Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-09-01
CLYDE FITCH AT HIS HOME.
Take. Hi. Work Not Himself Seriously to Adapting Boo
To Stage

In work. II she happens TO be a fairly
good actress I'm only six weeks behind
IN my work, II she's a had actress I'm
always six years behind"
The artful Fitch smiled the smile OF
the cheerful liar.
Getting away from 10 all takes me
out OF the rut,' he went on. 1T
brightens me up. and when I'm ready
for work there's nothing to distract
me. | go right ahead and finish my
play without the bother Of Interrupt
ton"
And you don't find yourself getting
away from your play in a foreign at
mosphere?"
Not at all. can work as we'll IN
Munich as here Wherever | am
bury myself in my play. ] wallow In
Il. II becomes mudbath. and |
breathe through a little hole In the top.
| go TO Munich because love II, and
come back refreshed, enthusiastic and
eager for work"
Il had vowed ! would never adapt
another book" he said. but Mrs.
Wharton is an old friend, and
couldn't refuse her. ! have not dram
atized her story. I've simply done my
best to put II into play form. Many
a good book has been dramatized TO
death. The people who have read the
book say, Heavens. what play The
people who haven't exclaim, My God,
what book The play fails, the book
Is ruined. The book may have three
interesting men who are good enough
as men go. But the adapter isn't sat-
isfed. He hauls them out OF their very
decent life In the pages and turns them
into an out-and-out villain The wo-
men in the book fare little better. They
are changed 20 suit the taste Of the
ambitious young woman who is 10 be
starred in the play.
ITO feed her speeches are taken out
OF the mouths OF other characters, and
again the poor book suffers. i've been
very careful not to injure Mrs. Wharf
tons bO0k-that was the least ! could
do for friend. AS result OF my
work on The House Of Mlrth' my
morning mail stacks up ten feet higr
with My Latest Book. and IN every
instance | stand between IL and fame,
not 10 mention an enormous fortune.
But ] prefer TO ind my own theme
Among other things. the theater?"
That's Just what ! said 10 Archer IN
London the other day. He agreed with
me. Splendid char Archer. First OF
all we must remember that the theater
is a place Of entertainment. A writer
for the stage should take his work but
not himself seriously. The moment he
takes himself seriously-the moment
he loses HIS sense Of humor-he be-
comes an insufera bic bore. Audiences
today have a well developed sense OF
humor. That's one thing we have TO be
thankful for. IL has brought about a
blessed change in the theater by rid
ding us OF the sWeetly sentimental play
with It's wooden hero and its goody-
coody heroine. playgoers nowadays
are willing TO accept characters who
have their faults; who. like themselves,
are only human. And now the charac-
ters make the plot instead OF the plot
making the characters. At any rate
that's the way play should be de-
veloped."
we we're growing altogether too SER
ious for a summer afternoon. and Mr.
Fitch proposed coffee and cakes. Then
ne proposed a walk In the garden, and
his two dogs Joined us with jumping
enthusiasm. While Clan was jumping
over the hedge after green apple that
could do him no good. his master told a
dog story that a press agent might
have snyied
when went abroad. he replied, Il
left Clan with the soldiers on Cover
nors island II afterward occurred 20
me that had forgotten 10 tell them
the dogs name when went for tbs
dog and asked how they managed 10
call him without knowing his name,
one of them said: oh. that was all
right: We called him Fitch" Clan,
who had returned from the chase.
dropped HIS apple 10 laugh At the joke.