New-York tribune., 1909-09-05

| Germany. He was operated on here by DR.. AL
| quer The patient was conscious up to o'clock
| this afternoon. and recognized NJ. Gauther
Later he became delrious.
Clyde Fitch was one OF the most popular and
| prolific of American dramatists. In the twenty
| years since he began writing he had produced
| nearly forty plays, many OF them written
pressly for leading actors and acted by them with
general success. Beau Brummel " almost his frst
! attempt, presented by Richard Mansfield in 1890
| at once took foremost rank in the eyes of both
| critics and public and continues 10 be one of the
most notable works in the history of American
drama.
For his rapid-fire production Mr. Fitch often
criticised Speaking in his defence he once
said Of his methods: II think of my plays for
two years, though may write them in five weeks
or Tour. or three. even in week. When
begin writing the work is done quickly for that
Is my natural way OF working If had six months
or year in which TO write play I doubt whether
1t would be any better done We pursue the
method which TO is the easiest and most nat
uraL
Il have been criticised for doing too much work
in given time Sometimes have had four and
| hve productions a year, but that l many
plays in one year by no means follows. The truth
Is that l never wrote more than two plays and
one adaptation in a year
The writing done. I Immediately begin re-
Vlsihg IL FIRST | go over II with much with
a black lead pencil. heavier than the one | used
FOR the first writing OF the play. so that may see
at glance which was the original and which the
revised portion OF the page. Next go over II again
to make still nicer corrections. this time with pen
and INK This so at a glance / may know whether
word that appears on the page was my FIRST sec
ond or third written thought A fourth going over
to do still more polishing is done with a blue pen
ell The last touches made with a red lead
pencil so every page OF a play OF mine he
fore relinqush II with great sigh OF relief into
the hands of a typewriter copyist appear five
kinds of handwriting. each signfying to me the
stage OF completion OF the play. The work OF
revision Is done quickly when the production OF
play Is near. Otherwise. after the second going
over L put II away. and my decorative
touches OF red and blue until few days before
II is submitted TO the managerial eye and the
managerial Judgment.
Il make almost changes In my play al re-
hearsals.' added Mr. Fitch. When have gone
over my play the fourth and last time II may not
be perfect. but 1t near perfection as can
bring It. with my original plan H. But the
writing and revising n play is merely the tree
putting forth IT'S leaves The years thinking
OF the play before II s written is the solid portion
Of the tree. it's root and trunk and branches.
"An idea for play me. usually from
reflection upon some peculiarly OF character |
have observed"
Mr.. Fitch made play writing pay His income
from his dramas has been estimated at all the way
from $4,000 TO $4,000 a year.
He a great believer in the American drama
There is a great field in America plays dealing
with the history OF the country" he said on
casion. such plays in England made social
documents There Is why should not
have them. To give value to such plays the
ners and customs OF the people at the time described
must be given with accuracy OF detail.
America is the great growing country in every
thing" he said "and the American drama is
going to the dogs. We making a wonderful
growth in literature. and architecture and the
drama IS not falling behind; II Is improving with
the rest. How does our work OF to-day compare
with the contemporaneOus work In other countries?
To be sure the art of painting started in Italy
but the modern art of the country Is not worth n
row OF pins. We can compare faVorabIy with other
countries In all the arts. We have not started n
school OF painting IN America. because artists
go abroad study. but have a school archi-
lecture, and putting up some wonderfully
fine and beautiful buildings We writing good
books; we have fine actors and actresses. and our
dramatists trying to write better plays
"They say that American dramatists do have
a fair chance but If we take a healthy. normal view
O the situation need not be discouraged We
have larger field to fight against than writer's OF
other countries. We have plays from England,
Germany and France. as well as the plays from
our own friendly rivals In this country--and we
should consider the only friendly rivals. for
the which comes to one of us means sue
for all"
Mr. Fitch believed that the object of play was
10 entertain and amuse and not to teach preach.
drama AS for the kind of play that would prove
popular he said that the public had no taste for
any particular style. but that play would
coed unless there something really good In II.
Historical subjects appealed to him most.
Most of his work done In the winter. His
summers he spent abroad. rambling around search
ing for treasures art In out of the way towns.
Both his town and country homes showed the re-
suits of those excursions At No. 1l3 East 40th
street is a characteristically quaint little house,
where he stayed while in town. 1t filled with
pe ,es OF old World furniture. fountains in marble
ha aains from Florence, Della Robbia removed from
the wall OF a chapel in an old Italian town. odd
little heads holding brackets, candlesticks, tapes
tries and many other curios. His country home,
Ouiet Corner was at Greenwich Conn
The playwright was born in Elmira, n. Y. in
1865 His father was Captain William Graham
Fitch Tho Young man originally had 'Wiam"
in his name but he dropped 1t when he began
writing title pages His family of old Con- |
uecticut stock having settled there in the seven
teenth century. The young man was graduated In |
1856 from Amherst College, where ne had already |
shown some literary ability. He had also been an |
enthusiastic amateur actor. Painting had been his
original ambition but he had abandoned that by |
the time finished college,
Coming to this city, he began writing snort |
stories for the magazines afterward collecting |
them I'm a volume entitled "The Knighting OF the |
Twins" He published three novels-"The Wave |
of Life" In 1883; Some Correspondence and Six l
Conversations" in 1885, and 1.-THE Smart Set" in /