ready referred to,
though perhaps an Education Bill play would have difficulties in his
hands, owing to the introduction of religious topics. It seems curious
that the women are keener in seeking to use the stage, a tremendous
weapon for the purposes of reform, than men, and the explanation is by
no means obvious or necessarily flattering to men.

Some day those whom one may generally designate as Puritans will become
sensible of the vast potentialities of drama, and will see that it is
foolish to leave all the good tunes to the devil. As a result, no doubt,
we shall suffer for a while from a lot of bad plays with a good purpose.
Yet there will be a useful infusion of new blood and new ideas, and our
drama, instead of running round and round after its tail, will get out
of its present little vicious circle and become a living force in the
country, instead of a mere medium of entertainment, and of entertainment
which rarely has any substantial value from an artistic point of view.

In connexion with these remarks the section "Plays with a Purpose"
should be read--if possible. It should be added that Mr Galsworthy's
admirable play, _Justice_, has had some effect upon the treatment of
prisoners.

CHAPTER VI

THE PHENOMENA OF THE STAGE

The Optics

Thick-and-thin admirers of Duse, an actress of indisputable genius, used
to praise her because she dispensed with the "make-up" that other
players deem necessary. They saw in this a glorious fidelity to nature.
Their position became a little ridiculous when, somewhat later, the
actress--possibly in compliance with the advice of critical
worshippers--adopted the ordinary devices of the stage and pressed into
service the make-up box and even the aid of the wigmaker.

Presumably the change in policy was due to a more careful consideration
of the optics of the stage. For it may be assumed that she "made up" in
order to counteract the privative effects of the stage lights and appear
neither more nor less beautiful and expressive to the public in the
playhouse than to her friends in her drawing-room. This leads to the
important paradox that in the theatre you must be artificial if you wish
to appear natural; that on the stage, verisimilitude is greater truth
than truth itself; or, to use the popular oxymoron, you must be "falsely
true." In this respect the matter of "make-up" is only an instance of a
general law prevailing in all matters theatrical.

Let no one think