The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-09
MAKING A PLAY FOR MARKET.
SYDNEY ROSESNFELD EXPLAINS
SOME TRICKS OF THE TRADE.

Clever Writing Is Not an Essential
of SucceSs-Given q Taking Theme
With Heart Interest" Clever
Manager VIII Contrivc Its Hevi-
sion TO Good Purpose Even Thong
IL May Lack Structure and Clever
ness-If the Situations Arc sum
cientIy Obvious and striking the
Play Is There without the Lines.
For the CIcVcrness of DictiOn
which the Public Appreciates, 1t
Is Likely to Give the Credit to the
Actor Rather Than the Author.
The Value of Judicial Repetition
of a Good Linc--A Typical Topical
song.
Copyright 1900. by Sydney Rosenfeld.
New York. Feb. lit is the opinion of
most playrights that loosely constructed
play dealing with a familiar theme stands
"A better chance Of acceptance by a man
aSer than one more brilliant technical
~. in every way. but treating of an I'M
familiar and less popular subject
TIE manager with a certain sense of
values-very often a purely imaginary
sense-detects in the submitted theme
market value. on this he speculates. If
the play needs revision he secures the
services OF the expert and has it revised.
Some very crude samples of playwriting
have been produced with considerable
financial profit-plays that have gone
through the mill of revision until they
have finally emerged sufficiently actable
10 hold together, but always retaining the
original attractive feature of heart in
terest and a homely story. way Down
East" is an example. THE Old Home
stead" is another on the other hand.
some Of Pinero's finest technical exhibits.
such as "The Princess and the Butterfly"
1.-The Profigate" etc, have been unre-
muncrative.
1t is not generally known that the
dialogue of a play for which the author,
il he have facility of expression gets the
most credit is really the least important
ingredient of his product The essential
thing for an actabe play, always grant
ing il have the right theme, is its struc-
ture In other words, the building up of
its situations. If these are correct, the
clothing of the scenes with adequate
words seems easy enough to accomplish.
To the practised dramatist the right
words seem to find themselves. Here
again the part the audience plays comes
into evidence. If the situation is lucid
it manifests itself at once to the spec
tator, and he supplies his own text, as
1t were, before II is spoken.
An ActOr-PrOof situation.
A well-known leading man was playing
a scene at Wallack's Theater during the
run of a play two seasons ago. BY one
Of he h-a ol-
though he had been playing his part for
several weeks, and was of course let
fer-perfect," his lines suddenly left him.
lie hadn't the remotest idea what words
he had to speak next. But the dramatic
situation was there. That spoke for it.
self And he did not lose his head. He
detained some unintelligible phrases, but
with the same fire and force that he
might have lent to inspired text and fin
ally rushing to the door with heroic re-
solve beamiug from every feature,
claimed dramatically: "A mans a man
for a that What he said regarded as
mere words had no bearing on the sub
ject whatever, but he got scene call
for his dramatic exit The audience had
worked overtime playing its own part,
without knowing it, The author had sup
piled an actor-proof situation
Apply the same theory to comic plays
and you will see that the result is the
same. We are constantly installing cause
for effect and giving the line credit for
what the situation has done. comedian
comes upon the scene, after a series OF
turmoils have been in progress, of which
he Is the unconscious victim. Let us say
that be has just learned that his wife
has clipped with the barber. his baby has
the humps, and some jocund jewellers
have removed the hinges from his front
door. He stands there, dumbfounded The
audience is dying to howl. but they held
their breath to hear the first word he
shall utter. He says Pickles" and
they go into commissions. Now if ne had
said "Turnips' or "Horse-radish." the
result would have been the same In point
of fact if he had said nothing and sim
ply fallen into a faint he would have
achieved the same hilarious triumph All
the same when the audience leaves the
theater it will carry away with ID that
very witty remark made by the Comedian
a. that juncture, whether it be pickles, !"
'Turnips" or "Hrose-radish," and the
authors toll in laboriously building up the
situation that required no words what
ever, gets the smallest share of appre-
citation.
Brilliant DictiOn Doesn't Make a
Play Go.
OF course I shall be told in controver-
sion of this statement that there are very
many brilliant plays in France and Ger
many that do not rely on their gladiators
for their value, but are source of in
telectusl delight for their diction. If the
fact that these plays are to France and
Germany is not a sufficient answer. in
view of the premises that we are dealing
with plays written originally In the Eng
fish language. l will further add thar
refer especially to plays that are written
10 be acted and not read. And like The
man who knew that honesty was the best
policy because he had 'tried both" T
wish TO say { and hope / shall moi 10
considered immodest in so dolng) tha; I