New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-27
WOMEN AND THE THEATRE
MISS FURNISS TALKS On THEIR sue
CESS AS PLAYWRIGHTS AND
MANAGERS

Slim dark and soft voiced, the type that one
would pick out anywhere for Southern woman,
although she is a New-Yorker born and bred,
Grace Livingston Furniss in the pleasant.
crimson lit sitting Of her apartment and
talked about paywriting. Mrs. Jack the latest
play written by Miss Furniss, is now having sue
cessful run in New-York-
1t seems little funny she said, that people
still discuss whether woman write plays
not. They have done it. and that's all there is to
It. They have arrived. I can think at this mo-
ment Of eight American women who have written
successful plays which have been acted the
metropolitan stage and have made money. There
may be Others but at any rate l recall now Martha
Morton. Mrs. Sutherland Madeleine Lucette Ryley
LOttie Blair Parker. Alice Ives Mrs. Haines and
Mrs. Richardson, besides myself.
But why this sudden outburst of playwriting on
the part Of women? Well, women have been writ
ing books and stories for long time, you know.
They in time perceived that more money was made
writing plays than in any other form of compost
ton. and they naturally wished to share in tie
profits Why they should have suddenly found that
they could write plays when they hadn't been doing
it before I don't know. How was il they found out
they could write novels, do newspaper work, or
be doctors and artists and a dozen things they
never had been before?"
Miss Furniss's first play was the famous BOX OF
Monkeys and the story Of how she stumbled into
writing il is Interesting
We We're living at Bergen Point N j.. she
lot Of Us who pursued amateur theatricaIs
eagerly. I wanted a certain kind Of play TO play
in myself. which I couldn't find anywhere L
wanted certain larky business in tt-a pillow fight
the stage ard a burlesQue melodrama. 1 wrote
the Box Of Monkeys which We produced with
great eclat for the benefit Of admiring friends
and relatives Then ! sold IL TO a New-York pub
LEGATION for story. ! had no idea what was in it,
but the entire edition sold the strength of
IT, and then il snapped up and put on the
stage and has been played ever since, and that
was seven years ago. OF course. 1 never got
out Of II as play; but just then Joined the
Twelfth Night Club, and met Martha Morton, who
was the first Of American women playwrights
think. She said me, Why don't you write Tor
the real stage? / replied that L didn't know
enough. She encouraged me, and that, together
with the success Of the Box OF Monkeys was
what made think seriously Of writing for the
stage
Has woman any advantage over man IN
paywriting7 None all that I can see Has q
man any advantage over woman Not a DIT 10
De a successful playwright thing is necessary,
without which brilIiance OF intellect or opulence
OF genius is Of any avail whatever. That one
thing is dramatic instinct. One must know what is
gong 10 act well how il IS going to AFFECT the pun
nc. one must know the difference between dlae
!q3gue that is good to read and good TO act Oh
great mass OF plays submitted great may
more are readable than actable. There are many
eraiure Vet ca81ai VINO can This being the
case II Is evident that the mind which has the
so sei Ts to man or woman It doesn't make
audience.
Men claim that woman can adequately
REPRESENT men mems lives because they know
TToSsndng about the life lead among themselves
1 eVe scene OF an officers dinner. because she
co,'I5 was there. One might well say man
talI-i,. 1910, we an effective scene Of two women
20 hs t0gether In their bedroom before they went
man playwright You have "I never been a woman
.sve, &c IaH never been mother; you have never
scenn .,aSnt child How can you write effective
absurd .Aoooslns those materials? The thing is
Miss hd Fnr would be manifestly unjust" continued
fade tbet MSS and yet that is exactly the att
The ' ass men assume toward women playwrghts
write understa n5i @t Ihey themselves are able 10
are moi sIia t~IilIilgy OF women but that women
mater C ~ 70 write pndersts ndingly OF men AS
fo 1t l3ey know usfr0m observation and associa-
from wbaf -, we see different side OF men men
other Tog,, aoOlI also woman never appears 10
Why sbonIS 49, she does to men, or 20 al1hit a
an elent point OF view from what It does its own
santage to as to the Other in that fact when
.enS ase over a man" said Miss Furniss. musingly
two %5if praposa PEoR n his fe at
made morn get one of them to own that d ne fbn
man bo oes Know for no man ever tells an i't
b S05nan has lot Of proposals and she tell
But after all the r. }act nth that Womens plays sue
they cn theatrical point of view is PROOF th ia
,or one ob1ect-to furnish an evenings entertain
rri-n. mats what Shakespeare's pays We're
s,cais5y intended for and used for III the play
ensI',as IN that object IL is success, critics or
ILL., ists 70 the contrary Notwithstanding It's the
ris.e WIDOW out in front that tells the tale The
w VII may have merits above and beyond all that
,n.i give IL place In literature, but that doesn't
IL ~ any better, considered simply as a play.
.b, -. IN that connection il is wei to remember
"a tht manager has the fate OF your play In his
Do u lie de can manage it into success or failure
women make good managers There's no
asoh why they shouldn't, II they have the
81 experience and organizing ability The mother
e WAS ne
80 Theatre In Philadelphia for years. and made
itune by 1t Thera 10 q Mrs. Spooner in Brook