The Red Cloud chief., 1888-07-27
WRITING A PLAY.



Pslats From . Veteran New York Theat'
real Manager.
We hear of the successful playwright
because their works are produced. But
there is a great army of play-writers
whose works n produced. and
who are consequently unknown outside
Of their own circles. Any manager will
tell you that he receives more Ms.
plays than he has time to read and ex-
anime. He will also tell you that the
novice acts on the assumption that
mere cleverness in writing bright
dialogues, or skill in celebrating a
plot, suffices in the production OF a
dramatic work. Every play has to
suit the stage carpenter as well as the
manager. and he must never be lost
sight of in the course of the play.
Probably there is lever a play pro-
duced that is not altered and rear
ranged by the experienced actor or
stage manager at rehearsals or after the
first night. Some of the best business
is arranged after the rehearsals have
commenced. There are certain effects
that al only be detained by watching
the rehearsals. 1t is impossible Ia
time" the dialogue for entrance and
exit until rehearsals. OF this the
embryo dramatist is blissfully ignor.
ant Taking the old plays as models
he writes long speeches that modern
audiences would not tolerate. He
does not remember that there Ire GER
tain mechanical impossibilIies. and
consequently has a full set" follow
another, whSu a front scene enabling
a change is necessary for the purpose.
As a rule the best acting plays dc
not read well. and vice versa. Manager
Palmer, of the Madison Square Theater,
initiated his series Of authors matinees
for the purpose of testing the works OF
embryo dramatists, though these pro
auctions have only been made after the
play has been carefully read and re-
hearsed. The few that have lived be-
yund the experimental performance
shows how difficult it is to judge of a
dramatic work until il is acted.
There is a prominent editor. whose
short stories in character dialogue
have made him fame and fortune. He
devoted valuable time to composing a
domestic drama, which he finally sub
mitted to a manager. After waiting
several months he received the Ms.
with the stereotyped note that the
manager regretted his arrangements
would not permit the production.
though he had read the play with
much interest On opening the Ms.
roll the author found that several pages
he had deity glued together had not
been touched, conclusive evidence that
the play had not been read.
Another had three full acts in sue
cession in one act. and the manager.
CHANGING over the scenes did not waste
time to read the bulky Ms. but sum-
marily returned it with the laconic
commentary. Impossible" A novel
list found that his three-act comedy OF
conuemporaneous life would take three
Nights to play as written.
G.eat skill in the def d~ovetailing of
the business" and incidents is re-
ouired. in COMPRISING the episode in
to an act without any changes of scene.
The front scene is generally known as
q carpenter" scene, from she fact
that it is generally made TO enable the
~sceneshifters to change the full set be-
hind. The modern tendency is decided
" toward the n scene to the act:
though in melodramas with many
changes of scene. the drops and front
Scene are necessary.
There is a future for the dramatist
in this country, but the details of the
stage must be understood; and if the
embryo dramatic author can not master
such any other way. l advise him to
seek the counsel of stage manager CT
actor. It is because of the actors
practical knowledge of the technique
of the stage, that as a rule plays writ
ten by actors are invariably successful,
even if Indifferent literary compost
tions.-N. 7. Cor. ST. Louis Globe Dem
Ocrdt.
-Doctor-''Did you take the rhu-
barb l ordered?:- Patient-..Yes sir"
How did you take it,"
Patient-'.In a Detroit Free