Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-16

plays is the growth Of ten years. II one
play in ten Is American, then there has
been an annual average OF 1000 American
plays since 1925 II the annual average OF
American plays that have seen the light OF
the stage In New York since 1895 ls 100
many as 1000 American plays are lying un-
utilized In the pigeon holes Of single
once.
How many others lie dormant IN the
ofices OF Miss Marbury Mrs. II. c. De
Mile, Samuel French q Son, Sanger 8
Gregory May we assume that there are
sOo07 n 30, no fewer than 12OO0 plays by
American authors lack Advancement as
the Jesting Hamlet put Il.
May not this congestion Of unreoognized
virtue be due IN part 20 the fact that New
York City Ia looked upon by most authors.
beyond doubt; are not many clever writer's
spelling their chances by cooperating to
keep Il the only naIket7 n.,.. -.
school Of fiction; and there is, IL appears,
Paoihe coast coterie OF playwrights Yet
fraction OF the native American output
reaches them from the Pacific coast to be
marketed here. What usually happensf A
play that might have secured hearing In
Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles,
were there play-producing center along
the Pacific coast Is never heard anywhere.
II may be a work OF decided merit. But,
II its viewpoint is other than that from
which eastern folk see things, II were bet
ter for the play had II never been born.
His metropolitan constituency is irst in his
affections and interests.
This doctrine holds true true az Tssu%s bS of
have their own standards; their people see
all creation from angles different from that
OF New York. Yet their dramatic writer's
send every ounce OF their output here for
sale, as II II were 80 much beef, cotton or
other expression Of materialism.
To the office OF prominent New York
manager the other day came a play from
Boston. The author, introducing the manu-
script, said in substance; 1T strikes me
that the interaction OF native forces In this
country Is the ideal basis for really great
American drama. Let the writer play one
in this EFFORT. / have pitted the Puritan OF
New England against the agnostic-a Bos.
ton girl against Chicago man OF 40
have never met a Chicagoan who was not
more than half an agnostic, and have put
this sentiment into the mouth Of one OF
my characters. ! ought 70 say that have
To the ofice OF another manager cam,
2 play from California The author II
this this case wrote IN iRsissi%is verbs
easily can gather from your newspapers
the spirit Of your people: and, as tha
spirit Is one OF Misunderstanding OF th'
west, have made the villain a type from
these parts-one Of the California new
rich, with designs on women. 1t should
catch the fancy OF a New York audieno'
Perusal of the manuscripts revealed manJ
admirable traits. There were strong pas
sdBes, some neateu scenes apDtheBIn ant
humor. Thrown into the ordinary form o
fiction, each might attract a patronag,
wider than Massachusetts or California
But for theatrical presentation in New
dramatization of Fox's Book of Martyrs
or Thackery's Book of Snobs."
Daniel Frohman, in a moment Of self
confessed weakness, took a manuscrip
play in which a Chicago and a Washing
ton man collaborated Their reputation
and successes led him to believe he coul
risk a contract even before he had real
II. One reading convinced him that tn
point of view was so radically Unacceptable
to the average intelligent American in New
York City that he forfeited thousands o
dollars rather than produce the work. II
literary merit and romantic attributes n
particulars.
But, however 1t may be as to diver
gence of points OF view between men Il