CLIVE, WOOLLEY, HAMILTON SPEAK

An issue was sharply drawn last evening among three eminent dramatists at the open meeting of the Harvard Dramatic Club at the Union, when before an audience of about 125, E. E. Clive, actor-manager, E. M. Woolley, director, and Clayton Hamilton, critic, spoke in varying terms as to the comparative trend of the modern stage.

Mr. Clive, the first speaker, voiced the opinion that theatregoers are becoming more receptive to good drama at the present time "What the public wants now," he said, "is enormous action. This is largely the reason for the disinclination of the dramatic public to attend the theatre of literary drama; they prefer to stay at home and read. Further proof of the love of action is the enormous popularity of motion pictures.

Trend Encouraging

"While there has always been something to interfere with the drama, as far back as the Roman circus, it has always come back in cycles, and there are now indications that the literary spoken drama will be fully revived."

Partly disagreeing with Mr. Clive, Mr. Woolley attributed the imminent rise in the standards of the stage to a desire of the audience for more details and better methods, and voiced praise of dramatic activity in college.

Technically High, Culturally Low

Clayton Hamilton, speaking in a light vein, declared that although the stage has improved technically, the general tone and standards have been lowered very perceptibly because the right people are not going to the theatre.

"The audience is a collaborative partner in any play, and the type of play which will be shown is the type they vote for by buying tickets. I agree that technically plays have improved, but culturally they have sunk, and the cultural loss in the technical gain.

"The plays which pander to the non-representative vulgarian audiences of New York, upon whom the producers depend almost entirely; have become in recent years more and more vulgar; the themes more sensational, and the language more blasphemous."