Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-07-13
ENACTING A
PICTURE PLAY
BY RUTH GRAHAM

"What a delightful life you must
live" she said, "conjuring up these
picture plays. How in the world do
you make people out Of nothing? And
having created them, how do you make
them do things that are Interestingly"
.'It's all built up, just as you would
construct a house. First you must
get your motif; that's the basement.
Next, you find certain complications;
that's The framework! . e,.s Finally YOU
make your characters do 1t all Id ac-
cordance with your scheme; that's
putting In the body Of your house.
Then, when It's ell laid out, you put
On the finishing touches; that's deco
rating"
But where does the romance come
in?"
II can't tell you, but can show you.
Let US enact a picture play. Well
make It very simple, only two charac-.
ters-the man and the girl. Rosalind,
the girl, leaves her house with letter.
She meets the fellow, Jenkins. He
sees the letter and the address and
surmises that she Is going to the Office
to post ON acceptance to rival He
leaves her very sad. The next day he
goes to foreign country and doesn't
return for two years. He meets Rosa
lind, and she tells him that the letter
she posted was rejection Of his rival
instead Of an acceptance"
"What stupid man!'
III plays didn't make lovers do stu
pid things they wouldn't be true to
life. Furthermore, there wouldn't be
any plays. Let us play this one"
But don't see how we can enact
that. There isn't anything for us
to do"
Its two reel play. Suppose we
leave out the first reel and enact the
second"
There's not much in either Of them"
There's lot in the last half. You
go down there by the stream and sit
q pretty picture You see, we must
look out for the artistic features. You
will be thinking Of Jenkins
Cant you find better name for
him2"
ooh, his name doesn't matter. Be-
sides, you have said he's very stupid"
She did as he directed. While she
was sitting pensively on the rock he
passed on the path above, saw her and
hurried down to her. On reaching her
he uncovered, bowed and moved his
lips as If talking to her with distant
manner
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"Tm telling you what might be ex-
pected at finding you after long alb
sence. There's no use saying it, for
Photographs can make no sound"
"Oh, forgot that"
"You ask me why went away SO
suddenly. reply that saw the letter
of acceptance Of my rival Then you
inform me that it was a letter Of rejec-
ton"
"Well. We'll consider all that said"
He raised his eyes to heaven, as If
giving thanks. Then he beat his breast
dramatically.
whats that?" she asked.
Satisfaction at learning that my r.
val was turned down and self reproach
at the loss Of two years Of happiness"
Happiness! How do you know that
Rosalind will have you?"
"True enough"
II shouldn't think you would be
much of picture play writer to make
such mistakes as that"
1.-THE theme doesn't work out right.
Rosalind loving jenkins, shall have
to go back to the beginning and do 1t
all over"
~ don't see any reason for that
Glow shall l supply the defciency?"
"Why, let him ask her, of course"
Fright you are"
He sat down very near her, SO near
that his cheek almost touched hers,
and began to make his lips move in
| dumb show.
"Don't you think" she said, that
| you would enact the part better if
you spoke the words? How can a
man show feeling while making his
lips move without saying anything?"
| Fright again. Characters in picture
plays really speak their parts" Then
he spoke aloud
Glow happy am to find you in
this beautiful spot, Rosalind. 1 have
"Do you need to keep the name of
the character in the playa"
"Etfie, have known you now a
year, and"-
"Why, you've been away two years,
and you knew me before you left"
"Tell me, Etfle," he went on, chang
Ing his tone, was that letter to Cart
right saw on your table when call
cd yesterday an acceptance?"
Yesterday? Why, 1t was two years
ngo"
"Never mind the COMPOUNDED picture
| NAV Tell mo il II 7 mr. Cortriohf2b