Evening star., 1911-08-13

Why, explained the playwright. 1T is perfectly
obvious and will be obvious to any audience The
soldier looks the heavens realizes that the day and
will be clear and knows that the British will make an
attack on the American forces.
The lawyer said he understood now, but had not be
fore.
Never leave anything to the imagination of your
audience repeated Jefferson. Always tell them the
British going to make an attack If you do not 1t IS
safe wager they will never know.
The second of talk worth listening to had its
exponent Ted Henley, the famous English tragedan.
Don't ever be afraid OF playing on your audiences
emotions, and play them to the limit Don't balk
melodrama all drama IS melodrama, anyway.
The remarks of Jefferson and Henley good guide
posts, have found 1t pays to consider them. Take
them and throw every other playwriting rule into the
ashbarrel-and have the ashbarre hauled away quickly
There is always the danger that one OF the rules
might find its way back to your workroom again
Nose for News and Drama
THE only thing a dramatst needs is dramatic in
1 stnct That he must have Without it. he NAV
lust as well get Job in haberdashery store and begin
sell neckties He must know how to tell his story
and tell it dramatically. The reporter who gets
assignment from the city editor covers the story and
then comes back the Office, throws off his and
pounds out the effectively his typewriter,
has the story telling dramatic instinct, and that
is the reason | thoroughly and truly believe that,
other things being equal, good newspaper reporter
ought to make good playwright. The nose for news
and the for drama pretty much the same
There are only three ways to tell story: FIRST by
word of mouth; secondly, by writing 1t; and
thirdly by telling it through the mouths OF other per
sons characters. The newspaper reporter gets his
experience doing all three He has to tell his story
his report of the story he has covered to the day
night city editor; then he has to write it. And, in
writing he places the mouths of the real characters
who have figured in the actual story the actual words
they have spoken. He does not write language he
writes words that have been and spoken. He deals
with persons who speak, not in speech with persons
back of it. And there is great deal of difference be-
tween the two
The late Langdon Smith, of the foremost news
paper reporters America, dear friend OF mlne had
the for and the for drama. He had
started work play when he died, and although |
do not know single thing about the play, am it
would have been a good one had he lived to finish 1t.
do not have to enumerate the reporters who have re-
Gently into prominence dramatlsts Their
names you recall easily-Walter, Thomas, Buchanan,
and the rest The dramatic instinct was developed IN
them through the news the rea living, breathing in
stnct of grasping the worlds every movement.
Be Pessimist
INTO what going to say, | do not want any
: to make the mistake OF reading rules tor
young playmakers. The famous Mrs. Harris words
these rules effectively and finally What say
is merely my opinion in regard to drama making,
and remember | never have abided by rule in all my
playwrting life The easiest way to gain fame in
dramatic writing is to exploit pessnism-if It IS fame
you after. Pessimsm twice strong, twice as
easy Of general acceptance, optimism This may
bit doubtful TO you; but remember that almost