New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-29

precede TIindle Wakes in New York.
said Mr. Houghton. You know he went
on, zone can be so very much more frank
nowadays and tell Of life just as Il Is.
That, | think, is the tendency Of modern
affairs. / have noticed people feeling a
little self-conscious when they see my
play. but they all say il is merely telling
a life story. II IL no product OF an aerial
fight Of Imagination; 1 merely tell Of
things / know about In tie old French
plays, you know, they told OF things Tar
more immoral than have done but they
left them 10 be inferred. though il re-
quired no vivid Imagination 10 catch the
inference.
There IS to-day tremendous scope Tor
plays Of character and plays that tell o.
the middle ynd lower classes. We have
had too much of Mayfair and the ihmsy
stories Of high society. More often ihan
not. these plays are written By men VINO
do not understand the subject. Noble
titles are given 10 characters who have
nothing noble about them and the FOLLOW
sham Of the whole thing has nauseated
tho public. They have had enough OF the
1lieE9u Ui-I tlAf VI Dt4-sl q A''s ~
say Of your Fifth avenue? II Is case
of back TO the land with the public desire
in the matter Of their taste for drama To-
day. You can see il on all sides Take
Bunty Pulls the Strings Rutherford ara
SON. Little Miss Llewellyn' and similN
productions: they tell the story of the
change. IL is the rough unvarnisneu
rffUr room
comedies ring false. The day OF me
cheap novelette, story OF the lord ana tN'
countess is at an end. II Is all right TOT
the impressionable servant girl, ou' t''
enlightened public want something more
wholesome. I do not say that good PLAYS
cannot be written around the dra"ins'
room. The material Is there, hut they
should be written by people who kno" tn'
people. who have lived in the atmospne's
that they would embody In their "ork'
why did I start writing plays? | o"H
everything 20 Miss Hornimsn ana hs'
stock company. She IL always ready "
consider anything that IS submitted U
her and the enormous number OF play
given by stock company IN the course
of a wear gives chance 10 all who have
the ability 20 write. II is the stock corr
pany that fosters the aspiring playwright
and breeds the good actor Would that
we had more stock companies. We should
have better playwrights and Infinitely pe'-
ter actors and actresses. Week amer
week the stock actor is learning. lie
playing new things and benehting by ms
varied experience. I see IL every week ~
the Hindlc Wakes company. They are
better now than ever they were, and i.'
regard TO the playwright the opportunity
these stock companies give to the youhS
unframed dramatist l. invaluable. h'
sees his one-act play produced. u teiS
him things he never thought OF and en-
ables him to 20 on 20 greater achieve
ments."
In regard 10 the very evident INVASION
Of London theatredom by American plays
Mr.. Houghton considered the interchans.
was an eminently desirable condition o.
affairs. 1T is beneficial educatlonaiN
and il broadens the vision. but ne con-
cluded, II must say that there is not tnaI
shortage OF playwrlghts in England taa'
the present foreign invasion OF the Ems
lish theatre would suggest. II is al!
question of opportunity. That opportu'
nitv has been greatly stifled by the oe'
mise of the stock company and parity "
the craze for the works OF the FAMOUS
few. But time balances all these thiiss'
said the Young philosopher.