New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-12
IGXITHAT is gratifying 10 us authors
w who have stuck by the guns

business"
Again there was no one present who
would venture 70 challenge Mr.. Walter.
So he continued
"But the movies have their silver
lining. By their crudities they have
educated the theatrical managers. DO
you suppose that two years ago would
be allowed 10 20 about and select my
own cast? Not on your life I'd have
a lot Of Office boys telling me what 10
do" (Mr. Walter was moved TO this
remark BIZ the fact that at that time ne
was selecting a cast for his dfamatlza
ton, "The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom
Come" soon TO be seen on Broadway. J
Again, they have opened vast pub
lie for our cheap seats. Competition
with the movies has stimulated cut
rate tickets. And cut-rste tickets have
brought US a great new bargain-seek-
ing clientele. This new element Is rap,
idly being educated for the theatre. ana
in a few years We will find the theatre
on a Arm business basis as well "a an
artistic one.
The war has brought opportunity
for Americans. The one greatest crime
for an artist 20 commit is to be native
born. This crime can be condoned only
By death. The war will kill or stife
the foreigners and force Americans 20
find a little virtue in their own KIND
Mr.. Walter was asked 20 describe
how he goes about writing a play.
81 90 about 1t like any other hard
working man." he said. 81 don't have
to be inspired. block il out and then
do the drudgery.
I'm writing o play. you must ngure
that only about one-half OF the value
of your work will be interpreted. You
know YOU can tune a fiddle. but not ar
actor. and If he's fat he stays nat
And inasmuch as God makes 'en. you
can't superintend their construction
The 30 per cent Interpretation that you
have q right TO expect must be SUI
6cient 70 interest your audience.
"Play writing is reflective. The the
atre must reflect we'll known condi-
ton, situation or emotion. No matter
what the surprise of construction or
story. the minute II is told 1t must be
receptive 20 the audience. In other
words, the theatre can never be utilized
as an instrument or an organ OF props-
gnnda. Il Is essentially a place 10
entertain, whether through thrills or
laughter. The higher the leve at
tanned in accomplishing these ends the
more real the dramatic literature.
"You can say all you want about the
mechanical laughs and thrills and hash .
backs of the 'movies-the interest or
to-day is the same "a II was IN the
time Of Shakespeare. The audience -
still ruled By the three emotions of tho
theatre-love. hate and revenge.
Nov. often love, hate or revenge
are not nice things. and you often hear
charges that the theatre lacks splritu-
ality and idealsm. This IS the pct
notion OF women's clubs. drama leagues
and the like. Well, il it Is true. you
can find your answer IN the empty
churches. 1t il because the people lack
idealism and spirituality
Mr.. Walter started on. p news
paper reporter, and, once started, he
kept going. In the course OF a com
psratively few years he claimed the
following papers "a onetimc insplra-
tions: cleveland Plain Dealer New
York Sum-" Anew York Commercial-Ad-
vertiser," cleveland Press" "Cin-
cinnati Post" Seattle star Denver
Republican" and Detroit News
"And ] never had the Distinguishes
honor Of resigning from one OF them.
laughed Mr.. Walter. My last expert
ence was on The Detroit News One
day ! objected TO the way the owner
was handling his property, with the
usual result.
with nothing TO do. wrote my first
play. Lost--An Opportunity IL was
IN no sense satirioal commentary on
my newspaper career. | assure you. |
took it 20 NV York. and Kirk La
Shelle advised me 20 sti:k TO the play
writing game.
81 rewrote the piece under the name
Of Sergeant James. and II was fail
urc. Every one ] met told me Il was n
failure for a different reason, so ! con-
clu6ed had better learn my trade.
~ went into the show business. and
worked In every branch that opportu-
nifty cast in my way. | was with
melodramas, minstrel shows, circus,
grand opera. symphony concerts-eYen
a beer garden.
After about seven years ! con
Guided I had learned little. Out in
the country that summer ! wrote Paid
In Full and I've been writing them
ever since. And rs many as I've writ
ten, I don't know anything about tech
nique or structure.
Your story and how you tell il arc
the vital things in writing a play
THE horrors OF hyphenation have
L overcome Lenore Ulrich. She wants
il understood that she is neither agyp-
So. an Indian. Partisan. an Egyptian.
an Italian nor Turk. She 10 an
American that's what she ia.
All this confusion has come from the
igct that Miss ulrich - naturally a
DIRK type. and. besides. she has al
ways played dark-sknned parts. Just
at present she Is an enchanting Indian
maiden In THE Heart OF Wetona."
George Scarborough Oklahoma drama.
Before that she was gypsy In the
movies. and before that she was an
Hawaiian heroine in The Bird OF
Paradise"
81 wish some one would write a
white woman for me-" she said "Peo-
pie now believe that ! am Italian or
French, or at least foreign. They even
call me madamoisclle and fraulein. II
~ most annoying"
Al matter OF fact. Miss Ulrich was
horn IN Minnesota. and spent most Of
har lifa IN Wtsropst, H.. -.