Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-23
VX THY is the literary matinee?
wv It is not easy to answer. But
II is easv to saw why it might

TH4 is the lterary Ihatlhee'
y" It is not easy to answer. But
it is easy to say why it might
be. 1t would, if properly managed,
prove an excellent opening for the try
ing out of ambitious efforts of local
playwrights, and thus might lead to the
development on the coast of some
splendid talent which now doubtless
bushes unseen solely for lack of op-
portunity of exploitation.
Undoubtedly this city contains
considerable number of men and wo-
men who have much talent in play
writing, albeit this talent is yet largely
in embryo. They have ideas, fresh,
original and strong. They have time
for the working out of the concepts of
their minds. They would spend months
and much hard labor on potential
play if at the end of their rainbow
dream they saw the fainteSt possibility
of a hearing which might lead to pot
of gold or to failure which they
would but count as a means to a sue
ceSsful end.
AS it is now, there is so faint pos
sibility for playwright to get man
ayers ear, here or anywhere else, that
the production of drama is almost
certainly loves labor lost Be an anna
teurs work ever so good, be it novel
and thrilling and clever and fetching,
he may pound his typewriter or wear
out his pen putting his thoughts on
paper by the year. with no other ultl-
mate prospect than burying his pen
child in a trunk or throwing 1t into the
waste paper basket when done. There
is absolutely more chance for camel
to pass through the needles eye than
for a new playwright to read his man
uscript to any one who can possibly do
for him the one thing that makes sue
cess possible-put it on stage. New
York producers will laugh if he take
it there; they will politely but coldly
return it unread if he forward it. They
Gull their plays from the successes
abroad, and outside of certain little
interested coterie of American writer's
no one else has a show.
Here in the west the chances are
even less. AT long intervals one hears
of a stock production of new writer's
play, but generally there is some rea-
son for this that the public wots not of.
Possibly the manager has been given
an interest in it, in view of a mere
chance of it's success. Possibly the
writer puts up the cost of produc-
tion-if he is financially able. Anyone
can get hearing if he pays for it.
But outside of these, there are precious
few openings for him.
Undoubtedly the public is interested
ir new writer's play; nearly every
onS who wields pen has tried the
gN.te, and therefore has a fellow feel
2 sgN If such plays are given, ellen
(ele MI be almost assured. Curiosity
/alone NJ prompt other aSpirants to
attend aNpremier. that they may catch
the hints which make for triumph.
Thus a financial return is not so much
a matter of risk as might be sup
posed.
1t would hardly be right to expect
stock manager whose patrons run
largely in their desires to the successes
of the east, to put on new ana un-
tried dSama for a run. The expense Is
too greA But the literary matinee is
another Affair Nearly every stock the
ater has \ emery that can be used in
case of ehergency for a tryout; the
stock actors have shown fine dispo-
sition to attack this sort of work, upon
slight remuneration. and the house eX-
pense for such a matinee is hght. All
told, the financial question is thus re-
duced to a minimum, and yet the
author gets a look at his work in ac-
tion instead of merely in the script,
while the manager may thus witness
play actually performed, and far bet
ter judge of its worth than by mere
reading of it.
The writer therefore begs to COM
mend to the managers, the players, the
writer's and the general public, this
suggestions: That a series of literary
matinees-or premier matinees, II the
name suits better-be arranged; that
managers and critics. or BOTH read and
pass upon possible plays submitted for
production in this way; that amateur