The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
EDUCATION OF A DRAMATIST
MISS CROTHERS TELLS HOW SHE
WROTE THREE or u.s."
Began writing Plays for Her Sunday School
C1ass Then h Found Herself In q
Dramatic School Ideal Play as She
' Secs It-HOpes 10 Retur 60 the stage.

cNO8 v W HtCtuTn " TIC Stakt.
Two Of III sat down and talked about
three Of Us"
Three Of Us" is one OF the hits OF the
theatrical season and the fact that it was
written by q young woman whose name
was practically unknown when the play
vas brought out adds interest to the story
Of it's production.
Miss Rachel Crothers, its author, is young
and attractive looking. When seen by
The o reporter she was gowned in a
morning dress of brown which matched
her big eyes n her halo Of hair. She
works in a brown study.
Tell me-" begged the interviewer, shat
you came 10 New York with only a silver
quarter in your pocket and this play up
your sleeve. Pleased"
Il wish I could Miss Crothers replied.
Il know it would make a better story and
it's wicked to contradict these rumors, but
lean say, this with increasing cheerfulness,
that 1 didn't have n twenty-five cent
pieces to throw away. Won't that do?"
ITS disappointing but perhaps" hope
springing eternal. you never wrote a play
before? This was your maide effort?
Do tell me that
Again the look Of regret.
Il know that's what they say. but it isn't
true. I've always written plays
Well. anyway, you were brought up in
mining town like the one in Nevada where
the scene is laid. The man who sits back
Of one at the theatre and knows everything
told his wife so the other night"
The third and final disappointment was
In store.
Il wss'never further West than my rome
In Illinois"
So the interviewer resigned herself to the
inevitable. She sharpened her pencil, wrote
the next question and what she knew would
he it's answer in her note book and then
read aloud:
Your play cost you more than a year OF
unceasing effort and that does not represent
the entire time. for it was written in your
travels, in your sleep, during the early
moments Of morning consciousness"
Nothing Of the kind, and there was a
decided gleam of amusement in the brown
eyes. Il wrote IL in three weeks. or
course l have ixed 1t up here and there,
have altered and improved, but the complete
play as it is staged to-day was lone in that
time"
The only point gained so far was that on
the pencil and in consequence the settings
Of the conventional interview were hidden
from view and Miss Crothers, relieved at
their disappearance, shook her halo and
womanlike began in the middle OF the story
which was not only the story OF the play
but 81 her success az well.
i think il is great that managers, critics.
the public are kind to and interested in a
play that Is after all merely. clean, sweet
and wholesome, with n straightforward
story. a hero, a heroine and what used to
be called a villain in old time plays. ! hard
ly know how TO describe him now except
70 say that he is the man all the m
prefer to the hero.
Long before I left home and came to
New York to try my luck | used to write
plays for my Sunday school class. didn't
call them plays-Iust sketOhes--on account
Of the deacons in the church.
They were very popular and although
didn't think anything about them AZ the
time. as / look back l don't zee. making
allowance. OF course. for the necessary
limitations, but what they were just a.
good az those I write now.
Those Sunday school girls had their
stories for me just a. people do to-day,
Tor every person has an inevitable history
and you can't mako IL any different IRON,
what II Ia II you are true To yourself and
your art Study the type and you know
ehere TO place IL, the. methods OF oonstruc-
aon, environment and process OF develop
rnent.
And something else, too. which I saw
anconsciously then n clearly to-day.
a 81. .-vur sFfpf~ 49, "+