New-York tribune., 1912-02-11

for it ever to swing into any one phase.
! II have also been asked II part Of ny
plan was to cultivate the American drama
tist and my answer to this Is prachcahy
the same as 10 the question OF cuiuas
J ing a public The American dramaust al
ready exists What cultivation he neeos
he is giving himself by dint Of ambitious
hard work To me the purely American
plays have greater vigor than those written
by European dramatists. 1t Is pertecu!
! true. | think, that the European mas
much finer finish. He has more suoue
/ technique and can make play out "
much slighter material than the Amerr
can can. The plays native to TINS couh'
! try are cruder, but more direct anu assV
running. ..
| 'I want American plays for the Li'ue
,, Theatre. 1t is both better and easier ioi ..
American manager to produce plays uia'
are the work of native playwrights ti'an
attempt TO adapt foreign works. In the W.
place, the American actor, uneers'ehu'ss =,
the native dramatist's intent py reH
OF nature and not by dint OF more OF i'''
intelligent study brings out the nne po'nS
In a native play Tnere he cannot 90 '"'
In representing European life. Then toO'
the American audience takes hold Of pay
written by an American much more quen.
ly. This is true of native plays III o'"e,
countries, of course. II Is ohly ha'
that each country should best unders'oH1
and appreciate its own productions I'D
"The factor that is really developing o..
cultiyating the American dramatist 70 ".
playgoing public, which is genulheH
norl.ahIe one In New York. For II Is seA
orally recognized now that, next 70 De,N'
and the two most important Russian o''.,
there Is no place in the world wheie ~.
theatre is so important factor III e'''
dav affairs as it is in New York. =,
considerable interest has been SHOWN !"
.ha IIttIa Theatre by embryo dramausN
especially by collegians VINO are '0 esa.v
forward TO careers as playwrishis' 4aA
have come 10 me from professor
tIorvard classes, for instance ana ma
oalad n I could not find something 'na.
-, ,oulA do behind the scenes Oh u.
= ,..,o ubeatre. so that they might IN tha'
,roy studv the stage and learn no"
'..,.o Cor r. I understand their idea "en
,oroh but I give them all the same ".
- aS,Ioe. There are only two ways o.
learning how TO write plays; one Is 10 VIZ
,bar and the other is to SIT In troh' ~.
s,art,v and watch. suppose have sons
t,,,re 81 Barrie's idea, although l perhay.
Sor't 90 quite as far as he does. he sA.
that n Is not the dramatists business .
i,nou ANYTHING about behind the scenes, :,
,,,o,,rd snoi his Imagination and bis po''
:, tow A play, being thing that Is
sioned 70 be seen from the 'front.' sn'e''
he written from the front" 80.
Although Mr. Ames has announced -
oraI times the plays that he has assen'O.s
for production during the first season
two Of the Little Theatres career nc or
ot made public any farreaehing plans
+ha future, for the simple and praeu'
reason that he has made none. -
..I would consider 1t forcing the issS
Ao said in this connection, Ito lay ou'
nian Of action to extend very far an's
7 am not going on the assumption ,nas av.s
ideas and opinions. my tastes ana aisn, .ns
80 20 he the sole guiding influence Oh
.srr theatre. The audiences are 20 IN.
- ,east half of the deciding and de's'''
Zone of the things I am not planh'ns =.
e % have a stock company ana ~
ar.ory of plays. believe IN tha'