. Arena magazine - Volume 40. s a factorin social evolution can be theater will always be many-sided;its function as a place of entertainmentwill be undisputed, but it has a work todo as an intellectual factor. It mustprovide more than momentary amuse-ment; it must give out something moreenduring and invigorating; it must reflectlife and deal with the problems that con-cern humanity. It is not a question ofelevating the stage. The stage is noworse morally and ethically than anyother institution at present question is one of strengtheningthe stage as a useful, fruitful
. Arena magazine - Volume 40. s a factorin social evolution can be theater will always be many-sided;its function as a place of entertainmentwill be undisputed, but it has a work todo as an intellectual factor. It mustprovide more than momentary amuse-ment; it must give out something moreenduring and invigorating; it must reflectlife and deal with the problems that con-cern humanity. It is not a question ofelevating the stage. The stage is noworse morally and ethically than anyother institution at present question is one of strengtheningthe stage as a useful, fruitful instrumentof tremendous social influence and pos-sibilities. It is not within the scope of this reviewto relate in detail all the different excur-sions into serious drama during therecent season. Some of these hardlydeserved the appellation of serious, butthere were many brave attempts. Themajority failed for some reason or other,which would be difficult for almost any 17 Digitized by Google 18 The Notable Plays of a CHARLES RANN KENNEDY,Author of The Servant in the House. one to explain. They are the deadwoodwhich every dramatic season produces. Nor is it necessary for me to commentupon such plays as A Grand ArmyMan, Polly of the Circus, TheWarrens of Virginia, Her Sister, andsimilar plays designed principally forentertainment or to exploit some particu-lar star. These receive more than theirfair share of attention from the currentpress and magazines. Looking back over the season there arebut four plays which stand out from allothers in their bold departure from oldmethods and in their emphatic appealto the new social consciousness. Theseexceptional plays are The Servant in the House, by CharlesRann Kennedy,The WitchingHour, by AugustusThomas, and TheMaster Builder and Rosmersholm, byHenrik Ibsen. Twoother plays consid-ered notable wereThe Thief, byHenri Bernstein, andPaid in Full, byEugene Walter, anew American dram-atist. Both theseplays have receivedunanimous crit
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