The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-28
Able First-Night Judges

A playwright who has not escaped
few humping failures was speaking
recently on the theme Of getting the
right verdict on a first night.
In the first place" he said, Il pay
no attention on the first night to what
my friends have to say about the play.
They're biased in favor of the man who
has written the play, and they can't
rid themselves of this bias in consider
ing it,
premise that the playwright himself
can't possibly tell whether his play is
going to be d go or not. I've had five
rank, laundering failures. Every one
Of them / considered before it fell dead
about the best thing l had done. The
play of mine that achieved the biggest
success was play that 1 felt so
squeamish about that 1 cOuIdn't bring
myself to be present at the theatre on
the night of its first production in New
York
Nearly all the playwrights of my
acquaintance have had the same expert
ence. David Belasco thought Naughty
Anthony the best thing he had done.
1t was a dire fzzle. He was terribly
afraid that Zaza' would never do. IT
was a knockout. Bronson Howard
could hardly be dragged to see the
first production of his 'Aristocracy.' He
bones a week before it was given.
'AristOcracy' was a riot - ii IS being
done yet, after more than 20 years.
Eugene Walter was shaking in his
shoes for a week before The Easiest
Way was brought out. He was afraid
the folks wouldn't have II. You remem-
Der what a sure-fire thing it was from
the beginning. Walter considers The
Wolf his best play. which is joke.
Playwrights, then can't tell how goou
their plays are before or after they are
produced. But they can get a verdict,
if they go at it right, as to whether
n
not, The first item to consider in es-
saying to get the correct verdict is, as
say, not to listen to what your friends
tell you about your piece.
ITO whom are you going TO listen,
then? Your enemies? Not by any
means. Their verdict wouldn't give you
the right elew, either.
Stage Hands His Criterion.
Il would rather abide by the verdict
of the seasoned, old-time stage hands
than by the procurement of almost
any other class OF persons except the
ticket spectators. 1t becomes d SUI, of
instinct with them to judge correctly
about plays chances for success.
Nearly always they are Unconditional
men. They've been around theatres so
long that they have excellent standards
from which to draw comparisons.
They're not particularly interested in
playWrights. They're not enthusiastic
about actors or actresses. The buzz of
BOSSlp LNdL LUSy near ABOUT play Oh
fits first night doesn't impress them in
the slightest degree. 1 won't say that
they're sardOnic. But they're very sane,
verv self-nOntained. very much aloof
from the picture when they do their
judging.
Il generally contrive to nudge over
to the old-time stage hands of my &C
quatntance along toward the finish Of
any new play of mine on its first night.
They're not takers. these chaps. They
don't feel that K confers any special
distinction upon them to have a play
wright approach them in an agreeable
way for the purpose of limiting around
to get their views of the piece. So I
don't hint around. I just ask them
outright.
What dye think Of this show of
mine, Jim? I once inquired of a griZ-
zled stage carpenter whom 1 had
known for good many years.
The play I was asking about was
nearly over on its first night. It had
seemed to go pretty well. I had been
called out to make a speech. My
friends in the audience had given all
Of the points big hands.
1.-THE oldtime stage carpenter was