New-York tribune., 1901-12-25
OrERLOOKED BY THE DRAnATTzER

It is not often the 1ay1nan tell the special
ist anything about his speciality, but We rather
fatter ourselves that such a rare and radiant
moment has now arrived. There are few
specialists in business who are less open TO IN
struction and advice than the theatrical man
ayers. II is their belief that. most of them
would felicitously put It, they seldom miss a
trick" But it seems to us that, judged by
their own standards, they have missed several
extraordinarily good tricks of late. We refer
to the dramatization of books.
We have the example Of the most "successfuI
theatrical managers to show that the only thing
needful to make book desirable from the
theatrical point of view is that it shall have
been sufficiently we'll advertised Whether this
advertisement results in fame or in notoriety Is
immateriaL Nor is 1t a drawback If the chief
charm of the book lies in atmosphere that
cannot be reproduced the stage, or in a
metaphysical analysis that would put audi
ence to sleep. It is of 10 Importance whatever
that the action takes place in forty different
scenes and cannot be grouped satisfactorily
within any less compass. Nor need anybody
Worry because the book is all dialogue and no
action. You mention any Of these things to
manager nowadays and he will answer: "Ptsh!
Tushl The book is in its 20O.OOOth thousand
But you being foolish, object. Don't you see
OF all resemblance TO fits real self in order to
make a play of it?" "Odds bodikins," shouts
the manager. Don't you know it's on every
newsstand?"
Now there are a great many celebrated books
with enormous circulations that for some reason
or other have escaped the dramatizer, and It Is
our purpose here to call the attention OF the
managers to some Of them We shall not de-
mand any royalty. In the hope that the public
AAN+a y7foT-S ~f7a
are now common on the local stage. all persons,
managers and others, may avail themselves OF
our suggestions free of charge
In the first place there is that splendidly
advertised book entitled "Webster's 1nterna-
tionaI Dictionary of the English Language
Few publications have had more marvellous
sale than that. It is in every library, and IN
nearly every cultivated household the land over
Everybody would be interested in seeing what
\ dramatizer would do with It, OF course. IL
might be difficult t. cast the parts adequately.
but one difficulty at a time please AT any rate
the dranatizer would have no excuse for slip
shod diction
Probably no novel recently dramatiZed has
had a bigger public than The Congressional
Record" and think of the dramatic situations
IT contains. There would be the business Of Sc
lection. 10 be sure, but that is the least dlIn-
cuItv OF the managers man with the axe
With him IL is enough and not good enough
Numerous critics have been calling for years TOT
the great play Of American political life Here
II is ready for the cleaver. All the scenes are
located in Washington, and all the characters
are Senators or Representatives. What more
do ,ou want for a great play of Washington
life2 Think of the free advertising the piece
has already received. too. There's not nam
let in. the land where The Congressional Rec
ord" is not known sent by the local Repre-
sentative when it happens to contain his speech
Somebody once wrote a play called THE City
DIRECTORY" 1t was very popular. despite the
fact that it was original and not drama
tization 1t easily be seen that mere 'ie
dramatizer finds ready to hand volume IN
hitch a1-er,- admit citizen of this big city takes
q nersonaI and almost daily interest, and yet,
there II has lain like a diamond in the dust all
untouched these many years. by the axe OF the
dranatizer. like grandma's greenbacks in the
old arm chair"
Then there is the Encyclopaedia Britannica
There is a good deal of material in that, OF
course but again it would be only the problem
of selection which would not stop the average
dran,attzar five minutes. other volumes the
names of which are household words bat which,
for some unaccountable reason, have not yet
raar +alzao m by the managers. are "Lippin-
cott's Gazetteer" in which the action moves
ra nidly from one place to another; The Marine
Register" which would give a grand oppor-
tunitv for spectacular effects. such as, for ex-
annie a storm at sea; "Poor's Manual OF Rail
roads" in which there is a superb villain by the |
name of Statistics that would have gladdeneo
the heart of the late Nelson Wheatcroft; and
.orba Tribune Almanac" on which of course. we /
should Justly expect a modest royalty for each |
performance.
When all these books have heen drama |
tized and successfully produced, as, in view |
of the present catholicity of the public taste
we have no doubt they would be. we shall |
be ready with a more extended list. but these
ought to do for the present. We recommend
them as the equal, in every respect. OF most or
tba books from which plays are made nowadays. |
what surprises us is their escape from the hands
If the dramatizer for so long time.