The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-05
BY MAR r. MuLLETr.
tCopynght. lAl.)

4 Aht StOTy OF now ElZdDeln maIOuF.
became one Of the most successful pls.
brokers In America Ia as good As SOM
fiction and lot better than most. Al
many persons have only a vague idc.
| about these matters. IL may be explaines
| that play broker Ia really an agent 70
dramatic authors in selling a play to
manager. arranging royalties. and 50 on
Miss Marbury has made remarkable
success in this work. and she did
through sheer ability and courage, with
out a particle of definite training for II
She was the daughter of distinguishes
New York lawyer. and in many way
had the typical training Of a societ,
girl.
In other ways. however. she had spe
cial sort of education, for her fathel
taught her to appreciate good literatur,
and, in connection with her studies, how
to take hold and to keep hold of whatever
she undertook.
When, therefore. the family forum,
went to smash in Wall Street, Elizabeth
Marbury faced the world with something
much better than q little money. Sh,
had courage. She had intelligence. She
had the ability to take a grip on anything
Including herself
She might have accepted the hospitality
of some benevolently inclined relatives
and have become a pensioner on theiI
bounty. But II wasn't In her to do that
She turned her back absolutely on So
ciety. on her old friends. and set out &c
make good all by herself
She began with newspaper work. Blu,
she had an executive instinct which
would not let her rest there. Just then
she heard that Little Lord Fauntleroy
was being staged. and it occurred to her
that Mrs. Burnett must need a secretary
IL she hadn't one already.
So, finding her way to a rehearsal on,
day, she introduced herself to Mrs. Bur
nett, talked with her and inside Of
three weeks became the authors per
sonal representative In the whole bust
ness Of producing a play which had an
immense success.
She held this position for three years
as long as the play continued to run
and during this time she saved 1900
which she proceeded to invest in ths
venture Of sending "Fauntieroy" to Aus.
tralia. The piece made a hit there, but
returns were somehow strangely slow In
reaching Miss Marbury.
When she became rather insistent In
her inquiries about them the New Yori
manager assured her that the money
would be along all right and suggested
that in the meantime she go TO England
and put the play on over there. That
sounded pretty good to Miss Marbury and
almost before she knew IL she had land
ed at Havre.
Her welcome there was a cable from
a friend at home, telling her that the
New York manager had been stealing
the Australian returns, that her 800
was gone. her trip to Europe a false
scheme, and that the best thing she
could do was to come home as quickly
as possible.
1t was a hard situation to face and
most girls would have taken the next
steamer and swelled the briny deep by
weeping salt tears into IL all the way
home. But Elizabeth Msrbury had diff
ferent stuff in her. Instead Of taking
New York boat she took train to
Paris and made an appointment with
list of his day.
How She Won Sardoa.
Sardou. in common with other foreign
playwrights, had been selling his work
outright to American managers. Miss
Marbury explained to him the advantages
OF the royalty system. And so practical
was her knowledge, so convincing her
sincerity. that when she left Paris she
had not only the rights Of the future
Sardou plays, but those of other leading
french writers also.
Next she went to London and got hold
OF several English dramatic authors and
added them to her list. when she came
back to New York. instead OF being de-
feated and financially ruined, she was
one of the most powerful factors in the
theatrical affairs of that day.
The first Office Elizabeth Marbury ever
had was a little one for which she paid
SIS a month rent. Today she has i
luxurious suite OF rooms for which she
pays more than 90 times that early rem
tai. She has handled the plays of the
most prominent authors OF Europe and
America To the day of his death, Sar-
dou dealt only with her. so did Clyde
Fitch, who was probably the most sue
cessful playwright America has produced.
She hasn't confined herself to the sue
cessful man. however. She has taken
the work of young writers who couldn't
get hearing for themselves. She has
been a fairy godmother to them and
nursed them along to success.
Knowing from her own experience
what IT means to face discouragement.
she has interested herself in other girls
who are fighting the same battle. Her
name is on the list OF various boards of
directors ana executive committees inter-
ested in working girls.
While she was making her own fight
she gave up society, gave UP even her
old friendships-friendsh on which. If
she had chosen, she might have depended
for influential help. She preferred to
work out her own success. And she did.