Mr. Mackaye's efforts in the dramatic field have been varied. Masques, pageants, operas, and plays are to his credit. The Canterbury Pilgrims, The Scarecrow, Jeanne D'Arc, Mater, Anti-Matrimony, Sanctuary, Saint Louis Masque, and Caliban are among his better-known works.
In 1912 appeared his Yankee Fantasies, of which Sam Average and Gettysburg are the more noteworthy.
In all of Mr. Mackaye's work he possesses what many dramatists lack—a definite ideal. He aims at an artistic and literary effect. His Sam Average is a real contribution to American patriotic drama.
| CHARACTERS |
| Andrew |
| Joel |
| Ellen |
| Sam Average |
SAM AVERAGE[D]
An intrenchment in Canada, near Niagara Falls, in the year 1814. Night, shortly before dawn.
On the right, the dull glow of a smouldering wood fire ruddies the earthen embankment, the low-stretched outline of which forms, with darkness, the scenic background.
Near the centre, left, against the dark, a flag with stars floats from its standard.
Beside the fire, Andrew, reclined, gazes at a small frame in his hand; near him is a knapsack, with contents emptied beside it.