The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02

W older members tell them too that
Observation-Disclosures inrtha= belief.
that the one star system is all wrong, they
have got to bow to the fact OF the stars
following. To many regular playgoers the
play is Of less importance than the per-
sonality Of the star, and every star has a
rating, which is supposed 10 be kept up
even when the play is mediocre.
Il was impressed by this fact when on
my way to the Dramatists' Club one night
q couple, evidently strangers. stopped me
Inc asked IL l could tell them where Maude,
Adams was playing. They did not 'ap-
parently even know the name Of her play
and did rot ere. -
"A great many young writer's lay undua
stress OH the matter OF the title. The
play makes the title, and according to my
thinking that is a very ~unimportant detail.
@In the same class are those who, never
having written a play, are discussing
whether they would care to have IL brought
out in certain theatres which are supposed
to be hoodoos. A good play will go any
where, and il makes no difference oil II theatre
has not had a success for years. It will soon
change the word hoodoo to mascot. ts.!
You look over the. plays written by
Emile Angler and Alexandra Dumas and
you will find on the title pages. In c~ollabora-
ton with usually a name known to the
world then or since. 1t is well known
that these two men as well as many others
took the ideas of their unknown associates.
perhaps fellow members in some club like
the Dramatists, and giving their skill and
name, shared the profits on some basis
determined ,
There is the germ Of an idea in that for
our club, where there might be admitted
many women whose scenarios could be
utilized even though they had not the
skill to make finished plays of them. All
these questions and many more, II they
have not already been touched upon. will
be at the ~reconvening OF the club in the
autumn"
Asked to prophesy concerning the plays
OF next senson. Miss Morton does not
hesitate. .
They will be Photographic plays, de-
plotting real people and real life in modern
conditions" she said. Il believe thesa
plays will be more or less s%atirical in char
acter, for We are not 30 thin skinned as
we were and we have got to the piont
where we can laugh at ourselves.
when a man like Tim Sullivan goes IN
see The Man Of the Hour and Rockefeller
lduBllb HUN lo IIOuJ VI Il DOA db lnt
Lion and the Mouse it is pretty safe to
attack our social errors and gaucheries,
of which We have plenty, and correct them
in the best school of any. The French are
masters Of this ~satirical touch and Fulda
in The Talisman,' A King in Secret and
other plays is not far behind. 1t is only
lately that we nave been able to stand this
scalpel. however. for we have had TO be
hattered and fattered to the point of making
ourselves ridiculous. -.~-
Another advance in our business-for
you annot call play writing a profession,
for a profession implies a school, and our
only school is that Academy Of Errors
will come when we nave our plays printed,
for that tends to better English and better
forms of expression. At present we arc
too careless. This is a lesson we can learn
from the French and English playwrightS
who spread the doctrine Of their ideas in
this way from bookstali as we'll as from the
stage"