New-York tribune., 1910-11-20
A NOTED playwright
Henry Arthur Jones Returns to
Produce a New Play.

in this city for the first time new comedy
which is vet unnamed. Mr. Jones bearing
his wears lightly, comes to Us with the
same merry twinkle in his eye and with
tre ssnae good fellowship. kindly spirit and
hearty appreciation Of life as in years gone
by
rza had barely got settled in his COM
Portable quarters at an uptown hotel on
"Wednesday when the writer, bearing a let
ter Of welcome from an old friend Of MT
Zones came for an interview.
Come in said Mr. Jones. 4 am glad
20 see you and l am happy TO be here
aeaia. I am stiI or my sea legs. after a
deliehtful trip. Do have q cigar and VIII
you Join me IN cup Of tear
etr Jones looked for bell in the wall
oh. I forgot, for the moment" he said;
.vou. have telephones Il. the rooms OF your
hoteis don't you?"
Afr Jones ordered q pot Of China tea
witch was served presently, and together
we sipped and smoked We began our
Chat.
IN reply 10 inquiry about his new play
which Is 10 be presented by the new Al
ri,ors, Producing Company. of which Charles
Klein is the producing director, Mr.. Jones
said:
- i have lust finished the play. Il is a
comedy Of English country life. It is like
Mrs. Danes Defense n that it is strong
l. serious. hut it has more comedy than
Mrs. Danes Defence Il has some KIN
shin to The Liars Its scenes are laid IL
the English sfires It's types are entirely
English. but ! hope that the play VIII ap-
peal Oh the line OF general humanity mat
must be true Of any play that lasts MO
Heres types, f0T example, were al IA
ristan but they We're universal
NV scenes are laid at a country house In
the English shires.. There is q, house party
which lasts four days. during which time
the action of the piece takes place. The
first act takes place Oh a Sunday morning,
the second on the following Tuesday even
in= and the third on Wednesday afternoon
CNlo mention Of what occurs)
How many characters are there" Mr..
Jones was asked
There are fourteen who and what
thev are not specifed)
Are they OF the smart set2'
Not wholly" was the rep; Some are
Of real society and some are Of the smart
set"
Ii was quite evident that Mr.. Jones did
not propose TO divulge the story OF his play.
and TightfuIly. So the sailor tried new
tack
Have you made any plans Tor casting
the riece2-
No. nothing has been decided upon. We
shall select our actors from these who are
over here. The play is English and il re-
quires English types. but ] think / shall be
able TO find enough English players IN New
York to take the principal parts.
How long viii you Tehearse the play?'
'0ne month after the cast is selected
Are you usually present al rehearsals
q your rlays?'
Usually. but 7 don't enjoy it. After ]
have written q play ! Ike TO nave il ouJ
Of tie WAY AMI when 1 have man Ike
ST. Charles WyndIiam presenting nly plays
ar g-i,e satisfied 10 inuGst every tilins
10 him. because be knows more about re
hearsais than do. You know, Sir Charles
revived The rss, of Ecbeillous Susan
last sfr.n- Yer tTo weeks, ana il ran ~.
115oaihs and NOW ne has started on re
1--.ai u1 TIE Liars Susan i seven
teen years old and has been revived four
times The LIARS Is thirteen ana has oeen
been revived I'VE times.
In producing ny new play here I am
71articuIarlv fortunate ~ be associated with
1ur old friend. charles Klein. lie IS
frct-er author. and his adyiee and coun-
SCI vil. 5e Of great value
'Do vou take an active part in the re
hearsais Of new pays%
.'clo. e an actor does not Interpret one Of
my chaIaoters from Iny point of view I
have him come Jp 10 my room and read
10 him thc lines and explain 10 MIN my
point oc view. But I don't believe in par
rot.ns.' I like 10 have an actor 60 a thing
because he thinks II should be done that
way. not because think so. \ bad actor
you can't rehearse and good actor doesn't
want it- Take Hamlet, for example. 1t Is
astonishing how many different personali-
ties and methods have been used in his
1rnpersonauon-
Vow. about your method Of work. Mr..
Jones. How do you so about It when you
wish 10 write play?'
Play writing is never learned, Writing
a new play is like learning a new trade
Generally speaking, 1 get my scheme right
away The whole story has to be distinct
II nay own mind. The characters should be
vividly conceived, so that they are like
brothers and sisters. once conceived. I
don't 20 outside Of my scheme unless
t1-d that Il is wrong one. Then I pick il
% pieces. 1 sketch out nay acts, then sketch
every entrance and exit before I begin to
write. Although I live in London. I always
write ia a quiet country hotel"
DO sou go out there for a few days at
tine?.
''Oh no, 7 stay there two or three months
until mE play is finished. / wrote my last
play So Sussex. ! took my horse along
with rle and made myself quite at home So
During what hours Of the day do you
write?"
4 write al the morning until lunch
1aen ! have q smoke and sleep / doze
over rly papers and letters Then I have
q cup Of tea. and ride for two CT three
hours up 10 dinner time. l never write
after lunch but ] try to get into the spirit
Of the scene for the next day
How long does II usually take you TO
write play2'
The Liars, my most successful play,
wrote in three months very easily. The
Princess's Nose, my greatest failure I
wrote in the same time. hrs. Danes De-
fence, my next greatest success TO The
Liars'-and which seems much more sim
ple-gave ne no end OF bother and required
several months. The Cheva1er,' a COM
paratiye failure. took fifteen months of nay
time So you see time really has nothing
10 DO with the subject Of play writing
Mr. Jones has been active in the effort to
abolish the stage censorship in London.
He says that the pubic is the best censor
Of plays.
Let those be censored who want TO be
censored ne said y am quite agreeable
10 the feport Of the committee Of the House
Of Commons which has recommended that