Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-05

II
other stage for that matter-I received sixteen let
tiers from strange young living in various parts of
the country who went on to that they too had am
billions paywrghts and begged me to tell them, from
the light of my experiences, Gust what the young
American dranatist is up against That two years
ago; but the letters have kept arriving just the
@What is the young American dramatist up against?"
they one and all want to know. l am young, about
twenty -nine; American born in Kentucky;
have had the good fortune to achieve with
my plays So, presume, l am young American
dramatist."
And now my correspondents, well as all others who
may be curious to know the experiences of hopeful
young playwright in stageland, will tell you of
the various adventures have had. From what of
my other young playwrlting friends tell me, they are
fairly typical.
In the first place. the young American dramatist is
up against nothing If he has ability if he believes in
that ability and sticks to playwrting persisteny
he knows how he is to succeed There is really
tremendous demand for plays in the American theater
today and the managers have their eyes wide open all
the time looking for every possible new "young Amer
lean dramatist" on the horizon
There is prejudice against the "young American
dramatist" in spite of everything you hear The only
prejudice have perceived is against the young drama
fist" who is dramatst in imagination only,-in his
mean who scrbbles off disjointed dialogue and
then vilifes the managers when they send the
script back to him with word that it will do In
the world of the theater in the business world,
young American fairly expect make sales unless
cooqually speaking he can deliver the goods. AS
everywhere else, disappointments at first Thick
you may be he will 3get there in the end.
So much, then, by way of preface. My own strange
adventures in stageland, however, may show the
absolute necessity of this hammering away.
His First Case of Itch
FROM the time wrote drama" that was acted by
the neighbors children in attic-I then
twelve years old always had the paywriting itch.
My case became violent about eight years ago. while
doing police reporting one of the Louisville news
papers Seeking encouragement, got into touch with
of the managers of the road companies that played
in town and asked them how l should 60 about
Handing" plays. They all laughed at me. @Theres
chance for young fellow" they said. "You couldn't
get past the Office boy!'
Did l laugh back and say, @I' prove to you you're
wrong?" No, did not l am ashamed to admit be-
lieved them But was only twentyone years old then.
Although the road ahead seemed very, very rough de-
termined to work my way to stageland by the round
about of novel writing Where, though, could
get plot for novel? asked myself in my innocence.
I even asked fellow reporter. He grinned at
casticaly and answered, 3Why don't you noveze some
of the Bibe?"
"That's pretty good idea and I'm much obliged for
the tip" said seriously read of the Bible that
night and found my plot. The resultant novel called
Judith Triumphant" sent the manuscript to pub
Usher in New York, and got it back in exactly forty
eight hours figured it out that my novel had been in
the publishers Office just about half hour. was too
broke to afford postage to send it to another pub
Usher right away spent my time writing another
novel which I called "The Castle Comedy" Suisse
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