The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-17
The Very Active Society OF Drama
lists In France.

The Very Active Society OF Drama
lists In France.
1t seems that the American play
wright has very little confidence In his
powers and has no high estimate OF the
opinion In which the managers hold
him. The annual importation of Brit
ish dramatic product good and bad,
with only the London hall mark to rec
ommend it, is enough to intimidate
him. Yet the managers are constantly
declaring that they only await his ap-
pearance to welcome him with open
arms. Our dramatists have formed a
society, but it is not an aggressive organ
ization and the Importance Of some Of
its members in their profession is not
obvious at glance. Perhaps for that
reason it is not militant. but contents
itself with dinner every year and
speeches about American dramatists.
Usually one or two of them are present
to listen.
In Paris the Society of French ORA
matte Authors and Composers is such a
domineering and assertive body that the
poor managers tremble at its disfavor.
1t disciplines these gentlemen and keeps
them in strict order in their dealings
with the poor, impractical and oppressed
men of letters. 1t was SCRIBE who
founded this society, which since its
beginning in 1920 and its reorganization
in 1887 has become so powerful that it
is now the ruling factor in the French
theater, Formerly the managers paid
for the Use of the authors brains what
ever pittance they thought sufficient
SCRIBE brought his colleagues together
that they might get their rights. To-
day this body looks after its members
as we'll as it ever did. and reaches out
into the control of the theaters in it's
efforts to protect them against any
movement in theatrical affairs that may
appear to put their welfare for moment
in jeopardy.
Its recent activity in this direction
has aroused protest from the mana
gers, who are actually crying out that
the society has become an oppressive
syndicate that dictates to them after
the manner Of other fearful theatrical
syndicates. Only theaters that have
contracts with the society are able to
get plays from the members; and as
all the dramatists belong to the as
ISOLATION, the manager who has not
G contract finds himself at loss TO
supply his theater. One manager who
had this contract decided to have
three theaters instead of one. Here
one manager has six theaters for we do
these things differently. The society
decided that such wholesale way
of doing business was not for the best
interests Of its members. So it was re-
solved that this too ambitious manager
could have no more plays. In vain he
appealed to the courts. The society
fought the case, and defeated not only
this manager but others who made COM
mon cause with him. The Judges up
held to the last degree its right to make
any contracts that seemed most advan-
tageous to its members, and declared
that 1t was its duty TO oppose all acts
that might be detrimental to their we'll
being
Serene in its established right to do
about as it wants to do, the society keeps
an eye on the managers. Without its
plays their theaters are Of no use. Luck
lily our own managers are not harassed
by any such active agency on behalf of
native playwrights The number of
their theaters MAJ be unlimited The
more numerous the theaters manager
directs, the larger the number of plays
he needs. So much greater, then, is
the chance OF production Of an Ameri-
can play by the average manager. Pro-
vided that he needs enough every year,
the French and English supply may be
exhausted after while; then comes the
chance of the American playwright 1t
rarely comes before that time.