The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-26
WRITING A WAR DRAMA
AN ACTORS OUTLINE SO THAT ANY
ONE MAY MAKE THE PLAY.
Scenario with Plenty of villain, Hero
and Heroine. Then some Powder, n
Murder and tina rtial.

Hispano-American war and its trail of war
literature and war plays The literature We
are getting now, the plays win come later.
All over the land, wherever there is one
night stand, there sits an actor writing
war drama. Even the managers are busting
off their old civil war plays and bringing
them forth to satisfy the public craving for
militarism. There has been a rejuvenation
of Shenandoah, "The Ensign" THE Man
O -warsman," 1.-THE White Squadron THE
Girl | Left Behind Me- and others. And
the following new plays announced
or are in course of preparation, and they
are only few of the many: "A Red Cross
Nurse" "A Daughter of Cuba THE
Storming of Ell Caney.' Remember the
Maine" by Lincoln J. Carter THE Maine
Remembered" and THE Dawn of Freedom"
An actor was hero last week and in a
moment of weakness he broke down and
confessed that he had written war drama
lin fact, two of them. He was a literary
actor who spent his time off the stage with
pencil and pad of paper in his hand.
From what he says about writing plays it
must be awfully easy, only the managers
haven't time to read the really good plays.
why" said he over a little supper of
ham and egg sandwiches and a GROWER of
beer, which was spread on a towel ON the
end of the washstand in his dressing room,
why, writing a war play is just fun for
me- Everything is right at your hand,
don't you see. Plot, Incidents, cIlmaxes,
everything except the dialogue, and any one
cam write dialogue when you have your
| scenario
when was in San Francisco a manager
came to me and said: Dear boy, must
have a war drama ready to so to rehearsal
In Oct
him: III give you everything except the
words. The scenario is what you want you
can hire mere writer to do the rest Of it
Then l sat down and thought out my
scenario, and the manager had a writing
fellow fill 1t out with lines.
Il was in San Francisco when the Charles
ton, sailed, and, you remember, she came
back with her condensers out of order.
| There's an idea, said l. Then / laid out
the characters. Red Cross nurse, heroine.
Poor but honest young man the hero Jack
who enlists to fight for his country He is
the husband of the heroine. Villain, a
Spanish spy and doctor, who enlists as
Admiral Dewey in the last act: Comic
sergeant, Irishman, of course. Sailors, SOL
diers, girls. in Honolulu and Manila. Sounds
all right, doesn't it,
well, then / placed the scene of action
Act /. the Preside in San Francisco.
Act II, Jacks cottage in Vallejo.
Act III. the Charleston in Honolulu.
Act ". court-martial in Manila.
mat gives you variety enough, don I you
THE WAR-PLAY STORY.
NOW for the story of the piece. The
Charleston is lying at the Preside ready
for the embarkation OF troops. Jack De-
we're, the hero, enlists to fight for his coun-
try. The villain, Gonzales, a Spanish spy,
who pretends to be an American sympa-
thizer, is in love with Rose Jacks wife.
Jack has been married year to a poor
but beautiful young saeslady. Hard
hearted but rich father cuts Jack off with
a shilling. Spanard Gonzales, rich and
very. wicked. Jack and Rose have a little
child and live in humble cottage in
Vallejo. That night the Villain blows up
powder magazine. Great scene, old chap,
real powder you know. Last scene of act,
embarkation of troops. Fine opportunity
for flags, bands cheers, weeping women
and that sort of thing. Bands play The
Girl l Left Behind Me All, it's a great
scene, my boy.
1.-THE second act opens with the Charles
ton back with defective condensers. This
| gives chance to work in Jacks cottage.
Jack gets shore leave and dashes off to his
cottage. FinGs his child down with diph-
liberia, dying. Sheriff is about to turn
Rose and child out of doors because they
| of money for her and had given it TO his
supposed friend, Gonzales, the Spaniard,
| to put in the bank for her, which he hasn't
done .sa q
But" said the man who is neither dra-
| matte nor inventive. Doesn't 1t seem
strange that Jack should give his money to
| the Spaniard instead of putting it in the
| bank himSelf?'
Dramatic license, my boy. People do
lots of strange things on the stage,
answered the actor-dramatist. well, the
old family doctor will not let the sheriff
turn the woman and her child out. just
as the child is dying the buges outside call
assembly, and through practical window,
r. c., Jacks comrades call to him that the
"facI. presses his wife and child tn his
heart and dashes for the window. The
sheriff will not let him pass because he is
fight and gets out of window. Spanish viii
lain remains behind to tempt young wife
With gold She repuses him nv with tn seo IN
ship just in time to swing aboard. Act
closes with death of child. That's great,
';Third act. Jacks wife after child dies
becomes Red Cross nurse to be near her
husband. She sails on next expedition
Charleston detained at Honolulu and Rose
gets detailed to it. Lots of scenes with VII
lain. while, in the next ward, lies Jack, dying
of diphtheria. Scenes ashore with Honolulu
dancers and flower girls and jolly tars and
soldiers. Great opportunities for comic SER
geant. American flag hoisted over Honolulu.
Last scene aboard ship. Jack is conva-
lescing. OVerhears from next ward the
Spanish villain making. love. Recognizes
Roses voice repulsing him. Gonzales takes
Mrs. Jack in his arms and kisses her. Mrs
Jack screams with terror. Jack, who has
been struggling with door. finally gets it
VI. q
table and dashes at the Spanard. The Span
lard has knife also. duel to the death.
Mrs. Jack wringing her hands in agony.
with a superhuman effort Jack stabs
Gonzales to heart Soldiers and sailors rush
in seize him and put him in irons He has
killed his superior officer. Mrs. Jack kisses
him as he is being led away and says she
will save him yet.
DEWEY, OF COURSE
"The last act is in Manila. First scene
ashore. Manila is taken by Americans. Can
non booming: soldiers rushing at the Span
ish breastworks lots of firing. American
flag goes up. Cheers from the sailors and
soldiers and music by the bands. Second
scene, festivities ashore. Beautiful Manila
girls dancing. Soldiers and sailors have
good time. Last scene, court-martial. Dew
ey in the chair. This is a very impressive
scene. Things look very black for poor
Jack. Mrs. Jack tells all about the Span
iard's villainy, how he blew up the powder
magazine. Produces papers which she took
from him, proving him to be a spy. Tells
how he prosecuted her. and finally insulted
her, and how Jack at the last moment saved
her. Dewey stands up and says; Let it be
known that no American soldier shall be
shot for defending the honor of his wife
Rose falls into Jacks arms. Dewey presses
Jacks hand warmly. Curtain.
Now, amt that hot stuff? asked the
actor dramatist whose exertions had caused
him to perspire inordinately and who had
in the course of the recital consumed all the
beer in the pitcher And that is the way To
make a war drama. There is always plenty
of room at the top for good dramas, and
war dramas are so easy to write.
Then. continued the actor-dramatist, IF