The Washington times., 1914-10-04
MELEFT-OVERS FOR THE
THEATER OILERS
By GARDNER MACK.

Now that the burlesque chorus girls
have orGa nized a union, the playwrights
have determined TO chase pirates of
their ideas even into the sacred cham
bers of the Supreme Court of the United
States, and managers are stamping out
duplicate productions OF big hits so that
there will be plenty of what we might
call spare parts" in case something
happens TO a member of one Or more of
the companies; won't somebody please
come to the rescue of that old, worn-out
phrase, Let me explain and save it
from the abuse playWnghts. actors, and
managers are subJecting It?
Did you ever stop TO think how many
times those words have been uttered on
The stage? Do you realize that there are
few farces. few comedies. few melo-
dramas, few of any of the things that
call for actors to speak lines in the de-
Nelopment of part OF near-piot in the
EngIish tongue that do not INCLUDE al
least one repetition of that poor, over
worked phrase? From the time the
stage was first invented for the enter
iainment of an amusement seeking pub
lie. from the days of the immortal VIII
liam Shakespeare to the human George
Cohan, there has hardly been play
wherein this phrase has not carried the
burden OF the wording. 1t certainly
seems about time for some enterprising
playwright TO come forward with a new
idea He might put ii in German or
French. Of course, in these DAYS that
would be complicated because. under
strict Interpretation of the neutrality
roclama ton, he would find IL necessary
10 have il repeated in both languages
simultaneously to prevent diplomatic
.uDtures. But there must be some way
nut OF the situation. Let me explain!
mas been working long enough 10 de-
serve a vacation. Last week every play
PRODUCED in Washington used it at least
once and in two of them il was utilized
halr q dozen times. In one practically
al the characters on the stage at one
time made a sort of chorus OF IL II
needs rest.
That brings to mind another interest
ing fact-a modern development of the
drama. Has il ever occurred to you
now many very important characters
in modern plays have only telephonic
connection with the cast? very learn
81 writer on dramatic subjects recently
called attention TO the fact that the
telephone is doing for the modern drama
nat the trim French maid with a
rcatner dUster used to do for the former
generation of plays In the old play the
playwright reduced his cast to proper
lions that were financially possible and
brought the play up to point where II
could be produced on stage of ordi-
nary size and within a reasonable
length of time bv having the French
maid discovered dusting the furniture
hen the curtain rose on the first act
and permitting ner 10 IaN out the De
few minutes. And during the action
% the play il WIS not unusual for the
TaiG to appear with her duster and
worH out a few important points that
happened between the acts or between
exits and entrances Of leading people.
Now il is the telephone that performs
the service And the telephone has
something on the maid. rs II actually
puts the audiences into CommuniCa-
ton with the mysterious personages
whose zrfiOnS Of innDTT-
snce 10 the plot. but none at all to the
Cashier. Verify. the drama owes a debt
% Prof Alexande- Graham Bell and
EmI Berliner that it can never repay!
Speaking of telephones naturally
0rirss up the subject of its twin in
fusiry the telegraph. and the teie-
graph suggests most Interesting story
s-bOut 4 ~. Woods and MS newest ven
iure in production. Birds Of Prey.
I'eonle who marvel at Mr.. Woods de-
cision last "Wednesday @Vcning to pro-
duce the play at the Columbia Theater
next Monday night should not run
way with the idea that this is an ex-
hibition Of speed on the part of that
gentleman Speed is the latter half
~ his middle name-the first part be
ing High. And speed has also been
something Of a factor in development
ginnings. The play is the product OF
the imagination ot Willard Mack. a
san Francisco newspaper man and
actor. Before going any further. and
with all due modHsty, please permit
attention to he called TO the prominence
"C the highly gifted Mack family in
theatrical aff4irs next week Willard
Sc rote tho piece. Anna and Ed are act
~ in IL, and-bur we'll let that go until
tuesday, afternoon. They're not kin,
either. To fall safely into the vernac-
Jlar
However. Willar: wrote the play be-
rWcen times he was collecting news
items for his parfr and acting other
authors PLAYS. He dashed il or in
spare moments. and put il together
when he caught a moments rest He
read Il to a prominent theatrical ad-
Nance agent las: Summer. Willard must
have been writing dramatics ut the
time. for there is no other reason ! ,
'an think OF that would secure I re-
spectful hearing from an adVanC.
agent. Al any rate. the advance agent
remembered the play. Proba bly, Will
lard returned MIN some photographs
that were not used, and thus .iXed the
thing in his mind. There ism. any
tiing that can ~ n thing in an ad
ance agents mind like the return Of
photographs Arriving in New York
with the idea RI the play still upper
Jnost-and he must have come hy way
Of The Southern route 70 he compelled
So cling to ore idea for 50 long a time
ne met Al Woods on Broadway and
tnid him about the pla".
Woods caught the ioea right away,
I'D tflegraphed Mack to send on . !