The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-25

ALldDIlC NaZArGbu. NOI dIo OlubTS WdEU-
ing, though it would be invidious TO name
some and rot all, who have done worthy
and enduring work. That more has not
been done l am inclined to attribute first
to the timidity of some of our Amsri-
can managers, end secondly to the
influence of that worn-out tradition which
a generation ago led us to look on ourselves
as "too young" nation to have any art
schools of our own. It is, of course, inf
nitely safer for theatical manager who
mistrusts his own Judgment, who will not
back it," if ! may be permitted sporting
phrase, to purchase the American right to
play which has been q success in London,
rather than o adventure the production of
one which he knows only as manuscript.
So the publisher will rather steal an Eng ish
novel than take the chance necessitated by
the publishing of an original work by
native author, only that there is a wide
difference between the cases. The publisher
gets his English story for nothing, the man.
ager paysfor his secondhand English play
proba bly, more than he would have to pay
the home producer for one equally as good.
That a change is in progress, however, it
needs no exceptionally clear sight to per-
ceive. and the leading managers are to-day
turning their attention more aud more to-
ward the wealth that lies around them in
stead of expanding much useless labor in
importing Goals to an intellectual Newcastle.
Especially is this the case with the play of
modern manners, which forms so large a
part of the drama as actually presented.
Just as American readers want their novels
to reflect the spirit and tone Of the society
in which they themselves live, so do Ameri-
can audiences wish to see on the stage either
the surroundings to which they are accus-
toned, or if they must be taken far afield,
they wish the point of view to be American
rather. than EnOlish or French.
A word may be said to those, and [ inn
agine they are many, who feel within them
selves the possibilities of becoming recruits
to the ever increasing army of American
playwrights. The saying that every man
thinks he can run a newspaper or theater
until he tries has become almost proverbia :,
and to the list of things that everyone
thinks it is easy to do may fair y he added
the writing of play. And yet if we may
Judge from the number of go d plays pro-
duced there can be few things which are
harder to do we'll. Every season | read
number of plays which are ourteously sub
mitted to me by their authors, and every
season ] am filled with fresh amazement at
the curious inability to comprehend the re-
quirements of art they profess to follow
which is exhibited by a majority of these
well-meaning people They never seem to
have studied the technicalities of the stage
or the peculiarities of the actors art. Thus
one finds speeches of an inordlnate length,
scenes directly following each other which
tie cleverest of stage carpenters would find
it impossible to set in the limits of time al
Lowell to them, pages of dialogue, which,
though clever perhaps, in Itself Is utterly
without dramatic significance Sometimes
the author attempts to tell story which
could noe be clearly understood by an audi-
ence unless the play were protracted to I'M
due limits. Sometimes on the other hand the
plot is so slight that 1t would seem hardly
worth while to devote more than ten min
uteS to its unfolding Not only would l
impress on the would-be playwright, how
ever, the importance Of studying the me-
chaniSm of the stage, of famillariZing him
self with the methods of tine scene painters
and stage carpenters, but | would also urge
him to study the habits and peculiar,ties of
the average audience. A play may be ex-
celle tly written in itself, bright as to di =
logue and ingenious as % construction, and
ct the experienced manager Oh reading 1t
says at once to himself, "This would never
appeal strongly to an audie CO." 1t may be
TOO gloomy,lt may be too wildly farclcll, it
may be TOD conventional, or. on the other
hand, it may be too startling in its origin
lily and delta CO Of the accepted canCnS Of
dramatic writing. The dramatist has by
10 means cope of The novelist. TIE
latter ia the first place ii he will, appeals
only to some one particular section of the
public, and remains content with a small
audience who understand and enjoy his
work. The dramatist has to keep before
him as he writes 1.-THE average man" he
must not write over the heads of his hear
ers, neither must he hold them in too little
respect AID descend below the level Of their
Intelligence Thus | nave roughly poi ted
out some of the lions in the path of the bud
ding writer of plays, but should he meet
them boldly and su1due them he will attain
a reward bo,h pecuniary and artistic which
is vouchsafed to but few of his brothers in
literature
LAWRENCE RARRETT