The Washington times., 1904-01-17
DTamatized Novels.
A Play Form Rather Avoided byS Eng
lish Managers.
By MARIE TEMPEST.

In England we have had of late few
OF the plays made from novels which
have been s. conspicuous on the Ameri-
can stage. Possibly the reason may be
that English managers seem TO have
more faith IN the ability Of their or
iginal dramatists than is the case with
their American confreres. There is not
any prejudice in London against the
dramatized novel per Sc, and / ought
TO be the last TO decry them for one
of my greatest successes on the dra-
matte stage was made in Becky
Sharp But London managers are not
inclined to believe that the publicity
n novel has attained is going 10 help
a play made theref-om, unless the
play has sufficient intrinsic merit to
carry II. II is a similar case TO relying
on the name OF a famous playwright to
make success for his play. That may
and does draw on a first night. but If
che piece docs not please the name IL
valueless.
Now / arrived in New York recently
some time IN advance Of the date of
my opening. ard naturally / went 70 a
great many theaters. l saw some OF the
dramatized novel plays. which it would
DC ihvidious to mention. and some 90
them have since been reckoned with the
departed, DE Mortuis," etc. or, as the
sehoolboy translated ii ''of the dead
there is nothing left but their bones"
and as far as I know there were no
mourners among the public
IL seems TO me 20 require almost as
mitch skill to make a good dramatlzat ton
OF novel. and perhaps even more. as
to write an original play. a hack play
NJ 81 rtFf1l L
version. which will necessarily be
clumsy and unsatisfactory. and often
unintelligibic TO those who haven't read
the book. The able dramatist VIII be
hampcred by tho differences in methods
of construction between a novel and A
play. His great difficulty is to fnd what
he can leave out, while the less expert
enced writer will 40 astray on the rock
OF trying to cram IN everything he can.
] have heard IL said that 1.-THE only way
TO make n good dramatization is to read
the book once and then throw Il away. -
Naturally, this is an exaggeratiOn like
most broad statements. still there is
much truth in IL; but many novels have
good dialogue that is worth lifting. ."
and nowadays some novelists write in
dramatic form and with a very evid II
eye 20 the ultimate stage use OF their
work
The story of a play must be consecu-
tive, consistent, and developed in log
ical sequence. In n book one can halt
go back. and explain motives which are
not clear upon the surface Then. again.
the action of book may be as difruse
as the author pleases as to time occu-
pied and changes of scene and location.
but the dramatist is bound 90 a certain
extent TO conform to conventions and
try to observe those mysterious and
haunting terrors known as The Unit
ties"
When Dickens novels were first writ
ten, crude versions were quickly pus
upon the stage. but despite the enor-
nous circulation of the books the plavs
did not do we'll Dickens longer stories
are so diffuse that they do not lend
themselves readily to dramatic treat
ment. The one exception is The Only
Way" But his short stories have been
the source of many paying plays. The
Cricket on the Hearth is now being re-