The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
THE PLAY THAT
/ IS NEVER READ.
Being the Sequel to the Advice
Given by an Exuberant Play
wright to a Friend.

Listen, IL you would know h story Of
how you don't get your play read.
First Of ell, here comes along a wildly
exuberant playwright whom you haVs
known In his ragged days.
THAT little book OF yours" he says;
1T has strong dramatic power. Dramati0e
II. I'll tell you exactly how to 60 about
making it stronger" and he tells you.
Then he goes out Of town and stays q
couple Of months and comes back and
meets you again.
What are you doing with your playF'
he asks.
Nothing, you say.
.Nothingl'h he shrieks, IAN I have prom
ised hat play to a real actress for the first
Of August =
WhereupOn you write the play in a hurry.
Then when you meet the playwright again
you say to him tr~iumphantiy, Il have writ
| ten the play, and having II under your
arm you hand it TO him.
sUm,' says he. "um. l want to read this
| play, but I am 80 busy now. You should
have had It ready a month ago. Then l
| could nave read It, but now-but now-
wait, we'll see what W can do. l will
rive you q letter Of introduction to . pro-
ducer l know and have him read IL for me.
Then we will see what we can do
Armed with the play, you wend your way
to the Office OF the producer. The way
leads up some staircases in through a little
narrow door, up more staircaees and into an
anteroom.
In the anteroOm are singers who are hav-
ing their voices tried. You take q seat on
the edge OF a bench upon which are many
others, Mamie and Lucy and Sadie and
Kate, and look through the door first, then
through the pink screen with rosebuds on
It at the producer trying the voices.
Wh.Ie Mamie presses back her side curls
and smoothes her lace collar, getting ready
TO have her voice tried, you watch the voice
irving process going on within.
You almost forget your play in following
the fate OF these singers, but by and by the
boy in charge says to you:
And YOU say, with some timidity:
II have brought a play for the producer
10 read and a letter OF introduction, where
unon the boy conducts you high headedly
into the presence oil the roduce VINO axes
your play and lays IL in front Of him on the
desk, reads the note and says, with a winning
mile, combined with a pleased glance at
your tout ensemble that somehow makes you
glad that you bave one; .
Il will read this tomorrow. Come back
the day after. Look around here again,
NV. but you have beautiful eyes!"
Flushed with pride and hope you walk
amiinRly out and down the steps and
through the little narrow door and dowr
more steps till you get to the street. The
world is goodl Tomorrow Next day!
How beautiful are the daysi
But ayOve ali hoV good 0f q Q gods Ia
think OF giving you beautiful eycsl
On the day after you drees In your Sunday
hest. though it Is only Thursday, and oncs
more 10 up the stairs and In through the
/. little door. Once more you wait In the
anteroom and through the rosebud screeE
Won see the voices tried. 0nCe more yoC
are permitted to enter the presence anC
I stand before the producer OF plays.
He looks at you in a PuzElcd way for al
instant, then says quickly:
-Ohl Your play. ] haven't read IL yet
; There IL lies on my deck. You can see /
hasn't been thrown In the waste pspe
basket. I will read IL. l will read II,
promise you, but give me time. Come baol
next week some time. DON make it to
long or l may forget. That's a lovely vei
yoNI have on. So becoming"
He seems always 10 like your looks some
: how, and yet
Il is . long time till next week, but 20
wait patiently.
Fortunately for you, life has taught 20
patenos.
TLsn yOu VI. 9. sosas =o.e sse.s