Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-06
WOULD WRITE PLAYS
THE AMBITION OF HowELLs, ALn-
RICH AND LAThROP.
But They Find That . Peculiar Craft Is
Required for Playwriting-How Mans
field Wrote "Beau Brummell''--NIeth-
DDS of Gillette and Bronson Howard.
Especial Correspondence ]

DDS of Gillette and Bronson Howard.
Especial Correspondence
New YORK, Sept. 19.-Mr. Franklin Sar-
geant and a number of men who possess
either wealth or literary ability expect tc
make a dramatic experiment during the
coming winter which may have consider
able interest in the development of Ameri
can literature. Under Mr.. Sargeant's di.
rection, and the patronage of these wealthy
and literary associates, tests are to be
made of plays written upon American sub
jects and by American authors
Dramatic managers believe that the time
is near at hand when the United States
will not care for plays of French origin ar
ranged for the American stage or even fol
transplanted English drama. The oppor.
tunities for dramatic themes which the
United States offers are so rich, varied and
in many respects new that, with the dram.
atist of ability, it is believed that the time
has come when advantage may be taken OF
these resources.
Then there is noticed among the writers
of fiction a very strong desire to turn tc
dramatic literature. Mr.. Howells, Mr.
Aldrich George Parsons Lathrop and
some others who have won distinction as
writers have for a long time desired to pro
duce drama which would meet with ar
tistic as well as popular success.
Lathrop has come quite near hitting the
bulls eye with his delightful dramatic "a
tion of elaine" He has since then writ
ten several plays, none of which have Sc
cured such approval from managers as
this one did.
Mr.. Howells' little one act farces, while
they are very charming to read, do not
seem to have the quality which produces
success upon the stage.
Mrs. Burnett, who made handsome
little fortune with Little Lord Fauntle-
roy" has not been able to duplicate that
success. The English writers of romance
like Barrie and Jerome and Buchanan
have succeeded better in dramatic writing
than any of the conspicuous American ro-
nance writers have done.
1t is probably true that the splendid pc
cuniary rewards which come to those who
have written a successful play have tempt
ed some of these greater authors of ours.
Yet the feeling exists among writers that
in the near future the drama may perhaps
be more powerful and popular method
of teaching lesson presenting life as it is
developed in America than the printed
book can be.
MIR. Stuart Robson said recently that the
successful writers of fiction can never be
successful playwrights until they abandon
purely literary production. The writing
of play, Mr.. Robson said, must be made
the business of the playwright's life. He
must abandon everything else to it.
That is the opinion of Bronson Howard
and William Gillette, who have made more
money and produced more successful
plays than any American playwrights.
Each of them has gained a fortune, and
each of them abandoned other lines of ac-
tivity to devote themselves exclusively to
the construction of plays. Mr.. Howard
gave up journalism and Mr.. Gillette re-
tired from the stage, where he had achieved
some success as an actor.
One of the most successful plays ever
written was "Beau Brummell," and the
manner of writing that, as recently de-
scribed to the writer, may be interesting
as showing the method of constructing a
successful play. Richard Mansfield, who
had had a varied career as journalist,
opera singer, and who at one time hoped to
be a successful painter, was told by
William Winter, the accomplished dra-
matte critic, that the character Of Beau
Brummell would, if treated rightly, make
the basis of a successful play.
Mansfield thereupon read all that had
been written about Beau Brummell, and
from the story of this famous dandy's life
obtained certain hints which he thought
would serve for basis for the plot or
story of the drama. Then calling his pri-
vate secretary to his parlor in a. Philadel-
phia hotel every morning. Mansfield paced
the floor acting out the different charac-
ters as he had them in mind. 1t was ex-
temporaneous work with him. The secre-
tary made notes, and when the hour had
expired he had skeleton, SO to speak, and
all that he needed to do was to fill in the
dialogue.
The trouble with those who write fiction
! and then attempt to write plays is that
they write the dialogue first. 1t reads
we'll, but usually acts miserably. Beau
Brummell" was therefore acted before it
was written. On another occasion Mans
field had the idea of a play in his mind,
and he sent for well known writer to
breakfast with him at Delmonico's. In a
little while the walters were staring with
astonishment at the actor. There over his
coffee and chop Mansfield was acting an
| entire play as he had it in mind, and
| when the breakfast was over he had given
| the writer the skeleton upon which was
| builded one Of Mansfeld's most successful
plays.
Bronson Howard frequently used dummy
figures, setting them on miniature stage
and timing their movements, so that he
| knew to the fraction of second how
many minutes would be required for the
| delivering of certain lines, and where his
| characters would stand. Having thus fin
ished the mechanical part of the work, he
| fills in the dialogue.
| Gillette lies upon his sofa or bed some
| times for hours at time with his eyes
closed, making mental picture of every
scene and movement, and when he has
| thus rehearsed over and over again in 81
lence and temporary blindness the various
| parts, he writes out what the characters
have to say. That is something like the
method of Augustus Thomas, who is rap
| idly coming to the front as great play
| wright
When the writers of romance who are
ambitious to make great plays learn the
science of construction from these practical
playwrights, then they may be able to ap
| ply their exquisite art of writing dialogue,
SO that by and by we may have in Amer
100 hot tbav, hor -