heartbreak house-第8节

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ruin　to　the　bottom；　I　can　only　say；　〃I　cannot　do　justice　to　this
situation；〃　and　let　it　pass　without　another　word。



The　Higher　Drama　put　out　of　Action

The　effect　of　the　war　on　the　London　theatres　may　now　be　imagined。
The　beds　and　the　bevies　drove　every　higher　form　of　art　out　of　it。
Rents　went　up　to　an　unprecedented　figure。　At　the　same　time　prices
doubled　everywhere　except　at　the　theatre　pay…boxes；　and　raised
the　expenses　of　management　to　such　a　degree　that　unless　the
houses　were　quite　full　every　night；　profit　was　impossible。　Even
bare　solvency　could　not　be　attained　without　a　very　wide
popularity。　Now　what　had　made　serious　drama　possible　to　a　limited
extent　before　the　war　was　that　a　play　could　pay　its　way　even　if
the　theatre　were　only　half　full　until　Saturday　and　three…quarters
full　then。　A　manager　who　was　an　enthusiast　and　a　desperately　hard
worker；　with　an　occasional　grant…in…aid　from　an　artistically
disposed　millionaire；　and　a　due　proportion　of　those　rare　and
happy　accidents　by　which　plays　of　the　higher　sort　turn　out　to　be
potboilers　as　well；　could　hold　out　for　some　years；　by　which　time
a　relay　might　arrive　in　the　person　of　another　enthusiast。　Thus
and　not　otherwise　occurred　that　remarkable　revival　of　the　British
drama　at　the　beginning　of　the　century　which　made　my　own　career　as
a　playwright　possible　in　England。　In　America　I　had　already
established　myself；　not　as　part　of　the　ordinary　theatre　system；
but　in　association　with　the　exceptional　genius　of　Richard
Mansfield。　In　Germany　and　Austria　I　had　no　difficulty：　the　system
of　publicly　aided　theatres　there；　Court　and　Municipal；　kept　drama
of　the　kind　I　dealt　in　alive；　so　that　I　was　indebted　to　the
Emperor　of　Austria　for　magnificent　productions　of　my　works　at　a
time　when　the　sole　official　attention　paid　me　by　the　British
Courts　was　the　announcement　to　the　English…speaking　world　that
certain　plays　of　mine　were　unfit　for　public　performance；　a
substantial　set…off　against　this　being　that　the　British　Court；　in
the　course　of　its　private　playgoing；　paid　no　regard　to　the　bad
character　given　me　by　the　chief　officer　of　its　household。

Howbeit；　the　fact　that　my　plays　effected　a　lodgment　on　the　London
stage；　and　were　presently　followed　by　the　plays　of　Granville
Barker；　Gilbert　Murray；　John　Masefield；　St。　John　Hankin；　Lawrence
Housman；　Arnold　Bennett；　John　Galsworthy；　John　Drinkwater；　and
others　which　would　in　the　nineteenth　century　have　stood　rather
less　chance　of　production　at　a　London　theatre　than　the　Dialogues
of　Plato；　not　to　mention　revivals　of　the　ancient　Athenian　drama
and　a　restoration　to　the　stage　of　Shakespeare's　plays　as　he　wrote
them；　was　made　economically　possible　solely　by　a　supply　of
theatres　which　could　hold　nearly　twice　as　much　money　as　it　cost
to　rent　and　maintain　them。　In　such　theatres　work　appealing　to　a
relatively　small　class　of　cultivated　persons；　and　therefore
attracting　only　from　half　to　three…quarters　as　many　spectators　as
the　more　popular　pastimes；　could　nevertheless　keep　going　in　the
hands　of　young　adventurers　who　were　doing　it　for　its　own　sake；
and　had　not　yet　been　forced　by　advancing　age　and　responsibilities
to　consider　the　commercial　value　of　their　time　and　energy　too
closely。　The　war　struck　this　foundation　away　in　the　manner　I　have
just　described。　The　expenses　of　running　the　cheapest　west…end
theatres　rose　to　a　sum　which　exceeded　by　twenty…five　per　cent　the
utmost　that　the　higher　drama　can；　as　an　ascertained　matter　of
fact；　be　depended　on　to　draw。　Thus　the　higher　drama；　which　has
never　really　been　a　commercially　sound　speculation；　now　became　an
impossible　one。　Accordingly；　attempts　are　being　made　to　provide　a
refuge　for　it　in　suburban　theatres　in　London　and　repertory
theatres　in　the　provinces。　But　at　the　moment　when　the　army　has　at
last　disgorged　the　survivors　of　the　gallant　band　of　dramatic
pioneers　whom　it　swallowed；　they　find　that　the　economic
conditions　which　formerly　made　their　work　no　worse　than
precarious　now　put　it　out　of　the　question　altogether；　as　far　as
the　west　end　of　London　is　concerned。



Church　and　Theatre

I　do　not　suppose　many　people　care　particularly。　We　are　not
brought　up　to　care；　and　a　sense　of　the　national　importance　of　the
theatre　is　not　born　in　mankind：　the　natural　man；　like　so　many　of
the　soldiers　at　the　beginning　of　the　war；　does　not　know　what　a
theatre　is。　But　please　note　that　all　these　soldiers　who　did　not
know　what　a　theatre　was；　knew　what　a　church　was。　And　they　had
been　taught　to　respect　churches。　Nobody　had　ever　warned　them
against　a　church　as　a　place　where　frivolous　women　paraded　in
their　best　clothes；　where　stories　of　improper　females　like
Potiphar's　wife；　and　erotic　poetry　like　the　Song　of　Songs；　were
read　aloud；　where　the　sensuous　and　sentimental　music　of　Schubert；
Mendelssohn；　Gounod；　and　Brahms　was　more　popular　than　severe
music　by　greater　composers；　where　the　prettiest　sort　of　pretty
pictures　of　pretty　saints　assailed　the　imagination　and　senses
through　stained…glass　windows；　and　where　sculpture　and
architecture　came　to　the　help　of　painting。　Nobody　ever　reminded
them　that　these　things　had　sometimes　produced　such　developments
of　erotic　idolatry　that　men　who　were　not　only　enthusiastic
amateurs　of　literature；　painting；　and　music；　but　famous
practitioners　of　them；　had　actually　exulted　when　mobs　and　even
regular　troops　under　express　command　had　mutilated　church
statues；　smashed　church　windows；　wrecked　church　organs；　and　torn
up　the　sheets　from　which　the　church　music　was　read　and　sung。　When
they　saw　broken　statues　in　churches；　they　were　told　that　this　was
the　work　of　wicked；　godless　rioters；　instead　of；　as　it　was；　the
work　partly　of　zealots　bent　on　driving　the　world；　the　flesh；　and
the　devil　out　of　the　temple；　and　partly　of　insurgent　men　who　had
become　intolerably　poor　because　the　temple　had　become　a　den　of
thieves。　But　all　the　sins　and　perversions　that　were　so　carefully
hidden　from　them　in　the　history　of　the　Church　were　laid　on　the
shoulders　of　the　Theatre：　that　stuffy；　uncomfortable　place　of
penance　in　which　we　suffer　so　much　inconvenience　on　the
slenderest　chance　of　gaining　a　scrap　of　food　for　our　starving
souls。　When　the　Germans　bombed　the　Cathedral　of　Rheims　the　world
rang　with　the　horror　of　the　sacrilege。　When　they　bombed　the
Little　Theatre　in　the　Adelphi；　and　narrowly　missed　bombing　two
writers　of　plays　who　lived　within　a　few　yards　of　it；　the　fact　was
not　even　mentioned　in　the　papers。　In　point　of　appeal　to　the
senses　no　theatre　ever　built　could　touch　the　fane　at　Rheims：　no
actress　could　rival　its　Virgin　in　beauty；　nor　any　operatic　tenor
look　otherwise　than　a　fool　beside　its　David。　Its　picture　glass
was　glorious　even　to　those　who　had　seen　the　glass　of　Chartres。　It
was　wonderful　in　its　very　grotesques：　who　would　look　at　the
Blondin　Donkey　after　seeing　its　leviathans？　In　spite　of　the
Adam…Adelphian　decoration　on　which　Miss　Kingston　had　lavished　so
much　taste　and　care；　the　Little　Theatre　was　in　comparison　with
Rheims　the　gloomiest　of　little　conventicles：　indeed　the　cathedral
must；　from　the　Puritan　point　of　view；　have　debauched　a　million
voluptuaries　for　every　one　whom　the　Little　Theatre　had　sent　home
thoughtful　to　a　chaste　bed　after　Mr　Chesterton's　Magic　or
Brieux's　Les　Avaries。　Perhaps　that　is　the　real　reason　why　the
Church　is　lauded　and　the　Theatre　reviled。　Whether　or　no；　the　fact
remains　that　the　lady　to　whose　public　spirit　and　sense　of　the
national　value　of　the　theatre　I　owed　the　first　regular　public
performance　of　a　play　of　mine　had　to　conceal　her　action　as　if　it
had　been　a　crime；　whereas　if　she　had　given　the　money　to　the
Church　she　would　have　worn　a　halo　for　it。　And　I　admit；　as　I　have
always　done；　that　this　state　of　things　may　have　been　a　very
sensible　one。　I　have　asked　Londoners　again　and　again　why　they　pay
half　a　guinea　to　go　to　a　theatre　when　they　can　go　to　St。　Paul's
or　Westminster　Abbey　for　nothing。　Their　only　possible　reply　is
that　they　want　to　see　something　new　and　possibly　something
wicked；　but　the　theatres　mostly　disappoint　both　hopes。　If　ever　a
revolution　makes　me　Dictator；　I　shall　establish　a　heavy　charge
for　admission　to　our　churches。　But　everyone　who　pays　at　the
church　door　shall　receive　a　ticket　entitling　him　or　her　to　free
admission　to　one　performance　at　any　theatre　he　or　she　prefers。
Thus　shall　the　sensuous　charms　of　the　church　service　be　made　to
subsidize　the　sterner　virtue　of　the　drama。



The　Next　Phase

The　present　situation　will　not　last。　Although　the　newspaper　I
read　at　breakfast　this　morning　before　writing　these　words
contains　a　calculation　that　no　less　than　twenty…three　wars　are　at
present　being　waged　to　confirm　the　peace；　England　is　no　longer　in
khaki；　and　a　violent　reaction　is　setting　in　against　the　crude
theatrical　fare　of　the　four　terrible　years。　Soon　the　rents　of
theatres　will　once　more　be　fixed　on　the　assumption　that　they
cannot　always　be　full；　nor　even　on　the　average　half　full　week　in
and　week　out。　Prices　will　change。　The　higher　drama　will　be　at　no
greater　disadvantage　than　it　was　before　the　war；　and　it　may
benefit；　first；　by　the　fact　that　many　of　us　have　been　torn　from
the　fools'　paradise　in　which　the　theatre　formerly　traded；　and
thrust　upon