the personality of this deft sketch comes,—the cast? the setting? the
lines? the action? perhaps the author! One can be a little more certain
where it goes. This will locate a purpose, hopefully the purpose. “The
Undercurrent” audience senses the motive, “Life; not as a strange
interlude of many excruciating acts, not as a morbid mundanity of an
isolated act, but as mortal activity flavored with sympathy.” The spirit
of pity is propagated. Not that it is unfortunate to be compelled to live
but that no one should be compelled to live unfortunately. Briefer stated
this suggests “the more abundant life for all.”
The playlet with its clamorous reception as the sketch supreme appears to
be prophetic of:
1. Better interhuman relationships.
2. Social values in a mechanistic standardized age.
3. Changes in the Drama-Stage; New things in vaudeville,
Western inroads upon “Broadway,” Conquest by the amateur.
SOME UNSURPASSED STUDENT IMPRESSIONS
In order to broaden the range of reaction, “The Undercurrent” was brought
before the unsuspecting class in the Sociology of Histrionics. This
course has as its objective the sociological study of the drama-stage.
None of the class had heard of the play or its author. No effort was
made to arouse enthusiasm or to laud its merits, in fact quite the
reverse. Eliminating the preliminary description and the directions for
characterization, the script was read once in a monotone. Without further
information or class discussion each student was asked to write upon
scratch paper his or her opinion, especially including adverse criticism.
They were given to understand that their papers would not be read in
class or have any bearing upon their grades. No indication disclosed
what use might be made of these impressions. The results under these
handicaps are quite startling. The following extracts were made without
the students’ knowledge or permission.
The extremist of the class objected to the play as having no plot, a
boresome foreign accent, a repulsive situation, a danger of tempting
people to imitate that kind of life, better for children than adults, and
that anyone who could appreciate such a play would have no capacity for
good tragedy.
However the consensus of opinion of the class was quite different. One
of the ladies felt, “The lesson taught by the play seemed to be the
outstanding thing, the fact that the man was so wrong and yet could quote
scripture to prove his point.... We can all easily become friends of the
girl Annie, and pity her plight, especially when we know it is so true
to life as we have heard of it. I do not like to bring the hardness and
cruelty of life in its treatment of some people to everyone and as I have
no better method to suggest—of bringing it before someone who might be
able to help remedy the condition, I would not try to stop these plays.
The characters are very vividly portrayed, particularly the father’s.
When his lines were being read I suffered the reaction of wanting to stop
them, to change it; I didn’t want to hear it any further without doing
something to that man. For this type of play I think it very good.”
Quotations from other students follow:
“The play was suggestive of many things and many purposes.”
“The play emphasized the fact that real strict parents create in their
children hate and fear instead of love for them.”
“It gives us an idea of the life one leads in a flat. The father was so
cruel in his way of bringing up his children—they did not have a chance
to speak for themselves. The social workers of the day can help children
in such predicaments. It would also help children that have life easy and
to appreciate the advantages they have.”
“It was written for amusement and also to show the good many are doing on
the streets of large cities for the fallen people. The author had in mind
to make the parents, who saw or read the play, pay more attention and
spend more educating time with them.”
“Evidently the play is meant to bring out the fact that home environment
and discipline has a great influence upon youth, and a home in which the
young are so repressed, directed and curbed, the influence is liable
to be a negative one.... The most difficult cases the social worker
has to deal with are these.... The selfishness, strictness, blindness,
and one-track-minds of parents are responsible for much of youthful
delinquency and disgrace.”
“A problem play to teach the effect of home life and conditions on the
child’s life and behavior. Introduces somewhat secondarily the work and
place of the Morals Courts, which investigate the environment for the
possible causes of crimes. Portrays living conditions of the ignorant and
poverty-stricken class.... The play teaches its lesson.... An indirect
method frequently is more successful than one whose purpose is known by
all concerned.”
“Training a child in the way he should go may be a good proverb, but
it is not a wise plan to scare children into lying and leaving home,
associating with wrong companions and thus getting into trouble.... It’s
a good play and many instances just like it occur nowadays.... The mother
certainly realized what should be done.”
And lastly will be given the unedited report of one who seemed
indifferent during the single reading of the play:
“The play was interesting. It portrayed or was typical of the life it
portrayed; that is, the slums. I had a vivid picture of the house and
clear impression of the father in his burly way. The characters were well
written. It was a good “unwritten” character sketch. You could easily
judge or tell what type of characters they were. The plot was very simple
but I think incompleted. The play was well named. We should have more
of those type of plays because so many people do not realize how some
people do exist. Of course there are some who would refuse to believe it
but then it wouldn’t do any harm for them to be informed. The type of
play to have are those true to life. Too many plays do not acquaint us
with actual life and we are disillusioned. The ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ type are so
frequent in the foreign element of our country that it is astounding. I
like the dialect because if we are at all broad we will run across people
who speak as they spoke and we should be able to understand. Some people
are bored by those plays. I think they lack appreciation.”