adapted to your purpose, why amateurs should disturb the peaceful bones of Shakespeare by making him turn over in his grave. With the elimination from your field of choice of the various classes of plays here mentioned, you will be limited to such plays as ordinary comedy-dramas, comedies and farces. I see no reason for a wider choice. And even within these narrow limits, selec- tions should be carefully made. Two general principles must b< laid down for determining the choice of plays. The positive principle is that there must be enough of interest to hold the undi- vided and intense attention of the audience, increasingly to the end.

THE DRAMA. 10 n This necessitates some element of excitement, either serious or humorous. Combined with this should be the instructional ele- ments previously referred to. The negative rule is that there shall be no violation of the higher rules of ethics. This eliminates all coarseness, suggestiveness, profanity, violence, and "blood and thunder" straining for effect. How to gain the golden mean, between dullness on the one hand and too great sensationalism on the other, should be the careful study of those who choose the plays for our association clubs. In this connection, permit me to say that the committee on music and drama of the general board has already published a suggestive list of plays, and stands ready at all times to co-operate with you by suggesting suitable plays and helping you to a choice. Referring again to the educational value of the drama, it may be well to say that although this is incidental, yet it is of great importance and should not be neglected. It may be divided into two elements. One is the effect of plays on the audiences wit- nessing them, the other, their effect on the players themselves. Here we must take into account the vivid nature of dramatic por- trayal. The effect of it is much more distinct and lasting than the effect of reading the same thing in a book. It is indeed like the presentation of real incidents in real life. It is easily seen, there- fore, how vitally important it is that the right kind of plays shall be chosen, and that they shall be well presented. The educational value of the drama may be entirely destroyed and actual evil caused, beyond our power to compute, if objectionable plays are chosen or good plays are ill performed. Nor is the effect confined to the auditors. I think it is still greater in the case of the performers. They must feel the play and its subtle influences, in order to present it intelligently. They must think in its lines; feel in its situations; become, in a degree, the people they portray. In the case of young people (and the members of your local organ- izations will necessarily be young) this influence is likely to be vivid and lasting. This brings up another subject of vital importance to your work in the drama. Certain ethical considerations are involved in the essential youthfulness of your amateur players. The callow and impressionable age at which they will enter upon this work

1012 IMPROVEMENT ERA. renders certain safeguards absolutely necessary. It goes without saying that at rehearsals and in other stages of the preparation of the play, some one of mature age and experience shall be placed in charge of the work. There is usually a person in the ward or village who has some dramatic knowledge and experience, and who can direct the work of the club, while carefully guarding the members from certain insidious evils which may otherwise assail them. We should not lose sight of the fact that these players are essentially amateurs. They should be impressed with this thought, and should be guarded against the possibility of becoming ' 'stage- struck." I don't know of any disease peculiar to the period of adolescence that is likely to be more stubborn and troublesome than this. Love-sickness is possibly much more prevalent, but it is more easily cured. In fact it usually cures itself through mar- riage or otherwise. But the stage-struck youth or maiden is very often a hopeless case, until bitter experiences have come to take away the glamor of the footlights and show the real values of life. Not that I would discourage one from this career, if he is adapted to it, and deliberately chooses it with full realization of what it means in work, hardship, disappointment, and worry, before the goal is reached. I speak merely of the ordinary young men and women who will make up the membership of the average ward dramatic club. For the reasons above stated, and others that might be men- tioned, the ward organization should not become ambitious to extend its work beyond the confines of its own home town. In a large city, consisting of more than one ward, an occasional visit of a club to another portion of that city would not be objectionable. But there are decided objections to extended travel on tours where the members are thrown into association without proper chaperonage, with the peril of being too seriously impressed with the work which must necessarily be very incidental and tem- porary. In brief, let the young people who perform for your enter- tainment be jealously guarded from every condition and influence that can possibly work them harm while engaged in this very excel- lent employment. It is impossible in the short time allotted to me, to go into detail as to the work of staging and preparing plays. There are

THE DRAMA. 1013 others who are much more competent for this part of the discus- sion, and doubtless they will present certain points for your information and guidance, as occasion arises. It goes without saying that the very best talent in the ward should be selected, and placed under the direction and training of a good dramatic instructor. It is usually necessary for temporary and somewhat unsatisfactory makeshifts to be employed in preparing a stage and placing curtain and scenery. But every possible effort should be made to induce the authorities of the wards to provide an amuse- ment hall, with stage and scenery and other appliances for the convenience of the club that devotes so much of time to the enter- tainment of the people. With the growth of electrical lighting systems in even the small and remote villages, it will be possible to produce electrical 'effects on the stage, which will aid very mate- rially in the realism of the drama, and be an education and a source of education to the young people in outlying districts to whom these elements of stage setting are new and unfamiliar. In reference to music in connection with the drama, two important elements will enter. The organization of a ward or village orchestra, where such does not already exist, will neces- sarily follow the organization of a dramatic club. These orchestras, by presenting suitable music between the acts and by way of pre- lude, as well as incidental music during the development of the play, will necessarily encourage instrumental development among their members and educate the people to a better appreciation of this element of dramatic entertainment. Another advantage will be in the selection and preparation of cantatas, operettas, musical comedies, etc. The simplest of these forms of entertainment can readily be prepared by even amateur organizations, especially in Latter-day Saint settlements, where so large a proportion of the young people are trained vocally as well as instrumentally. Of course, it follows that any extravaganza or burlesque that is too " broad" for use in these Mutual Improvement entertainments, must be carefully avoided by the directors of the musical and dramatic clubs. But after these have been eliminated, there are a large number of plays in which music forms an important element, for you to select for your entertainments. In this part of your work you are sssured of the active and sympathetic help of the committee.