The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry (1914)

258 Ci)e Cftcatre releases in as many days, owing to the enterprise of Marcus Loew in presenting a Famous Players' festival. I had seen three of the six productions previously, but to see all six on consecutive days was truly a treat. The impression made is not unlike that of the old days when plays and stars were changed almost daily in the South and West, but now one is privileged to compare the artistry of the stars on the stage with that of the drama of silence. Therefore, I was emboldened to ask Mr. Dawley for an expression as to the essence of this new art of which he is so able an exponent. Herewith is presented Mr. Dawley's response: "The drama of silence is human emotion conveyed by the poetry of movement, and contains three essential arts — sculpture, painting, and drama. The director has only two colors on his palette — black and white — to paint his pictures upon his canvas. He mmst carve his images in waves of light and present his dram.a in silence. Being deprived of the magic of color, the bold relief of the m.arble and the music of sound, necessarily his art is a difficult one. "The art of the drama of silence is movement prompted by emotions, not emotions represented by movement, as in the art of pantomime. The sequence of events and method of constructing a story give us an opportunity to eliminate what is called pantomime. An actor m.ay stand motionless, gazing into a lighted window, and convey to the mind all the depths of love or hate. The intelligence of his position is carried to the spectator by what has gone before or by what may come afterwards. "It is the sequence of movement and scenes that is really the essence of this new art. Neither is it