Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-16
THE PLAYWRIGHT
INTERVIEWS HIMSELF
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
Here. wait a minute" said the Inter-
viewer. "let me ask an occasional Ques-
tion, or this won't seem like an inter-
view. II the success of Under
Cover as you infer. Is based on fooling
the audience, and so maintaining your
suspense, suppose that once having
seen 1t no one ever comes back a second
timer"
II am very glad you asked that ques-
tIon," the author answered quickly, be
cause, curiously enough, many of those
who have been deceived like to come
next time with some one who does not
know the plot and watch their friends
get fooled, too. / suppose the desire to
be behind the scenes, as is were, to be
In the know, is a more or less universal
trait in human nature"
We seem to be talking a lot about
Under Cover" said the interviewer
Tets be more general. What do you con-
slider the trend of the modern drama?"
Il believe" the author replied in
simultaneously, evidently riding a hobby,
that the day when a merely good, we'll
made play, with an interesting story,
will register a real success is past. There
was time when such play, proceeding
along well-balanced, technical lines TAX
ing the audience into its confidence, with
a last act that only tied together the
loose ends, would amble along pleasantly
enough for its 10 or 12 weeks in New
York and then go on the road to clean
up"
And nowadays?'' interjected the inter.
viewer in order to break up the para
graphs.
Nowadays. there are so many the
tres, so much competition, SO MANY pro-
ductons, while all the time the theatre
going public has not increased propor-
uonately. that only the very best plays
succeGo; Ihe theatre is the only busl-
ness know OF where no one takes ac-
count of the demand, but is concerned
merely with the supply. Other businesses
IN bad times run on half time. turn ont
halt their usual product, but the theatre.
with conditions cheerful or denressinp
war or no war. goes on merrily nro-
ducing' each for itself, with no spirit of
o-'peration or combination. There have
been 81 new productions in New York
this season and the season proper is NOT
three months old! So II has come about
that only plays with a real idea. with
some different twist, some genuine nov
city, are making successes, and the nroof
or 1t Is in the New York failures ust row
l believe. too, that more and more the
method or the novelist will predominate
In the theatre-that is, not telling the
audience what is going to happen or
even suggesting II. but letting character
and plot develop themselves I feel too
that more and more a plays last act
must be its best. for 1t is their impress
sion OF the last act that the audience
take home with them"
Are you." asked the interviewer
abruptly. trying to 'uplift' in your
plays?"
Don't make me laugh" replied the
author. I'm trying to entertain. I be-
lieve the theatre is first of all a place Of
entertainment, and II In the course OF thai
We can point moral, or instruct so
much the better. Personally about nv
own work should like to feel that every
audience which goes out from any play
of mine has been a bit taken out of
itself; cheered up little, made some
wat more contented, and goes home feel
ing happier perhaps than when IL came
in. II that may be true. or any part of
1t, am more than content"
by George" said the interviewer
suddenly, you're co-author OF 1t PAYS
to ADVERTISE and we haven't said a
thing a.Out IT,"
mo-" said the author, "but we've uaed
up more than thousand words. So lets
let It go that 1T PAYS TO ADVERTISE
UNDER COVER"