Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-11-27

Fitzgerald Murphy, playwright,
newspaper man, adapter and author of
the dramatic version of Parsifal, is
the press agent for the National Stock
Company now at the Orpheum. He
leaves Tuesday for Arizona, where he
will engage in the mining business for
the benefit of his health.
Mr.. Murphy does not intend to do
any more writing of plays; that is, as
source of revenue. His reasons are
obvious. so many Jews, as well as
others, have engaged in the show bus.
mess OF late, not particularly as play.
wrights, but as managers, and taking
no chances. have brought productions
to this country from abroad where they
have been great successes, knowing
that the American people would pat.
ronize them WELL said Mr. Murphy the
other day at the Hawi N Hotel.
This importation OF successful
dramas from European cities has un
doubtedly injured the revenue of the
American playwright. No other COun.
try, in my estimation, and II Is II
fact,-can compete with the writers OF
the United States in turning out
plays. There is always a risk in pro
ducing dramas, not only in this coun-
try but in every other country as
well.
when a manager wants to put on
a new piece nowadays he does not
hunt up the American playwright for
a play, but, instead, turns his atten.
ton to the stages of the greater Euro.
pean cities with the view of bringing
over some attraction that has as yet
not appeared in this country. Before
taking hold of this show the American
manager must know that II has been
success there and in almost every
instance plays that have appealed to
the European theatergoers will take
well in this country at the very begin
ming.
My solution of this hindrance to
the American playwright Is the sugges
ton that the national government put
a tariff on all plays that are brought
from foreign countries into the United
States. This, to a certain extent,
would protect the American writer and
naturally make his work more in de.
mand, and, besides, give him a certain
amount OF protection.
And why shouldn't there be a tariff
on the drama from abroad? The
American manufactures, the inventor,
and in fact everybody Is protected
from foreign competition by the Unit.
ed States tariff, and why shouldn't the
playwright have his rights looked aft
err by the Government?
III this is accomplished, and have
no doubt but that II will be some day,
the people OF the United States will
see just as good shows, and perhaps
better, and the playwright will have
more opportunities of displaying his
ability and deriving the benefits from
his work"
Mr.. Murphys first play was put on
! in the East In 1886 1t was an Irish
drama entitled The Shamrock and the
Rose" and was produced with success,
His second dramatic attempt was a
stage version OF Edward Bellamy's
Looking Backward" which the au.
thor, taking sudden turn towards
conservatism, forbade him to produce.
Murphy then turned to Tolstoi's cele'
brated "Kreutzer Sonata" and drama
tlzed it under the name, Another
Mans Wife," producing 1t in Jersey
City. This was some time after his
first play was written in 1886.
His next study was another Ir.sn
play, entitled "A Bit o. Barney"
which was first staged at Hazards Pa,
vilion in Los angeles, Cal, in 1898 :.
4 10 ysa, n,,i,n a, .ynnt 10, Local I,an.at