Kindling; a comedy drama in three acts

Front matter

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Introduction To The Drama League Series Of Modern Plays

FIRST VOLUME

The Officers and Directors of the Drama League of America believe that the full purpose of their organizaton can be realized only when the general average of f jdiences in the American theatre shall attain to a degree of intelligence in regard to the drama in some way comparable with that to be found in the theatres of Europe. They believe that one of the most important elements in the product of European audiences has been the opportunity given them, individually and continually, to study the drama in its printed form, both before and after its presentation upon their stage. By this means are they kept acquainted with all important dramas as they are produced, or before they are produced, in the leading theatres of their own or other countries.

The modern French or German play sells in its editions of thirty or forty thousand, at the cost of a franc or a mark the volume (twenty to twenty-five cents). Audiences are accordingly familiar with dramatic literature; they are fitted to appreciate, and intelligently discuss and support important pieces in the theatre. Consequently all standards in the theatre are higher abroad — this applies to plays, criticism, acting, and production, and these higher standards are a natural result of a greater intelligence in the audience; is "what the public wants" — in fact, demands — in the European theatre. These continental audiences are composed of people individually able to understand whether author, actor, producer, or scenic artist is responsible for the elements that make for the play's success or failure; and so they can properly allot praise or censure, as well as obtain an intelligent added pleasure in the theatre over and beyond their mere interest in "the telling of the story" on the stage. It is by this means only that, in the European theatre, pieces like Brieux' "Les Avaries" (Englished as "Damaged Goods") and the philosophical and socialistic dramas of Germany, particularly, are successful.

The printed play has also a particular interest to the reader; quite apart from the interest of any story-book or novel. In the drama it is necessary, because of the medium of action by means of which the story is told, that it progresses rapidly, tersely; in vivid picturesque dialogue, eliminating merely the unnecessary and uneventful intervening scenes and characters, as well as the tedious descriptions of scenery and atmosphere that pad out the novel. In the theatre this background is supplied by the stage picture; in reading it is left for the imagination of the reader to supply, — as well as the appearance and motions of the actors; a most unusual opportunity to continue to practice, in mature life, the vivid imaginings of romance too often abandoned after childhood! There is hardly a play but will well repay the individual by a close reading of its text. Almost half the wit of Captain Marshall's "His Excellency the Governor," for instance, is so subtle as to evanesce in crossing over the footlights : the whimsical dialogue of Sir James M. Barrie in reading even

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exceeds in wit and point its hearing in the theatre, when quip follows quip so rapidly that even the most alert spectator cannot obtain the fullest amount of pleasure possible, from a single hearing; while the thrill and suspense of Gillette's "Secret Service" or "Sherlock Holmes" hang as heavily around the printed page as in the theatre auditorium.

The printing of worthy drama is a positive necessity to the student of the theatre. Even if he is a resident of one of our largest cities, his opportunity to see any individual play in performance is only during the comparatively short period of its local run. Before or after that time, unless the piece is obtainable in published form, he has no opportunity to enjoy the work or refresh his memory in regard to it for purposes of discussion or study. He possesses in the printed play an important educative element, increasing his interest on both acting and the drama by a comparison of the piece as it reads and as it acts — and no other better means exists for the individual to obtain self -instruction — the most individual and valuable, if not the only, real means of education — in regard to the principles and practices of the drama and the arts of the theatre. In the second place, the drama in its printed form is in a great many cases the only means by which those interested in the theatre and its development to-day can keep in touch with the processes of that development — because of their comparative isolation in cities or localities remote from theatrical centres of production. Even the student residing in New York City or Chicago cannot make any adequate study of the drama from the pieces acted on Broadway, or within "the loop" — many as are those plays that are presented, in one lo-

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cality or the other, for his attention! If even a person thus favorably located has to depend upon the printed playbook to obtain any properly proportioned idea of the current drama, it indicates how much more isolated or restricted is the outlook of the person living in any other city — let alone those residing in still more remote localities far from anj^ centre of theatrical interest. Such a person is at present absolutely cut off from all means of participation in or knowledge of the progress of a mighty art — probably the one art possessing the most inherent educational value for the masses of our country — as a whole!

Further than this, the American playgoer — because of the entirely commercial control of the American amusement situation — is peculiarly isolated from all real centres of modern dramatic interest. He has no opportunity whatsoever to become acquainted with the many important dramas of progress produced in the Folk theatres of Russia ; the socialized German theatres; the subsidized theatres of France; and even sometimes in the individually directed English theatres, unless he is conversant with the European languages and possesses means of keeping in touch with English and Continental publications of modern drama.

In undertaking the selection of modern dramas for publication in "The Drama League Series of Plays," the purpose of the League is twofold. It first desires to select from the modern plays of importance in the theatre, in America or abroad, those pieces most worthy of reading and study by a person desiring to form or maintain an intelligent basis for the appreciation of modern drama. To this end the books to be selected will come from two groups; one will

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INTRODLCTION TO THE DRAMA LEAGUE SERIES

include the best of the plays current on the American stage for the year; the other will cull from the most important European plays of recent years those indispensable to the student of the drama (when not otherwise already obtainable in English) in order to comprehend the growth and development of the theatre in other countries as well as in his own. These plays will by no means always be epoch-making dramas. That is neither possible, nor altogether to be desired. Some proportion of them will be as light and entertaining (and, indeed, somewhat more intelligent, withal!) as the current "best seller" — of the day — provided only that they carry other merits of drama as well. It is quite probable that the European pieces will generally be more important in the historical development of the theatre than those published from the English or American stage; whereas the latter will probably often be of more compensatingly direct interest to American readers because of their greater insularity in outlook and nearer relationship in point of view.

It is also the purpose of this Committee to assist, so far as may be possible, in standardizing the publication of plays so that, through their publishers or in cooperation with other publishers, all English and American readers may eventually be able to obtain books of plays bound at a nearly uniform size — certainly at a uniform height, to stand side by side upon their shelves — in a comparatively compact volume, at an inexpensive price. Many plays have been published in the format of a novel, which makes at once a too bulky and cumbersome proportion for the playbook; to be convenient for purposes of study it should preferably be of a size to slip easily into the pocket. It is hoped that the style and format determined for

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the Drama League plays will meet with such general satisfaction as to assist in bringing other publishers to adopt as nearly as possible a uniform size — while the League, in perfecting this arrangement with Messrs. Doubleday, Page & Co., has provided for the publication of this series, bound in brown boards, for $.75 a volume in the hope that so low a price would bring these volumes within the reach of every one interested in the drama, and serve to insure a sale sufficiently large to make this series possess a real educative influence upon the playgoers of America, and so also become eventually profitable to the publishers. A further arrangement with the publishers provides for possible future special "Drama Study Editions" of those plays for which members of the League will subscribe in advance a sufficient number of copies to make such an edition possible, at a still lower price, that will be available only to members of the Drama League of America. By special arrangement with various publishers, your Committee will be able to include within this special edition called for by the Study Courses other standard plays already published or controlled by firms other than Doubleday, Page & Co., whom the Drama League has selected as its exclusive publishers for "The Drama League Series of Plays." The selection of the plays to be included in this series has been placed in the hands of a special sub-Committee, composed of Mrs. A. Starr Best, the president of the Drama League of America; Mr. Clayton Hamilton, already well known as a critic and writer interested in the best products of our Stage, and Mr. Alfred A. Knopf, whose membership at once represents the publishers and attests to the personal study he has made of the theatre here and abroad.

The inception of this series came, in the first place, from the discovery that it was often impossible, in the preparation of Drama Study Courses, to call for the study of the best and most representative plays, because of the fact that these plays now did not exist in any printed form in English! It will eventually be the purpose of this series to include those volumes, not otherwise obtainable, which will be called for by the Drama Study Courses once they have been completely revised with the idea of incorporating those plays most representative of the country, and best representative of the individual dramatists whose work they are — v/ithout qualification of any kind whatsoever! Under this arrangement, the National Committee on Publications Relating to the Drama will endeavor always to secure the most authoritative and best possible translations of all plays included within this series, as well as the publication rights in English of those plays that will be required to complete the Library of books necessary to the study of the Modern Drama in Europe and in America, that will continue to remain the immediate objective of this new department of Drama League work. It is the sincere intention of all those concerned in this venture to make the name of this series stand always for all the merits of an authoritative and definitely complete edition. It is also the intention to arrange to accompany these plays with a brief introduction giving the history of the piece and the facts about its author; and, wherever possible to supplement each publication by a critical study analysis which will aid the reader in arriving at a just estimate of its technical merits or defects of construction, dialogue, etc.

It is already evident that the alertly awakening interest [xil of the American public in the theatre predetermines the development of a more distinctive American drama than we have ever yet possessed in this country. There already exist some pieces written by American playwrights during the last thirty years that are of historical importance to the study of the development of the American stage — and yet a number of these pieces are unobtainable in printed form, and are rarely — if ever — revived upon our contemporary stage. So far as it will be possible to find authoritative manuscripts or prompt-books of such of these plays as are at present unobtainable, their publication will be arranged for to supplement the number of current pieces in the theatre, from which this Committee will also select from time to time, as representative of the American drama of the day. These latter plays will not alwaj^s prove the most important pieces of the year. They will probably rarely — or at least not for many years

— prove to be even frequently the financial successes in the American theatre! They will, on the other hand, so far as possible, be representative of the best of work being contributed by American dramatists — or others — to the current theatre; or plays that promise to indicate a new and interesting t^^pe; or that recall in some appropriate form a type worthy of intelligent study, further analysis and investigation. It may often even happen that the plays published in this series may not be those generally approved by the various Playgoing Committees

— whose problem is concerned not alone with the play, but also with its production and its acting performance. In the case of foreign plays, particularly, members are warned that they should not allow themselves to be confused by apparent differences of opinion between the Play-

fxiil going Committee and the Publication Committee; because it very often happens that an important foreign play — instanced notably, a year ago in an adaptation arranged by Mr. Charles Frohman of an English piece, "Chains" by Elizabeth Baker — has been hopelessly modified (or very considerably altered) in its adaption to suit the peculiar managerial ideas of "what the public" — in America — "wants." With the exception of a few foreign plays presented by visiting players of the intelligence, for instance, of Madame Simone, we have practically never had in our theatres an opportunity to see a French or German play as it was conceived and written by its authors!

Finally, your Committee will not always be able to include all those pieces of the theatre that they would desire to see in this series, for two reasons : In the first place they desire not to print probably more than about an average of ten volumes the year. This will insure that a rather careful process of selection will be observed, as well as prevent overheavy drains upon the purses of those who may desire to possess the complete series; and it should also be realized that many authors already have existing contracts with publishers which give those publishers the exclusive rights to the publication of their pieces, and would so prevent their work being represented in this "Drama League Series of Plays."

In conclusion, the scheme of this series should be again reiterated.

It is to supplement the plays already obtainable in

authorized English versions by those other important

continental pieces at present unavailable to the English

reader. It is also to select from pieces current in the Ameri-

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can and English theatre the more important or more representative plays of this or recent years. Eventually, purchasers of the complete series of Drama League plays will find themselves in possession of a thoroughly representative library of dramatic literature, English, American and Continental^

Frank Chouteau Brown, Chairman of the "National Committee on Publications Relating to the Drama." December 1, 1913.

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This play, which is the first to be presented to the reading pubUc under the auspices of the DramaLeague of America, has had an interesting history. It was written by Mr. Charles Kenyon, a young newspaper man on the staff of the San Francisco Examiner, Though Mr. Kenyon had previously produced a striking one-act melodrama, his name was utterly unknown in the theatre when Kindling was accepted by Mr. Edward J. Bowes and produced with Miss Margaret lUington in the leading part.

Unheralded by any advertising in advance, the play was brought to Daly's Theatre in December, 1911. Daly's had, by that time, ceased to be a popular playhouse, and Kindling opened on the same night when Madame Nazimova and Miss Ethel Barrymore were also being presented in new plays at more fashionable theatres. The result was that Miss IIlington's performance received only brief and perfunctory notices in the newspapers and that Kind- [xvl ling was not attended at all by most of the regular reviewers. In the few weeks before Christmas, scarcely any plays can do a good business unless they have been widely advertised; and it soon became apparent that Kindling was a failure. The head of the great booking syndicate in whose hands lay the destiny of the production glanced hastily at the scanty record of receipts, crossed the play off his list, and ordered the scenery to be sent to the store-house. It is not recorded whether or not he had taken the trouble to see the play; but great managers are, of course, very busy people.

After the hours of Kindling had been numbered, and about ten days before the date when the truckmen had been ordered to transfer the scenery to the store-house, three men, with nothing better to do, happened to stroll in, severally, to see the play. One of these men was a novelist, another was a playwright, and the third was an author of books about the theatre. Having received what was to them an unusual impression, they rushed back to a famous club of which all three of them were members and disturbed the peace of a traditional fire-side by emphatically asking such questions as "Have you seen Kindling?'' and "Who is Charles Kenyon.?" No- [xvi]

body could answer the second question; but several of the other members of this club had seen the play, and all agreed that it was a work of unusual sincerity and extraordinary merit.

It was then that the novelist suggested that so excellent a work must not be allowed to pass into oblivion, — that all the writers present owed a duty to their unknown fellow-craftsman to bring his play to the notice of an appreciative public. It was agreed at once that the only way to accomplish this end was to hit upon an expedient of advertising that had never been employed before. Many methods were discussed; and finally a practicable plan was agreed upon. Every member of this impromptu conference pledged himself to take at least five well-known writers to see the play within the next three days. Then, at the conclusion of the third day, a circular letter was printed, calling the attention of all people who were seriously interested in good art to the exceptional merits of this play; and this letter, signed with twenty or thirty names of men and women whose own literary work was known throughout the country, was simultaneously despatched to every newspaper in New York.

The receipt of a communication so extraordinary [ xvii ]

as this became at once, in the parlance of the profession of journalism, a "good news item." The letter was printed prominently, and the occasion received comment in the editorial columns. Spurred on by this advantage, several of the "Kindling Boosters," as they now called themselves, wrote special articles for the Sunday editions and gave these "stories" to the newspapers free of charge.

In response to this sudden campaign of advertising, the business of the play improved. Then a sub-committee of the ''Kindling Boosters" called upon the head of the great booking syndicate and pleaded with him to give the play another chance. They called his attention to the fact that their support of Kindling was entirely disinterested. None of them had ever heard of the author, none of them had ever met the producing manager or the leading actress; some of them were authors of successful plays, of which the new piece might be regarded as a rival, and all of them were very busy people, who were giving up their time to help a work that they believed in. They believed in Kindling because of its sincerity; and they honestly believed that the American public would support the play, if only its life could be continued.

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The head of the booking syndicate was moved. "Where shall I send it?" he asked. "Chicago/' was the answer; and he booked it for one week at the Cort Theatre in Chicago. The "Kindling Boosters" then rushed to the nearest telegraph office and explained the situation to the Playgoing Committee of the Chicago Centre of the Drama League of America. This Committee issued an advance bulletin, urging all the local members of the Drama League to rally to the support of the play.

Kindling opened in Chicago to a crowded house. It played to such a profit that the head of the booking syndicate proceeded to extend its career. Thereafter the piece was acted for over fifty weeks, in every part of the United States, and never, for a single week, did it fail to return a substantial profit to the managers.

This incident opens many vistas on the current conditions of theatrical management in this country, and emphasizes the manner in which worthy plays may be assisted by such disinterested organizations as the Drama League of America. No good play can fail if enough appreciative people can be persuaded to see it; and the purpose of the Drama League [xix]

is to organize and to deliver an appreciative audience for all plays that are worthy of serious support.

But the movement in support of Kindling could not have been successful if the play itself had not been worthy of it. The one feature of the piece which served to excite the enthusiasm of the original trio who organized the "Kindling Boosters" was the evident fact that the author had written it because he cared deeply about life and not for any lesser reason. Mr. Kenyon, when he conceived and wrote this play, had something to say; he said it to the best of his ability ; and he meant it with all the power that was in him. Professional writers, who are themselves habituated to all the tricks of craftsmanship, cannot be deeply moved by any work that is not utterly sincere.

Mr. Kenyon is a good story-teller; he constructs a plot with ingenuity; he can create real and living characters; he can express profound emotion in direct and touching dialogue. These merits will become manifest at once to those who read the text of Kindling. But the main merit of this play is not its technical dexterity : it is the fact that Mr. Kenyon is gifted with that love of life which leads to understanding, — that essential sincerity of attitude and utterance that wins and holds the sympathy of a responsive public.

Kindling is admirable as a work of art; but it is even more important as a social document. It is a sincere and sympathetic study of the emotions of the desperate poor. The play reminds us with a pang that each of us is at least a tacit partner in a social organization that is guilty of infanticide upon an enormous scale. There is blood upon our hands; and the responsibility is ours. What are we going to do about it? — remain silent partners in the crime, or take a more active hand in the business of society and endeavor to reorganize it in such a way as to mitigate its cruelty? Mr. Kenyon is an artist, and his play is not polemical; but after we have lived the life of Maggie Schultz for an evening in the theatre or the library, we can scarcely recede to our own more snug and comfortable lives without asking ourselves some questions such as these.

Clayton Hamilton.

XXI

BY

CHARLES KENYON

First produced by Margaret lUington, under the direction of Edward J. Bowes at Daly's Theatre, New York City, December 3, 1911, with the following cast:

Maggie Schultz . . . Margaret Illington

Steve Bates George Probert

Mrs. Burke Smith .... Helen Tracy Alice ...... Anne Meredith

Rafferty Frank Camp

Mr. Howland John Jex

Donovan James McCauley act I

CHARACTERS

Maggie Schultz Heinrich Schultz Mrs. Bates Steve ....

Mrs. Burke Smith Mr. Howland Alice ....

Dr. Taylor . .

Raffertt Donovan

Her husband, a stevedore.

Mrs. Bates*s son.

Her business manager.

Her niece.

An interne from a public hospital.

Scene : Home of Schultz, in a New York tenement. Time : Present.