1904.] on the Foundations of a National Drama. 495 



writing and play going are to-day swallowed up and lost sight of in 

 the demand for mere thoughtless entertainment, whose one purpose 

 is not to show the people their lives, but to provide them with a 

 means of escape from their lives. That is to say, the purpose of the 

 entertainments provided in our most successful theatres is indeed the 

 very opposite to the legitimate purpose of the drama, the very nega- 

 tion and suffocation of any serious or thoughtful drama whatever, 



I do not say that one or two of us may not get in an occasional 

 success of a hundred and fifty nights with a comedy, or even with a 

 play of serious interest, if by a miraculous chance one can get it 

 suitably played. But any play of great serious interest, such as 

 would meet with instant and great recognition and reward in France 

 or Germany, is most likely to be condemned and censured by the 

 mass of English playgoers as " unpleasant." 



I am aware it is useless to condemn a man for not paying to be 

 bored or disgusted. But the fact that he is bored and disgusted 

 raises the further question : " Why is he bored and disgusted ? " 

 '' What are the things that bore and disgust him ? " 



I question whether any subject has recently gathered around it 

 such a thick fungus of cant and ignorance as that of the " problem 

 play." For a number of years past the parrot-phrase " problem 

 play " has been applied to almost every play that attempts to paint 

 sincerely any great passion, any great reality of human life. No 

 doubt great extravagances and absurdities were committed by the 

 swarm of foolish doctrinaire playwrights who tried to imitate Ibsen. 

 But the stream of just contempt that was poured upon these absurdities 

 has run over its bounds, and has almost swamped all sincere and 

 serious play-writing in England. 



What are the necessary foundations of a national English drama ? 



Speaking through you to the great body of English playgoers, I 

 would say to them : If we are to have an English drama at all, it is 

 necessary — 



1. To distinguish and separate our drama from popular amuse- 

 ment ; to affirm and reaffirm that popular amusement and the art of 

 the drama are totally different things ; and that there is a higher and 

 greater pleasure to be obtained from the drama than from popular- 

 amusement. 



2. To found a national or repertoire theatre where high and severe 

 literary and artistic standards may be set ; where great traditions may 

 be gradually established and maintained amongst authors, actors, 

 critics and audiences. 



3. To insure so far as possible that the dramatist shall be recog- 

 nized and rewarded when and in so far as he has painted life and 

 character, and not when and in so far as he has merely tickled and 

 bemused the populace. 



4. To bring our acted drama again into living relation with 

 English literature ; to dissolve the foolish prejudice and contempt 

 that literature now shows for the acted drama ; to win from literature 



