Undoubtedly more plays are written to order than are written on the mere impulse of authors, independently of popular demand. The "order" play simply represents the popular demand as understood by managers, and the meeting of that demand in each age produces the great mass of any nation's drama. So far from lowering the standard of dramatic writing, it is a necessary impulse in the development of any drama. It is only when the school goes on blindly without seeing a change in the popular taste that the occasional man I have spoken of comes on. When the work of the school is legitimately in line with the public taste, the merely eccentric dramatist is like _Lord Dundreary's_ bird with a single feather that goes in a corner and flocks all by itself. He may be a strong enough man to attract attention to his individuality, and his plays may be really great in themselves, but his work has little influence on the development of the art. In fact, there is no development of the art except in the line of popular taste. The specially great men mentioned have simply discovered the changes in the popular taste, and to a certain extent perhaps guided it.[A]
[Footnote A: Originally published in "The Sunday Magazine" (New York) for October 7, 1906.]
Evenings at 7:45 and Wednesday and Saturday Afternoon at 2.
FIRST TIME ON ANY STAGE OF THIS NEW MILITARY COMEDY
Written Expressly for the Boston Museum by BRONSON HOWARD, ESQ.
Author of THE HENRIETTA, THE BANKER'S DAUGHTER, YOUNG MRS. WINTHROP, ONE OF OUR GIRLS, OLD LOVE LETTER, ETC.
WITH ENTIRELY NEW SCENERY BY LA MOSS, AND THE FOLLOWING CAST:
COL. JOHN HAVERILL, Mr. THOS. L. COLEMAN LIEUT. KERCHIVAL WEST, Mr. JOHN B. MASON [Transcribers note: some unreadable text here] LIEUT. ROB'T ELLINGHAM, Mr. CHAS. J. BELL FRANK HAVERILL, Mr. EDGAR L. DAVENPORT EDW. THORNTON, a Southerner "by choice," Mr. WILLIS GRANGER MRS. HAVERILL Miss ANNIE M. CLARKE GERTRUDE ELLINGHAM, a Southern girl, Miss VIOLA ALLEN MADELINE WEST, a Northern girl, Miss HELEN DAYNE
MAJ. GEN. FRANCIS BUCKTHORN, Commander of the Nineteenth Army Corps Mr. C. LESLIE ALLEN BRIG. GEN. HAVERILL, { Officers } Mr. THOS. L. COLEMAN COL. KERCHIVAL WEST, { of } Mr. JOHN B. MASON CAPT. HEARTSEASE, { Sheridan's } Mr. HENRY M. PITT LIEUT. FRANK BEDLOE, { Cavalry } Mr. EDGAR L. DAVENPORT SERGEANT BARKET, Mr. GEO. W. WILSON COL. ROBERT ELLINGHAM, 10th Virginia C.S.A., Mr. CHAS. J. BELL CAPT. THORNTON, Secret Service, C.S.A., Mr. WILLIS GRANGER LIEUT. HARDWICK, Surgeon, C.S.A., Mr. GEORGE BLAKE CORPORAL DUNN, Mr. JAMES NOLAN CAPT. LOCKWOOD, Signal Officer Mr. HERBERT PATTEE BENSON, { Cavalrymen } Mr. C.B. ABBE WILKINS, { } Mr. HENRY MACDONNA LIEUTENANTS, { Cavalry} MR. H.P. WHITTEMORE { Infantry} Mr. THOS. FRANCIS MRS. HAVERILL, Miss ANNIE M. CLARKE GERTRUDE ELLINGHAM, Miss VIOLA ALLEN MADELINE WEST, Miss HELEN DAYNE JENNY BUCKTHORN, U.S.A., Miss MIRIAM O'LEARY MRS. EDITH HAVERILL, Miss GRACE ATWELL OLD MARGERY Miss KATE RYAN JANNETTE Miss HARDING