New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-22
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TANNYC FIRST pAY
WOMAN'S INDEPENDENCE.
The Theme of H. K. WebSter'S
Play, "june Madness and
What He Means by It.

Henry KitcheH Webster whose first
play, June Madness" is to be produced
bv Winthrop Anes at the Fulton The
atre on Thursday evening. September %.
is several years under forty. and yet has
over fifteen acknowledged novels to his
credit, with as many more which have
been published under pen names and
which no has never acknowledged. His
novels-Mr Webster calls them romanccs
have given him distinct place among
the fiction writer's of this country. They
have all been romantic in tone and treat
ment though realistic in environment
His play June Madness which received
four or five productions last spring By the
Drama Players. is more serious in in
tent than his novels. VI sets itself TO de-
pict the modern spirit developed by woin-
an through the economic independence
which she IS working out as it applies to
affairs Of the heart
June Madness" in its present form.
il not the same as was Mr.. Webster
original idea, for in the two years of It's
termination and writing it underwent Il
process Of development
My original idea said Mr.. Webster,
when seen yesterday at the office OF Mr..
Ames in The Little Theatre, was 70 sat
irize the unreal life of the majority OF
intelligent. well brought W, well-to-do
women VINO don't have 20 work. My idea
was to take two figures-a mother VINO
was great believer in independence Tor
women. equal pay for equal work, the
head Of various clubs, and daughter
who rather tolerated her mothers ideas
because she was a more radical person
Socialist. q disbeliever in marriage. /
wanted to show IN one person woman
who had achieved economic independence
and who had deGed the social conventions
regarding marriage. The uDshOt or IL was
that when 7 built this character ana I'M
agned her story, she ran away WIN the
satiricsl intent so II was not intended DIS
sex play. / have not intended II as
play with "a message but as study ID
the modern spirit developed by woman
through her struggle for economic indie
pendence
There are three o. four modern IDEAS
that underlie the play. one or me iueaS
j. that when q woman emanopates he'-
self economically and when she complete
IS emerges from the trophy relation TO
man. not only ceases 10 be q trophy Dut
denies the idel Of being u"ph!
her attitude toward life Viii be IN some
ways more masculine than feminine. her
sense OF moral values viii be more nascu-
line than feminine. IT necessitates a re-
arrangement OF morals. Whatever an
ference there IS in the value OF chasuty
as a masculine virtue and as feminine
virtue is due TO the property or trophy
relation, iu which woman is held IL ~
essentially Il virtue and Is recognnz'h
a. such among men as wei as amohs
women. bat the economic difference III aus
Importance in tho relative scale between
man and woman IS due 10 the fact that
woman mas always been properly. Ia saw
age times she was purely utilitarian prop
erty In ch!yalric times she became aIf'iost
entirely trophy by property J mean eN-
elusive possession II Is properly "heh
c.eryaody else Is kept Of. 1t was thls
idfa u woman as property which .ed
rIau 10 hold .nvioiatc his most valuable
ny.
IleTc Is q great deal Of talk about ths
Injustice that is done to the woman VINO
si-s. bat in a grea, many cases IN hc'ion
and d ANA the sin Is the sort that Wouil
oe quite as degrading II man dld IT,
and the distinction between what Mrs'
ThornbOrough did and what the woman
Goes who sells herself on any sort o'
terms for a consideration, not In kiho' IS
thing wanted 70 make a point or
There is also this idea in the play-that
woman who has achieved complete
economic Independence Is far more IN
dependent person than any man can De-
however economically Independent he can
be She has In herself both sides OF life,
and the result OF such an episode as that
between Mrs Thornborough and Fieldips
must result IN ruin 10 the man. Inc
woman no longer has a sense Of degrada-
ton She has her home and her indie
pendcnce."
AS women continue gaining economic
independence. do you think the present
marriage relation is apt 10 disappear or
become modified"
Shat is another point ! wanted to