New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-04
THE PATIENT PLAYWRIGHT
Some Experiences - and a
Moral.

THE TRUE ADVENTURES or \ PLAY.
b. Louis Evan Shipmau. illustrated.
Emo. pp is9 Mitchell Kennerlcy.
There are chow" books innumerable,
we believe, for budding dramatlsts.
This is not one Of them, but those who
dream of writing for the stage would
do we'll to take it to their hearts, pond
ering every experience which ME-
Shipman records as author of that
charming comedy, "D'Arcy of the
Gerards.' Composing the piece in ro-
mantle mood he learned, as he followed
its fortunes, much more than he might
have learned as, say, stock broker
or farmer. about the hard realities
OF life. We speak advisedly when we
describe him as following the for
tunes of his own play. The farmer,
it is true, has to reckon with the
weather and the stock broker, we sup
pose, is more or less governed by ele-
ments beyond his control in that mys-
FERROUS place called "the market
Still, these two breadwinners know,
after a fashion, where they are, and
what, roughly, the upshot OF their
travail will be. Not so the playwright.
Once his manuscript passes out Of his
hands he can Only wait and watch.
Mr.. Shipmsn raised to a high power
this art of watching and waiting, sue
ceeding in the process very largely, we
gather. because of natural fund OF
commonsense and humor. As he looks
back over the ten or twelve years which
embrace the essential history OF his
play he is frankly amused and tells
us all about it in such wise that we,
too, are entertained-snd edited.
II is patience that he preacnes, first
and last, and what makes his enforce
mcnt Of the principle conclusive and
really helpful is the candor with which
he traces the veXations he has suffered,
not to any inimicsl forces, but just to
the nature of things. II is true that
he has some not altogether fatterlng
observations TO make on the typical
theatrical audience. metropolitan or
provincial. He ailude5 TO that familiar
object of reprosch, the commercial
manager, and we do not find that he
sits IN an attitude Of 6cstatic admira-
ton at the feet of the American
dramatic critic But ne does not blame
any of these elements in our theatrical
situation for the delays which logged
the production Of his comedy. If actors
and managers are slow, capricious, or
otherwise difficult" he sees. plainly
enough, with the eyes Of good nature,
that that is only pretty Fannys way.
We shall not attempt to expose in de-
tail the droll playfulness OF Fate as
il affected the career Of "D'Arcy.'
The main thing that impresses us /.
the large indefinite manner in which
a manuscript may be handed about,
may get itself practically purchased,
and yet delicately escape, for an aston
ishingly length of time, anything like
actual production. And when. at last,
the blissful occasion dawns If q
FIRST night may be said 20 dawn-it
is odds that author. star, and manager
will promptly get together to pull the
play about and tinker" at it until
their heads swim.
Henry Miller was il the West when
he first presented Mr.. Shipmsn's play,
and shortly after it had been effective
" tried out" he wrote that il was
about two-thirds good" West went
the author. and, he says, Nightly.
after the play. Miller and | compared
notes. and decided on changes" Over
one change thus accomplished we may
be permitted comprehending smile.
Erred rhorne, as Gregory. the old sur
seoE. was too quaint and amusing, so
we decided 20 sacrifice him and IA
many OF his good lines as possible to
Darcy Somehow, We seem to have
heard If tina. kind Of change before.
The point is not, however. to be exag-
ccrated. The tendency of Mr.. Shin
mans narrative IL to show that these
consultations in the theatre between
author and actor or tnanagcr make. in
the lorg run. for better play. We
infer that all that he would csnceially
plead for is the development of y sym-
pathetic and genuinely artistic atmo-