New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09

That is why ! am seldom interested in
play which is bought outright abroad,
for example Such play is unit, more
or less perfected. Its presentation here
is simply resellina of q product There
is nothing creative in such a transaction.
NO the success of theatrical produc-
ton lies in presenting play that is the
result of months of thought. For exam
pie | am now about to put on the stage
a drama that has been a year in the MAX
ing. Its author read his manuscript to
us n year ago. We thought il over,
talked about it and suggested changes.
| These were made and others were thought
Of That sort of thing happened again
ana again, until now ] feel the keenest
interest i'm the product That play has
been worked on to make il as perfect as
possible 1t will be a production Its
good points are matters OF personal pride
to the author and producer and the rec
ognition of those good points by an audi
once will be the creates. possible pleas
ure. We feel with such play that 1t is
success. If the public comes and pays
its money to see it. so much the better;
il will make the production of other plays
possible. But If il does not storm the box
Office. that does not affect the intrinsic
success of the achievement, so far as the
production is concerned.
"On the other hand. | have produced
plays that have made large sums of
money. They have been produced for that
purpose. But have not considered them
successes, because they were not the re-
suits Of creative effort ! have not felt an
interest i'm them, and have not seen them
again after the first performance.
There are times when a manager has
10 produce a play of that sort. There are
times, too. when he is forced To make
hurried production 10 fill in gap at
theatre or TO provide engagements for
players under contract to him. He must
do that for purely financial reasons, be-
cause by so doing he can avoid the eX-
pense of a theatre which is without an
attraction or salaries for players who
are not playing. That is one Of the nee
essary evils which the manager has TO
combat. But even If he puts on such
play and it pleases the public sufficiently
TO pay TO a man who is "A producer
there is no particular satisfaction in it,
ut is peculiar thing. the attitude of
the public toward manager who pro-
duces a play which does not make money
He is pitied, looked down upon. treated
almost with contempt No matter how
artistic his results. if the play does not
make money the producer Is viewed as
failure Even the elevator boy who takes
YOU TO your Office after the papers have
berated your play treats you as a near
criminal hardly worthy Of courteous
treatment
But in spite of II all, If man loves
the creative side of his work-the pro-
duction of plays and their presentation on
the stage So that they please him-there
is satisfaction in the work that compen-
safes for all its pains. The JOY of having
done d good thing with the added JOY
that there are enough people who recog-
nizc it to have it hailed as SUCCESS by
every one, is enough to make me go on
producing plays. even if ] lost every dol
lar ] have in the world tomorrow and
had to start all over again. Theatrical
production is an instructive and its justi-
fcation personal matter