Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-22
WRITING SUCCESSFUL PLAYS.
Some of the Tricks and Methods of
Well-Known Playwriehts.

From London Exchange.
Much has been said regarding the meth
DDS by which writers of fiction evolve their
novels, but. curiously, little is known of
subject of at least equal interest-the
tricks and methods of piaywrghts.
Mr.. Haddon Chambers. the author of
many clever and charming plays. frankly
confesses that he has no method. so
ratio am l." he declares, that l often be-
gin in the middle of a play and complete,
say, the third act before 1 have the re-
motest idea what to put in the first. This
was the case In The Honorable Herbert
where the third act fashioned itself so COM
pletely in my mind that L was compelled to
sit down and write it before II escaped my
memory, and then turned to the first act
Mr.. Chambers has no difficulty in finding
bis plots. They come to him, he says,
with almost fatal facility; but before put
ting pen to paper he allows the plot to SIM
mer in his mind for at least a month. until
play and characters have assumed a CO.
herent and tangible form in his mind
Practically all his writing is done at West
gate, for he finds London far too restless
and feverish place for quiet literary
work.
Mr.. Louis N. Parker equally pleads
guilty to an utter lack of method in his
work rarely put pen to paper" he
! admits, until managers begin to worry me
about rehearsais, and l have only three or
| four days left in which to produce four
act play. Then | work practically night
and day until the thing is done, with the
result that L always VOW I will never write
| another.
AS for his ideas. he says that he "begs,
| borrows, or steals them," and then endeaT
ors to find the sort of characters that can
conceivably carry them out With the CEN
| trail idea and characters settled, he finds no
difficulty in weaving suitable story around
! them. When collaborating with Mr.. Car
| son, he says, We are really only together
1 during the ipcuhatip tins
times only lasts a morning"
Mr.. g. r. Sims has very decided views as
to how a successful melodrama should be
written, and probably no one Is entitled to
| speak with more authority on this subject.
The chief thing, he says, Is to get a simple
story, free from complication, and with
plenty of passion, pathos, humor and lively
| characterization in 1t. Having thus got the
| mental skeleton, he proceeds to clothe the
| plot with dialogue and fill in the incidents.
As all his plays are written for special
| casts he makes point OF writing round
| the Individual actors who are to produce
the play; and every line is written with a
| mental eye on the stage which no play
| wright is more familiar with.
| When writing in collaboration he and his
| colleague usually spend a week in cogitation
| at some charming place, such Brighton
| or Monte Carlo, returning home without a
| single line being actually written.
| Mr.. Sydney Grundy, when he wants an
| Idea for new play, seeks inspiration from
| one of his seasoned bulldog pipes-and never
in vain. But when he has got hts idea the
| difficulty Of working 1t out proves forrnid-
| able. II suffer from the disease of lazi-
ness" he says, land 1 simply can't settle
| down to work until l compelled to. But
when once I slant l go right ahead, working
| morning, noon and night until it Is fin
| ished."
| Having got suitable idea he first plans
| out a very slight scenario, and begins to
| write with only slight conception of his
| characters. Gradually. however, these as
| sumo form and reality, and before the first
act is finished he is on perfectly good terms
| with them. When once the play is under
| way his brain is saturated with it, and
| everything else Is thrown aside until 1t Is
| completed. II keep the stage in view
| throughout" he says, "as if it were chess
board, and get no mental rest until have
| done the thing
Some of Mr. Gilbert's best work has been
| suggested by very trivial incidents. The
| sight Of a huge japanese sword inspired
| 1.-THE Mikado," and Mr.. w. H. Smiths ap-
! pointment as first lord Of the admiralty was
| the origin OF "Pinafore." All his operas
| were written with a miniature copy of the
| Savoy stage before him, with every en-
| trance and exit shown, and small blocks Of
| wood, painted different colors to represent
| different voices, for actors.
| There is no more methodicaf or conScien-
| tious worker among playwrights than Mr.
| Pinero. When he has a play in hand he
| works at it every day, quite regardless of
| moods; never, however, touching his pen
| until the evening, which he finds to be his
| best working time. He Is In the happy posi-
| ton of being able to write exactly what he
| pleaSeS, and never to order. He never die
| tates his plays, nor will he allow any one
| to come near him when he is writing. AS
| for his ideas, they come to him at all times
| and places, and jotted down on hun
| dreds of scraps of paper, with which his
| pockets are stuffed When the play Is ripe
| for writing he produces all these countless
| literary fragments and from them evolves
| one of his delightful and brilliant plays.