The herald., 1894-06-10


asked the reporter.
"There ia one Tribunal before which
all bow"
"Well--"
Without replying a word Mr.. Donnelly
stood still, and the reporter looking for
him to place bis left hand rpen his
heart, extend his right up into the
atmosphere and give vent to some noble
sentiment regarding the elevation OF the
stage and his sorrow over the degeneracy
OF the drama.
But no; Mr.. Donnelly did nothing OF
that kind. He struck of his pockets
several times, from which came the
unmistakable jingle Of silver dollars.
"Do you understand 2" was all he said.
The reporter looked at Mr.. Donnelly,
who was waiting for that look, and the
meaning OF the drsmatist WAS under
stood. The newspaperman had been
given practical illustration OF the po-
stion of the modern playwright.
However" continued Mr. Donnelly,
after some OF the eloquence OF that
silence had f1oated away, "do not I'M
derstand me as saying that the author
has nothing in view except the acqul-
sition of the mighty dollar. For he
has not. He has certainly his standard,
but even that must be governed by the
all powerful tribunal to which | have
just referred. Some plays are written
10 instruct, but the public demands to
be amused; and here again comes the
influence of the tribunal.
''In writing play there must be one
central character, around which all of
the others revolve. The lines of the
character must be go strongly drawn
as to admit of no doubt as to it. FIRE.
ouently it il difficult to adhere to the
original character, l know of my own
experience where after having started
out with a certain character as the GEN.
trial idaa l found myself running away
with another one, and, try as L could, it
finally ended by becoming much strong
or marked than the one with which l
had originally started"
slow do you get your Ideas for
plots?"
"Ohl they are everywhere. To .
man who is on the lookout themes are
presenting themselves constantly. Why,
take for instance, that poor old woman
out on the street playing the organ.
Who knows what she has been and to
the ramatist it would be an excellent
field to work out the details OF her form
or lite and how the events go shaped
themselves as to bring her to what she
is now"
Suppose you should have to write q
play for some individual, how would
you 60 about it?"
swell / should 60 and watch his or
her performance, as the case might be.
l would study the characteristics, for in
that case the play would have to be
moulded so as to enable the actor to
show the possibility of his individuality
and the characteristics of his part to
which he is assigned"
"Would you not endeavor to bring out
some OF his characteristics or special
talents which had not been given OPP
portunity in the play in which you were
studying him?"
Eyes, that's exactly it. While, of
course, the characteristics must be re-
tanned, it is also desirable to have some
thing new in which he can appear.
Therefore it is important to shade some
OF the characteristics which appear most
prominently in his play, and bring some
of the minor ones into holder relief in my
work, which they had been denied by the
acting OF the other play"
''But if you could not study the per-
former"
II should endeavor to be thrown with
the person who was to appear in the
play and study him. Take, for instance,
yourself. You are quick in thought but
deliberate in action. These would give
me an idea of how to proceed, and az l
got to know more of you / could bring
out other Of your characteristics. In
writing the play without the specific
star or person in your mind you can let
your ideas run their own course, and you
are, as a rule much freer than in the
former style OF play, for the reason that
in it you are limited, to certain extent,
by the PERSONS characteristics"
care you under contract to write any
plays?"
Eyes; for James O'Neill, Roland
Reed and Corinne. Ot course. the plays
will be such as will enable them to dis
play their qualities. No one ever 1850
ciates O'Neill with anything except tho
romantic. while Roland Reed is thor
oughly identified with comedy"
what are your methods of work."
81 write in the open air and start gem
orally about 10 O'Clock in the morning
and work until IL. l return about and
work till 5, generally putting in five
hours day. In the first place | must
have a bright day. The cloudy weather
depresses me. and cannot write we'll in
it, and that was why came to Southern
California to find the climatic Influences
necessary to the work which | had to
do Some times do not write fuently,
and frequently rewrite page many
times. II I find my thoughts are not
flowing huently, l stop and do not
write"
do you believe in inspiration p"
"Yes. Sometimes my thoughts flow
30 rapidly that cannot keep up with
my pen. When | start in an act, the
hand writing is always plain, but as the
climax ia reached | become aroused,
and the brain quickens, and thoughts
flow very rapidly. In my endeavor to
keep up with them the writing becomes
poor. 1t is of course due to the fact that
l realize the climax, the elimination of
nv thoughts is being approached, and
become completely absorbed in working
up to it,"
How about this section as a place
for a writerP"
Il think it is perfect. On one hand
you have the ocean, on the other the
mountains. which impart a certain fla.
vor, as it were. to the very atmosphere,
such as can hardly be obtained any
place else in this country. Southern
California corresponds to Italy in this
respect, in having the quality OF the
poetic. the dramatic in the air. be-
lieve that eventually Southern Caliior-
MIA will be the center of an art colony