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GOODWIN'S WEEKLY 5 vl Influence of One Play on Stage History By Randolph Bartlott In Log Angolco Qraphlo. Assuredly, thoro Is no denying that theatrical business Is Lad, but why? This Is what an nriny or managers Is asking up and Uown that Suhnra or Ideas and Junglo or experiments Uroadway. The answor could not bo stated In a word. It probably Includes n great variety or olomonls. Thus when the troubled man I agor declares "Tho movies aro killing the I show business," ho is exaggerating; yot v tho patronage which has mado possible 1 tho tromondous growth or thoso cheap I amusemont liouses in tho last rivo years I must have mado inroads upon tho logltl- innto So with tho othor superriclal ex planations. Among tho most Important or all these reasons ror tho railing orr or Intorost in current theatrical productions, I would placo Charlos ilium Konnody's rirst and groatcst drama, "Tho Servant in tho House." I do not moan by this play In IlUsoir accomplished all this change, any inoro than did "tho movies," but the manner In which It was rocolvod I have yot to hoar any person who has scon it say ho did not consider It great its vio lation or traditions, Its daring in preach ing a sermon as uumlstakcahly as If tho pulpit woro orected In tho contor or tho stage, all those things showed that the public was waiting Tor a now word. It . did not rocelvo It rrom Ibsen, Tor he seemed too remote and austere; It did not hoar it rrom Shaw's lips, ror he seomod too cynical and satirical. Into this theatrical chaos "Tho Servant In the House" came' as a (piloting votco rrom Olympus, it told a story that was In itsoir Interesting, and not without a cprtaln vein or comedy; but It novor al lowed one to rorgot that the sermon was being preached all the time. What savod It rrom the Tato or most plays with a purpose, is that the sermon was one that ovoryono wantod to hoar, providing It woro not proscntcd In a "preachy" man ner, in brlor, it typified tho second com ing or Christ with a messago or "Brother hood or Man." Yet Its thoatrlcal success was not marked, though It paved tho way Tor such later prototypes as "The Passing or tho Third Floor Back," but what suc cess It enjoyed was not intensive, and it 18 now, probably, the most widely read nlnv In Amorlnn. with the nnsslhln nxcon- I Hon or tho better known works or Shaw. I Us lnriuonce can be traced In many plays I or subsequent authorship, In Its calm, 1 naturalistic, almost Strlndborglan mln--1 Imlzlng or phlslcal action, Itshomogonolty I or scone, and its poiToct continuity. I Thoro uro three brothers Smith. The I 0110 In whoso homo tho ovonts transplro 1 has changed It to Smytho, ror ho is u scholarly vicar. Anothor Is Ilobort Smith, "a gontloman or nocossary occupation," to wit, a scavongor. The third has drirtod away Trom England and his whoroabouts aro unknown, until tho vicar rocolvos word that ho Is tho ramous Bishop or Bonares, whose groat rollowlng is tho wondor or tho religious world, not to say Its onvy. Other characters aro tho vicar's wiro, known as "euntlo" because or the prosonco In tho homo or the vicar's nleco, Mary, daughtor or tho vulgar Robert; auntlo's brothor, doaf and shortslghtod (physically and otherwlso), Jamos Pon sonby Makoshyrto, Lord Bishop or Lan cashire. Thcso pooplo aro assombled at tho vicar's houso through tho minister's I ondeavor to placo his church on a more I substantial rooting. Ho has received the 1 unoxpocted notification or tho ldontlty or I tho Bishop or Bonares, who promlsos to I como to help htm at a certain timo. Ills I I wiro writes to her brother to enlist his I aid as woll. Robert, meanwhile, has sent I a domand that his child, who does not know or hor antecedents, bo restored to I him. I Tho Bishop or Bonares arrlvos, but conceals his ldontlty In tho rolo or an Oriental butler, whom ho has recommend ed to the vicar, and ho calls himsoir Manson, a rather obvious transposition or "tho San or Man." In this capacity he establishes himsoir as"dous ox machlna" throughout tho drama, and ono rinds it oasy to rorglvo the seeming Inconsistency or u butler bolng permitted to tako the liberties which ho does ror tho reason that "novor butler spake as this Manson." ilobort comes, breathing maledictions up on tho vicar Tor having kept him sep arated rrom his little girl, and Is soothed by Manson's word, "comrade" and his quiet, sympathetic quostlons which search out corners or his own soul into whloh Robert had novor lookod borore. Then tho other bishop, tho commer clallzed, Institutional prlnco or tho church, arrives, and Is exposed by Manson, whose onsnarlng phrase, "God's not looking; lot's glvo a llttlo and grab as much as wo can," Is one or tho goins or the play. Thoro Is no mossago or brothorhood ror him, and ho Is ejoctcd rrom tho houso, but not until ho has sorvod to roveal the vicar to himsoir. To the vicar comes now a realization that ho has not boon honest with himsoir, nor with his brothor Robert, n conviction that bcrorc his church can bo set right he must set his own Tamily arralrs In order. Beroro ho has bocomo rully aware or tho unmasking or his brother-in-law, ono or the dramatic scenes or tho play transplros between himsoir and his wire. Tho woman docs not seo tho soirishness or tho elaborate plans which hor brothor Is Training, but only tho opportunity ror tho aggrandlzoment or her husband: AUNTIE. William, he is orrorlng you tho opportunity or your lirol VICAR. Damnation tako my lirol AUNTIE. William, why aro you so vlolont? VICAR. Bccauso violence Is tho only way or coming to tho truth between you and mo! AUNTIE (now thoroughly arrald.) What do you moan by tho truth, William? VICAR. I mean this: What is the building or this church to you ? Are you so mightily Interested in architecture, In clerical usefulness, In the furtherance ol God's work? AUNTIE. I am Interested In your work, Willlnm. Do you take mo for -in athe ist? VICAR. No: Tar worse ror an Idol atorl AUNTIE. William. . . VICAR. What olso but idolatry is this proclous husband-worship you have sot up In your heart you and all tho women or your kind? You barlor away your own souls in tho sorvlco or it: you build up your Idols In tho rashlon or your own rospoctablo desires: you struggle silent ly amongst yourselves, ono against an o'ther, to push your own god roremost in tho miserable llttlo panthoon or prigs and hypocrites you havo created! AUNTIE, (rousod). It is ror your own good wo do it! VICAR. Our own good! What havo you mado or mo? You have plucked me down rrom whatever natlvo godhead I had by girt or hoavon, and bowed and hackod mo into tho somblanco or your own Idolatrous Imagination. By God, it shall go on no longer! ir you havo made 1110 loss than a man, at least I will prove mysoir to bo a pilost! AUNTIE. Do you call It a priest's work to . . . VICAR. It Is my work to deliver you and me rrom tho bondage or lies! Can't you see, woman, that God and Mammon are about us, righting ror our souls? AUNTIE (dotormlnodly). Listen to me, William, llston to mo . . . VICAR. I have listened to you too long! AUNTIE. You would always take ni& counsel bororo . . . VICAR. All that Is dono with! I am resolved to bo a rrco man rrom this hour rroo or lies, rrco or love ir needs be, rrco oven or you, rrco or everything that clogs and hinders mo In tho work I havo to do. I will do my own deed, not yours. AUNTIE (quietly). Yes: what aro you going to do? VICAR. Tell Mary everything; send Tor my brother, Robert; and then answer that monster In there. (Indicating tho Bishop or Lancashire.) Circumstances provont tho vicar ror tho moment rrom carrying out his soir-ac-cusatory plan or revealing to Mary her parontage, and blaming himsoir Tor the moral condition In which her rather ex ists. Ho docs rid himsoir or the rinanclal bishop, howovor, and tho otln dirriculty rights ltseir. Whllo all tho ontrovcrsy has boon going on In tho houso, Robort lias been pursuing his occupation or in vestigating tho drains. Ho rinds that his brothor's church Is built over a groat cesspool In which thoro aro horrors un spoakable, but or which he doos spoak in plain language Moroovor, he proposes to clean it out, and make his brothor's church onco more nt ror worship. Ills brothor and sistor-In-law object but the spirit or Manson and his creed or helprul noss" is strong In him: ROBERT. Why rof: ain't it my Job? AUNTIE. But you said perhaps (loath . . . ROBERT. It's worth It, it's a lovely bit or work! VI CAR. No, ton thousand tlmos, no. Tho sacriricc is too muchl ROBERT. You call that sacririco? its run: not 'arn VICAR. I had rather seo tho church ltseir . . . ROBERT. What, you call yoursoir a clorgymanl VICAR. I call mysoir nothing: I am nothing loss than nothing In all this liv ing world! ROBERT. By God, but I call mysoir suinmat I'm tho drain man that's wot I am! VICAR (feverishly). You shall not go! ROBERT. Why, what Is thero to roar? Ain't it worth while, to move away that loud 0' muck! VICAR. The stench tho horror the darkness ROBERT. What's It matter, ir the comrldcs up above 'av' light an' Joy an a breath or 'olesome air to sing by? VICAR. Hour by hour dying alone no BRUT. Tho comrldcs up In tho spans an' arches Jolnln' 'ands . . . VICAR. Fainter and ralntor, below there, and at last ah endless slloncc! ) ROBERT. 'Ign in the domo, the'am- H morla's or the comrldos as 'av' climbed alort! B :i AUNTIE. William, there Is yot ono H othor way! M VICAR. Yes, yos, I sec: I seo! . . . j (To Robort) Then you mean to go? lM ROBERT. By 'Eavon, yes I iH powers of grace you shall not go alone! 'M Orr with thoso lies and mako-bolloves! jH orr with thoso prisonous shackles! M They cramp, they stirio mo! Freedom! ,M rroedom! This is no priest's work It ,H calls Tor a man! . . . (Ho tears orr M his parson's coat and collar, casting them ruriously asido. Ho rolls up his sleeves). i Now, ir you'ro ready, comrade: you and M I together! H Mary, by Induction, recognizes now In ' this transrormod drain-man, hor rather, J and the butler reveals himsoir as tho M long absont brothor, tho Bishop or Ben- M aros. Thus tho rainlly relationships aro M brought to a satlsractory culmination, and M tho story Is rounded out. To attempt to H dosclbo the symbollcin or tho play would M be a laborious and almost ludicrous task, H it is so bcautirully simple. Through the H brotherhood or body, mind and soul, work- H lug in hurmony, tho church is to purified. M What, then, is there In tills drama M which has made It such a great inriuence H upon tho American stago? First or all It H proved that Ideals wcro not tiresome, H wordy things, but could bring a messago WM or tho most Interesting sort to the cas- H ual audience. Also, it caused a vaguo jH dlssatlsractlon witli the elaborate, but H worthless melodrama which was bcginlng H to mononollzo tho stage. Let to ltseir, It H could havo accomplished little, no mattor H how strongly It brought homo thcso Ideas, JM but this was its meaning in tho many H sldod and swift ovolutlon which lias taken H placo In tho thoatro, to tho bowlldormont H or tho managers thoroor, In tho' last hair H , THE Is the most economical adding and calculating machine M See Pembroke I if iflf iflf if if if iflfif I III Hoover Suction ft I A$G? 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