The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-01
SOMETHING OF A PLAYWRIGHT.
Lawrence Merston Chats About Some
Plays He Eas Written,

Plays He Eas Written,
There is always q curiosity on the part of
the public to know what public men look
and act like. A MORNING NEWS man ran
across Lawrence Marston, poet and play
wright, yesterday.
Mr.. Msrston is here with Miss Lillian
Lewis, who will present his play, LAS In
Looking GLASS;" at the theater tonight.
He is the dramatist for Miss Lewis and her
company, and has for the pnst five years
written all the play Miss Lewis has pro-
duced.
Lawrence Marston is about 50 years old,
but looks ten years younger-tall, straight,
and good looking-full of fun as boy.
There ia a merry, quizzical twinkle about
his eye which bellies the fact that he writes
strong, high-class drama. No one to
hear him converse in we'll
chosen English, without suspic.
ion of accent, would believe that English
was an acquired language with him. The
young author is a Slav-a Bohemian, and
speaks ten languages iuently. Miss Lewis,
who stood near by, remarked en- pGSSdnt:
From my own experience abroad it is
necessary for the people over there to speak
several languages. or they can't converse
with their nearest neighbors."
Mr.. Marston is modesty itself about his
own attachments. Playwritng, he says,
is an art, a profession, a science. Native
drama is all right but native dramatic
writers are more essential, emotions and
passions are universal, only actuated more
or less according to race, country aud cli-
mate. We 80 to Italy for passion
ate love. for stilettos to France
for chic, coquetry, intrigue, spice :;
TO England for lurld melodrama,
with capital and labor engaged in hand
to hand conflict for supremacy; to Ger
many for mysticism. philosophy, love OF
fatherland; to Russia for conspiracy, eter-
nal Experimenting police espionage; to
America for chivalry, push and cheek, vet
who shall say that each and every nation
does not possess all these characteristics.
The dramatist wants to write play which
is true in dialogue, situation aud plot idea,
and it does not matter where the scene is
laid, all the world will recognize it.
lnreply to a question as to which he con-
siders his best play. the dramatist said:
"'Credit Lorraine Why9 Because it is the
most logical. AS In a Looking Glass Is
best liked by the public. There seems
to be charm about Lena
and Captain jack which the
theatre-goers like, there certainly
is human interest and contempora-
neous. Such women as 'Lsna' and such men
as Jack exist in all lands-there are plenty
of them. Bernhardt played Lena in Paris
Mrs. Bernard Beers In London. Mrs Lang
try had n shy at it. Tonight Miss Lewis
will appear as Lena The conception Of
these four women of the oae character is
particularly interesting to me. Iona
was an English woman with French man
ners and aspirations, in French clothes but
the English trait and fondness for rare
roast beef was in her. Her chic was
English Frenohifed. Her amour was the
same. and her coquetry and intrigue was
of he port or sherry class instead OF cham
payne. Miss Lewis plays her after this
fashion. and gives a consistent and artistic
ally portrayal. want to place myself on
record as saying that no playwright ever
has or ever will write play with the de-
liberate intention of corruping public
morals. His motives may be misuuder-
stood, but his intentions are to poins out
wholesome moral by the means at his
command
Mr.. Marston is the author of "Dona Sol"
Lady Lii" "A Wife's Honor" "Hypo-
critic" "Old Oaken Bucket" 1.-TWO Old
Cronies, Daily News" "Josephine," be-
sides Credit Lorraine and "As In Look
ing Glass; 1t may be of interest to many
TO know that Mss Lewis off the stage is
Mrs. Marstoa.