The Project Gutenberg EBook of Representative Plays by American
Dramatists: 1856-1911: The New York Idea, by Langdon Mitchell

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Title: Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911: The New York Idea

Author: Langdon Mitchell

Editor: Montrose J. Moses

Release Date: May 23, 2008 [EBook #25565]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE NEW YORK IDEA

[Illustration: LANGDON MITCHELL]

LANGDON MITCHELL

(Born Philadelphia, Pa., February 17, 1862)

The performance of "The New York Idea" at the Lyric Theatre, New York,
on November 19, 1906, was one of the rare, distinguished events in the
American Theatre. It revealed the fact that at last an American
playwright had written a drama comparable with the very best European
models, scintillating with clear, cold brilliancy, whose dialogue
carried with it an exceptional literary style. It was a play that
showed a vitality which will serve to keep it alive for many
generations, which will make it welcome, however often it is revived;
for there is a universal import to its satire which raises it above
the local, social condition it purports to portray. And though there
is nothing of an ideal character about its situations, though it seems
to be all head, with a minimum of apparent heart, it none the less is
universal in the sense that Restoration comedy is universal. It
presents a type of vulgarity, of sporting spirit, that is common in
every generation, whether in the time of Congreve and Wycherley,
whether in the period of Sheridan or Oscar Wilde. Its wit is not
dependent on local colour, though ostensibly it is written about New
York. On its first presentment, it challenged good writing on the part
of the critics. High Comedy always does that--tickles the brain and
stimulates it, drives it at a pace not usually to be had in the
theatre. Is it comedy or is it farce, the critics queried? Is Mr.
Mitchell sincere, and does he flay the evil he so photographically
portrays? Does he treat